Nigel Roberts’ CV is an endless stream of Welsh pride.
His recent Ashes bid put Cardiff on the world map and as managing director of Paramount Interiors his company has an annual turnover over £12 million for 2006-2007: figures we debt ridden students can only dream of.
So what drove him to these giddy heights of success? And how did he fight the urge to up sticks to a very different capital city?
When I meet him, Nigel’s car space is crowned with a joke-caricature capturing his sparkling pale eyes and wide approachable smile.
As he takes a sip of a well-earned coffee surveying his impressive office empire, he volunteers a rant about mosquito alarms:. “Our kids aren’t all hoodies who’d stab you as soon as look at you.”
He furiously insists children are the future: “Wales’ youth is victimised by a breakdown in society; we need to stop playing with the effects and start dealing with problem causes”.
Such political frustrations are typical of the self-made multi-millionaire from Cardiff.
His CV reads Governor of Uwic, ex-President of the Chamber of Commerce, London in Wales representative and Director of Glamorgan Cricket club, just to start.
A keen sportsman, Nigel dreamed of becoming a professional cricketer, but admits he lacked one vital thing; talent.
He was working as a squash coach when he “Literally fell into the construction industry”. What a fall that was.
Nigel owns a list of property companies. The largest, Paramount Interiors, had revenue of £20 million in 2007.
Despite all this Nigel insists “I’m not a typical capitalist. My focus is people not profits, I prefer laughter to tears.”
He also prides himself on employing staff more intelligent than himself:
“People think I’m naive but they’re just scared of feeling threatened. We are only on this planet once and I want to see my people enjoying themselves.”
He believes three qualities keep him in check: determination, integrity and humour.
This motivation must be infectious. Nigel strives to “Give Wales the passion to jump out of bed each morning”.
His faithfulness to Wales is honourable: “It’s infuriating how businesses believe they grow too big for Wales and move to London. I say lets develop Wales together with business.”
Nigel recycles his profits into local sport. Paramount is the main corporate sponsor of Glamorgan Cricket Club, and his influence doesn’t stop at signing a cheque:
“I convinced the Welsh Assembly to invest £1 million to bring The Ashes to Cardiff, a venture which will return £40 million in commerce to the city.”
A benevolent business man, his vision seems limitless and seamless:
“We want people to remember a great city, to prove cricket isn’t exclusively English.”
As Nigel speaks, its difficult to remember whether he is politician, events organiser or television director; his ideas licence him as all three:
. “Old South Wales invites New South Wales, Kylie Minogue performing with The Stereophonics. Welsh Children playing on the Ashes wicket, Kangaroos run wild in the Castle grounds.”
Nigel’s conquered an obstacle course of traditionalist resistance. “People like Wales the way it was. They don’t want their sport commercialised. We need to adapt to put Wales on the map.
More people watched India v. Pakistan than the entire population of Europe, that’s the potential were dealing with!”
As Nigel narrates his dreams effortlessly, its clear there’s more ideas yet to come:
“I’m like a little puppy who likes to be patted on the head for doing a good job.
I see problems and want to solve them, but my wife has threatened me I can’t go into politics.”
Nigel’s laughter widens his smile, on his face the wrinkles of power hardly showing, as he admits Prime Minister would be a suitable challenge.
