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Dagan Hyde

Dagan Hyde

1. What do you do at Link 51?

I am the Link 51 Group Product Manager; I have three main areas of responsibility

Product development: - primarily for Shelving, Pallet Racking and Mobiles (high density storage)

Training: - Products (of course) and selling

Special Projects: - This covers a multitude of tasks, including IT, sales support, larger projects and new sales channel opportunities

2. What’s the best thing about your job?

Every day is different, being able to be part of making things happen, whether it is training new people or launching new products.

The best single thing for me is what I call the “Ah yes” moment, when something becomes clear.  When, either someone I am training, or myself understand something new.  I think that life is about learning new things.

3. What’s your claim to fame?

It has been said by some that I bear a passing resemblance to Simon Cowell.
why you claim to fame

I can’t see it myself.

My personal claims include the facts that I donate blood (over 30 to date), drive a daft eco-car, help out at the local hospital chapel and I have survived the adoption process for not just one child but two!

From a business point I joined the company in 1981 as an engineering apprentice and have had twelve different positions in the Group since then. My jobs have included manufacturing, draughting, design, sales, marketing, training, PR, IT, installation in fact just about everything except HR and finance.

4. If you had to be stranded on a desert island – what would be the one thing that you would take with you and why?

Any one who knows me would probably say I’m a bit of a boy scout and pretty much always prepared; so I tend to have most practical things with me anyway. However if I could chose something for a desert island I would go for Ray Mears every time, I think Ray would probably be the best person for the job. Now that would be an adventure.

5. What’s your dream holiday destination?

I have been very fortunate to have travelled to many places in the world for both business and pleasure. The destinations have included Hawaii, Alaska, East and West coast USA, Iceland, Sweden down through most of Europe, Tunisia, Kenya, India, China, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bali and I had three days in Australia but that was on business, so it doesn’t really count. One thing I have discovered is that the more I travel the more I realise how big the world is and how much is still left to see.

I would love to visit South America and see the Amazon, further south into Chile and then on into the Antarctic. Russia is a huge and fascinating country, New Zealand and the list goes on. I guess I’m not a big fan of lying on a beach.

6. Who would be your ideal dinner guests?

Ted Simon and/or Geoff Hill. Both are people who have had adventures on motorcycles in far off exotic places. I have read their books and if it had to be one it would probably be Ted Simon. He travelled around the world on his own in the 1970’s on a Triumph motorcycle, now for most people this would be enough to dine out on for the rest of their life, but he then went and did it again when he was 70 years old. I imagine he would have some great stories to tell.

7. What makes you laugh?

It tends to depend on my mood; generally it is the unexpected that makes me laugh.

I heard a story the other day about what makes people laugh: -

A man was walking past a garden with a very high fence around it. There was a lot of laughter and shouting coming from the people behind the fence. As he got closer he could hear that the people were shouting “thirteen, thirteen, thirteen” and laughing.

He noticed that there was a knot hole in the fence and curiosity got the better of him, he bent down and looked through the hole. Suddenly a finger shot out and poked him in the eye.

As he staggered back he heard more laughter and the people all shouting “fourteen, fourteen, fourteen”

8. What’s your favourite thing to do in your spare time?

After my family, I have two main passions, motorbikes and travel. I am the proud owner of four motorbikes, three “classic” machines; I work on myself, and one relatively new one. I managed to combine these passions in 2008 with a motorcycle adventure in the Himalayas. I spent two weeks dodging trucks, cows, monkeys and 1,000 feet drops riding through some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. We eventually reached 5,000 m (17,000ft) above sea level, three mile straight up, it certainly was an experience.

9. If you were Prime Minister, what would you do?

I think there is a fair chance that this is one of those questions I will never have to live up to so I’ll go for forcing BMW drivers to use their indicators.

10. What would you do if you won the lottery?

Well first I would need to buy a ticket. If I did come into a large amount of money I would literally take my family around the world. Also there is a good chance I may build a larger garage for a few more motorbikes (just so long as my wife never found out).