Please tell us your name and job title.
Paul Wild Managing Director of the ATM Events Group
Please describe your role and the company you work for in 150 words.
As our group’s MD my main role is to make sure all our companies are run professionally and are guided in the right direction. I am still passionate about what we do and still really enjoy being involved in the events we provide and deliver. Overall, we have 3 companies, ATM Events, ATM Hospitality and ATM Events (Germany). We deliver a wide range of events from Award Nights, Teambuilding, Fun Days, Incentive trips, Theme events, Conference events to supply packages to a wide selection of Sporting and concert events from Formula 1 to Premiership Football games.
What excites you about your job?.
Seeing the events we create and deliver!. Making business is very important, but you cannot beat the feeling of managing a fantastic event that blows everyone away!.
What is the proudest moment of your career?.
Being part of our company’s growth over the last 24 years. Also seeing my daughter Francesca lead and drive forward our Hospitality business to be the biggest in the group.
What makes a good boss?
All good managers/bosses know the general requirements to be a good boss. I’ve been one for nearly 30 years and believe if you can embrace change and look after your colleagues you won’t go far wrong.
What do you do to unwind after a long day in the office?
On a Friday I like to go to the pub for a couple of beers with friends. Monday to Thursday my family tells me I am the TV Kid, no idea why, however I do like a good Netflix drama binge.
What is it you love about Bradford?
You should always love where you were born, and I was born at home near Odsal in Bradford. On that note, Odsal is the home of Bradford Bulls/Northern and I have supported them now for 50 years which has seen me and now my family experience so many great times. I am now very humbled and proud to be a director and one of the owners of the club.
What was the first job you had and how much did you get paid?
It was when I lived in Shelf as a kid and cleaned the farmer’s milk float every week for £1. Let’s just say I quickly came to be aware of the value of £1.
What did you want to be when you were a child?
Like so many kids I wanted to be a Footballer. Now some might say as a teenager I was not a bad player, however as I got older, I found the attraction of going out and having a good time more appealing.
Who is your idol and why?
My mum brought myself and my sister up single handed. She kept us away from the many hard things you have to cope with as a single parent, allowing us to have a great and enjoyable childhood.
Name four people dead or alive you would like to go to dinner with.
Ian Botham – Great to listen to his cricket stories, plus he likes a beer or two. Christopher Columbus, he must have some great travel stories to tell. Stuart Cummings (Rugby Referee), he can tell me why he did not award a try scored by Leon Pryce in the 1999 Grand Final! Finally, my Mum (she died when I was 29), so would love to chat with her about my family and my life over the 29 years that she has not been with us.
ATM Hospitality are a global leader in providing VIP hospitality packages
Who is the best person to follow on social media, and why?
My other daughter Zaral who has her own Beauty shop in Halifax. She is so on it with her posts about her business, her family life, and she makes me very proud.
What is your favourite book?
Any Ross O’Carroll Kelly book!. They are all so funny as they follow the life of an upper-class Irish lad who played Rugby and his life’s journey from a teenager to an adult.
The one place on Earth you have always wanted to visit and why?
Paul McCartney’s house to ask him if he is my dad.
What one item could you not live without?
A comb
What would your superpower be?
To be a Gennie and give people any 3 wishes they want.
If you were stranded on a desert island and you could have a luxury item, what would it be?
TBH I would be delighted to be able to spend time on a Desert Island. My Luxury Item though would be a transporter device from Star Trek, so If I wanted a change, I would just ask Scotty to beam me up.
What is your happy song?
Wham! – Club Tropicana!!
If you could retire tomorrow what would be the first thing you would do?
Check my bank account, to see where I can afford to go on holiday.
What is the craziest thing you have ever done for charity?
Dressed as a Clown in full make up to do the Oxenhope straw race. For those that don’t know it, your aim is to carry a bail of straw for 2.5 miles and drink a pint of beer in all the pubs along the way. I was unrecognisable at the start of the race and most definitely so at the end of it!
Please tell us a joke!
Not a strong point, but here goes. How do you know if a vampire is unwell? Because he’ll be coffin!
