We dig into the memory bank of the City’s great and good. Today, Daniel Pell takes us through his career in tech, from Microsoft to Salesforce and now Workday in Square Mile and Me

• Job title: Vice president and country manager for UK & Ireland at Workday
• Previous roles: General manager, Tableau EMEA at Salesforce; enterprise sales manager at Avid Technology; BBC account director at Microsoft UK
• Law at the University of Manchester
• Biggest perk of the job? Meeting really inspiring and interesting people, including Anthony Joshua and Jimmy Carr
• Coffee order: Green tea
• Cocktail order: Moscow Mule
• Favourite book: Primal Leadership by Daniel Goleman and The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

What was your first job?

I started cleaning cars at a local car hire company when I was 16, working weekends. Then I moved on to driving the courier vans and trucks.

What was your first role in the City or tech?

I worked for Morse Computers in 1996 as a sales administrator for the Sun Microsystems hardware division. This involved preparing quotes, answering the phone, speaking to clients and processing orders.

When did you know you wanted to build a career in the City?

I studied law at university but realised I wanted to pursue a different path, working in more of an entrepreneurial environment and with technology. I did a placement at Nomura, near St Paul’s. I initially worked with financial services clients before moving into media. London is a fantastic media hub, and I got to work with the BBC, The Guardian and Channel 4. It showed me how exciting working in the City of London is.

What’s one thing you love about the City of London?

The energy. There are so many incredible businesses, across financial services, legal, tech and consulting operating within a relatively small area.

And one thing you would change?

The construction! We’re surrounded by it. It’s of course very positive in terms of investment in the area, but it does pose some challenges.

What’s been your most memorable business lunch or dinner?

I recently had dinner with Justin Rose, the golfer, ahead of the British Grand Prix. Workday sponsors Justin, and it was great to hear more about the foundation he and his wife, Kate, set up called The Kate & Justin Rose Foundation. They’re helping underprivileged and disabled kids take up golf. It was amazing to speak about our shared interest and passion as I am a trustee of Access Sport, which does similar work in cycling, basketball, tennis and a number of other sports.

And any business faux pas?

I had a plan for interviewing Jimmy Carr on stage a few months ago, but soon realised that we weren’t sticking to the script, so I followed his lead instead!

What’s been your proudest moment?

This year we had three colleagues in our UK and Ireland team recognised in the Women in Sales Awards. Winning deals is great, but I’m proudest when I see my team succeed and receive the recognition they deserve. When people are in the right roles, with the right culture and set of values, amazing things happen.

And who do you look up to?

My parents. My dad was an entrepreneur who had a number of different businesses but was also very focused on his community and giving back. My mum had a language school and really concentrated on hard work and education. I’ve taken different influences from both, and the blend has served me well.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever been given?

Think about your career as a whole rather than just the next role. Think about your five-, ten- and even fifteen-year plans so you can make sure you head in the right direction.

And the worst?

This links to the best career advice. It’s great to be ambitious but make sure you have better reasons for chasing a promotion than just the title change.

Are you optimistic for the year ahead?

Yes. The UK is a resilient country and while a lot is changing, we’re good at solving problems. It’s also been exciting to see technology like AI in action, delivering value for UK businesses, and this will only continue into the year ahead.

We’re going for lunch, and you’re picking – where are we going?

Sushi Samba or Duck & Waffle, both in the Heron Tower. Amazing views and both are great fun.

And if we’re grabbing a drink after work?

Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, which is a really historic, beautiful pub on Fleet Street.

Where’s home during the week?

Chiswick, London.

And where might we find you at the weekend?

Spending time with my family. I have two daughters who are 18 and 16. I’m also very into sports, including tennis and padel, so you’ll likely find me on the court.

You’ve got a well-deserved two weeks off. Where are you going and who with?

With my family to one of my two favourite spots: the west coast of Ireland, where my wife is from, or Croatia, where my mum is from.