Date & place of birth:
April 12 1968; Carshalton, Surrey, UK.

Profession:
Director of Skan PA. We provide sound equipment and technicians for tours, events and the corporate market. I also occasionally work as a stage manager, doing the second stage at Glastonbury and BBC Radio One's One Big Sunday shows.

What was your first professional job?:
A lifeguard at a public swimming pool. My first job in this industry was working for Pete Howard at Skan PA as a sound engineer in the After Dark Club in Reading.

Why sound?
The influence of my musician friends as a teenager was a major factor. I couldn't play a note (they tried me with a bass, just once!) so I had to do the other things that get bands on stage. I didn't enjoy the promotional/managerial side but found the technical side fascinating. In particular, I enjoyed installing and operating the PA system. Once I got to university I discovered Martin bins, Phillies and horns, and never looked back.

Your biggest inspiration?
I had great encouragement from Chris Barton when I was starting out. Chris was also working at Skan and took the time and trouble to show me what was what without being patronising. He had a really positive influence on my early career as a monitor engineer. Going to see bands like The Damned and Killing Joke in places like Bristol Studio and the Bierkeller inspired me to work in music. Donington in 1984 was also quite a seminal moment for my career choice. Seeing rock on that scale was incredible.

How would you change the industry?
Better regulation would lose a lot of the cowboys, allowing the good companies to trade more profitably. Consolidation of companies would also reduce the power of the purchasers to continually force prices down. It would be good to find a fair mechanism to take sanctions against the habitual slow payers. I know I'm out on my own with this one, but cashflow problems plague our industry and the only winners are the banks.

What's been your biggest professional achievement?
Turning Skan PA Hire into a successful company with many clients and a very high proportion of repeat business. We now have eight people on the payroll including my partner Abby Llewellyn, who is also a director and mainly deals with the policy and administrative side of the business.

What was the last record/CD you bought?:
A - Hi Fi Serious.

The last live show you attended as a punter?:
PJ Harvey at Shepherd's Bush Empire. It takes a bit to get me to a gig I'm not involved in professionally, but this one was well worth it. The show left me awestruck, the atmosphere was electric. She's an incredibly talented songwriter and someone I'd love to work with.

Any hobbies?
Not really - a bit of DIY from time to time. I try to play squash occasionally, but it's been a year or so. I used to have a motorbike, but I even sold that last week. However, I have a fantastic job, great staff and a supportive family.

If you were to meet up with the teenage Chris Fitch, what advice would you give him?
Finish your education before starting the rock'n'roll career. If you're good the career will wait for you! Remember you're never too old to learn. And finally - don't do it if you don't enjoy it!