23 things you (probably) didn't know about @richard_baker

Richard Baker, known for his pioneering social media work for Virgin Trains, is a hugely and deservedly popular man amongst the Twitterati. In his position as General Manager for the Liverpool and North Wales, he embraced social media (and Twitter in particular), as a way to communicate on a daily basis with the travelling public. His skill, engaging personality, dedication and imagination have reaped rewards for Virgin Trains, in particular its reputation for customer service to in a sector not known for its customer service. You can find an excellent interview by Socialistas about his work for Virgin Trains on his blog here.

Recently he announced he was leaving Virgin Trains, and in fact today is his last day at the company. You can follow Virgin trains tweets @VirginTrains in future. Richard is now being delightfully and typically open about his search for a new role, and has his Tweeting contacts all wishing him luck.

Kindly, he said he’d do a quick interview with us here at eModeration, just because we love him so. And in the style of the Weekend Guardian, here goes:

When are you at your happiest?

Professionally, when I feel I am making a difference to people’s lives. Personally, when I am watching a good movie on the TV with my wife and kittens causing havoc (the kittens, not my wife).

What is your greatest fear?

That people stop caring about each other

Which social media professional do you most admire, and why?

I couldn’t pick a single person – there are so many generous, kind people in my community I don’t want to miss anyone out. Just take a look at the people I follow on Twitter!

What is the trait you dislike in yourself?

My shyness. It frustrates me immensely

What is the trait you dislike in others?

Selfishness

Desktop or laptop? PC or Mac? Blackberry or iPhone?

Desktop. Mac. Both.

What would your super power be?

Influence.

What makes you unhappy?

Injustice

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Wine. Ice Cream. Cocktails ... (etc.)

What do you owe your parents?

My inner strength and my beliefs

What is your greatest regret?

I don’t have regrets generally because I let my values guide me

What is your favourite book?

Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl. It’s ace!

To whom would you most like to say thank you, and why?

My family, for their support.

What or who is the greatest love of your life?

My wife (Just in case she reads this!) ;-)

Have you ever said "I’ll get back to you" and not meant it?

Nope. But then, it’s not a phrase I use!

Which words or phrases do you most overuse?

Sh*t, Cr*p.

What is the worst job you've done?

I’ve had a few. The worst was picking flowers in a field in East Anglia. I was rubbish at it! I remember I got paid ½ penny for every flower I picked. Backbreaking work and the most I ever earned in a week was £60 – you work out how many flowers I had to pick to earn that!

And the best?

The jobs where I have made an positive impact on peoples’ lives

How do you relax?
Generally, by immersing myself in something. And I don’t mean water.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

To be respected by so many great people.

What keeps you awake at night?

My neighbours.

How would you like to be remembered?

As someone who made a difference.

What would you like to do next?

I really don’t know until I see it! I am passionate about people, communication, engagement, leadership, learning, technology. Maybe a strategic role in Social Media where I can bring together my experience and MBA learning!

You can follow Richard on Twitter @richard_baker, or catch up with him on his blog http://rich-baker.com/ . And if you've got a suitable vacancy, he is, as ever, all ears :-)