The Boardroom

Directors, specialist, CEOs, MBEs, PhD holders, and other higher ups… they’re all people you might meet in the boardroom. It’s a professional space where best behaviour is upheld. But these successful types are good people too! They have lives and we want to know what goes on in them. We squeeze answers out of them on subjects you wouldn’t normally discuss in the boardroom

PROFILE: Geo Rowe BEM Founder, Leicester Comedy Festival Age: 50 From: High Wycombe Lives in: Leicester city centre Noteworthy: Holds an honorary doctorate from DMU Stepping down from running Leicester Comedy Festival this February after 30 years.

FRIENDSHIPS: How would you describe yourself as a friend? Busy! But I won’t be in March next year… I have a few very loyal people who have been my friends for years, and I organise things to make sure I see them – it’s important for me to make time for them.

ADVENTURES: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done? I appeared in drag at the Birmingham Hippodrome. It was for an American comedy ballet called Trockadero de Monte Carlo.

ENVIRONMENT: Where would your nearest and dearest look for you? In the kitchen, or at the o ce. I really like cooking, and that’s how I switch o .

HEALTH AND FITNESS: What’s your unhealthiest habit? Chocolate. No specifi c brand - just “lots of”. Why aren’t selection boxes available year round? INTELLECTUAL LIFE: What do you geek out on? On a Sunday afternoon, sitting down with a cup of tea and reading Private Eye magazine – I love doing that. LOVE RELATIONSHIPS: What’s your best relationship advice? Having

been in one relationship for 21 years, it would be to stop saying: “I’m just going upstairs to answer a few emails…” Make time for one another, and don’t focus on work so much.

SKILLS: Weirdly good at anything? I’m quite good at cooking. I’m quite handy with a drill. I can juggle – I was part of the university juggling society. And apparently, dressing up in drag, but that’s only happened once, and won’t happen again!

SPIRITUAL LIFE: Which of life’s mysteries keep you up at night? I don’t think anything keeps me up at night – we got a puppy a few years ago, and he did, but otherwise… As I’ve got older, I’ve thought a lot more about what we’re here for, why we do what we do, and social responsibility.

CAREER: What’s the worst part about your job? This one’s easy: Money. Every year, raising enough money to keep the thing going. The other thing from a comedy perspective is when one of our shows upsets someone – it’s never intentional and it’s not something we want to do. It’s meant to be fun for everyone.

last ‘create’? A tapas meal, with an apple and ginger crumble. It was a triumph! I really enjoy the buzz of making lots of di erent things all at the same time.

FAMILY LIFE: What’s your most fond memory from childhood? Visiting my grandparents with my brothers and cousins. They lived by the seaside on the south coast and that was just wonderful.

COMMUNITY LIFE: Which political topic are you most interested in right now? Protecting local services. All sorts of things are being eroded, and they’re the things that bind communities together – whether that be GP surgeries, local radio, or even regional festivals. As a result, the potential for people to feel isolated and disengaged is enormous. We need more things that bring people together. WORDS BY TOM YOUNG