Name and job title: Kate Hurlow, customer engagement manager

What was your first job?

My first full-time job was at Waitrose, I started on the deli counter and ended up working across many of the different departments. This is where my love of providing great customer service began and I still use skills I picked up there to this day.

If you weren’t in your current position what would you be doing?

I’d definitely still be in a role related to education, that also incorporates my love of helping people. Perhaps I’d move to the other side and work as part of the support staff within a school, as I have a good understanding now of how they operate.  

What was your worst mistake?

Giving up driving lessons whilst at university – learning during a global public health pandemic is extremely difficult, as lessons are few are and far between at the moment.

What is your ideal day away from the office?

I’d love to be hiking somewhere beautiful with my partner and dog, preferably in nice weather but I’d take being allowed to travel to a beauty spot over anything, currently.

Name one person you would most like to have dinner with and why?

I’d love to sit down with comedian Micky Flanagan – he is absolutely hilarious, and I am sure he’d have some fantastic life stories and anecdotes to tell to keep us entertained all evening.

What was your best subject at school?

History. It was incredibly interesting, and they do say: ‘those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it’, so I hope I’ve been able to take something from it.  

What are your hobbies?

I am obsessed with my dog, Maisie, but I also love reading and I’m a massive foodie. I also have wanderlust, so am inclined to do a lot of travelling – when restrictions permit it, of course.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

I’d need to firstly have a holiday to clear my mind – maybe an ‘adventure of a lifetime’ type road trip across the US. I would also prioritise making a difference and use some of the money to fund and work on projects to help people in need.

What’s your favourite item of clothing?

Before the pandemic, I would have said a big comfortable jumper, however stretchy leggings have become my best clothing ally now I can get away with wearing them to work!  

What is your favourite time of day?

I love the early evening. In normal times, you have the night stretching out ahead of you to meet with friends and family and visit delicious restaurants, though currently I look forward to relaxing on the sofa with a book.

What would you like your epitaph to be?

I would love to have puns or jokes on there, but realistically if I have ‘beloved by family and friends’ then that’s enough for me.