Fit for action
Paul Dermody, 55, is the chief executive of De Vere, which operates De Vere Hotels and Village Leisure Hotels. The company has just put its chain of 10 fitness outlets, called Greens, up for sale.
I get up about 7am and drive to De Vere Daresbury Park, our hotel in Daresbury, Cheshire, which is also the location of our head office. I use the hotel's fitness centre and spend half an hour on the treadmill, 15 minutes in the pool and then go into the steam room. It's a good place to listen to what people really think.
I'm usually at my desk by 9am. I used to be a great tea drinker but now I just have hot water in the morning, and two litres of water on my desk to drink throughout the day.
I'm a clean-desk person. The only papers on my desk will be whatever I'm working on - everything else is filed. My secretary, Betty Buckley, sorts my post into an action pile: one for information, one for signing.
It doesn't happen often but, when I get the chance, I like to call a customer who has written in with a complaint. I believe that if they are complaining, they are on your side because they're bothering to tell you.
One thing I never do is ask Betty to get someone on the phone for me - that really irritates me. She does give me a list with all the phone numbers I need regularly, though.
I'll often have a meeting with my team in the morning. I've moved away from meetings where you talk about everything. Now we'll have more focused ones dealing with brands, policy, development or IT systems.
Lunch is a quick sandwich at the hotel or in the office. Roger Stubbs, our financial director, and I will often talk through lunch with sandwiches at the desk.
I also usually talk to our chairman, Lord Daresbury, each day. The afternoon is usually more meetings. My role is focusing on the way forward and looking at acquisitions is a big part of that. When we bought the Cavendish in Jermyn Street, London, I came down and we did the deal in a week. We have wanted a property in London for a while and the Cavendish will expose the De Vere brand to a wider marketplace.
We have recently opened some new Village Leisure hotels and, while I don't get involved in the detail, I do go to the openings.
I leave at about 5.30pm, although I'll make calls from my car to tie up business.
My wife usually cooks. I love really hot food like red hot chillis with the seeds. Then I read the morning paper, watch Coronation Street and go to bed at 10pm-10.30pm and read. Lights out at midnight.
interview by Sara Guild
Just a minute…
Who in the industry do you most admire? David Michels, because I think what he has done with Stakis has been really fabulous.
What's your message to Tony Blair? You have totally underestimated the value of the benefit that the hospitality industry gives this country. Because we do not manufacture something, we are not seen as wealth creators. Get behind the hospitality industry - we need 400,000 jobs.
What's your retirement plan? My contract runs out in four years and I plan to retire then. I love travelling, and a friend and I are going to hire a Winnebago and travel around the north-eastern USA playing golf. We won't actually sleep in it because our wives have said they want to use it as a travelling wardrobe - we'll stay in five-star hotels instead.
