Dan Cattermole, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of AgentRelay and Yozobi, is in the hot seat today, reflecting on how 2020 has been for him both personally and professionally, his idea of a good Christmas and his hopes for 2021.
How has this year been for you personally?
2020 has been a challenging year personally as it has been for everyone. I am from Kent and my wife from Caen in France, so we have not be able to see our families as much as we would have liked given the restrictions we are living with.
On the other hand we have appreciated our proximity to beautiful beaches, access to stunning countryside and the relative freedom living in Jersey through this period has afforded us, compared to those living elsewhere.
How has this year been for you professionally?
There have been ups and downs. The emergence of COVID initially had an impact on our businesses but things have gradually improved through the year.
I have launched a new software business (AgentRelay), which allows real estate agents to offer agent-accompanied, virtual viewings of properties, from the comfort of home for both the customer and the agent. We have seen great interest and take-up internationally for the product, for which I am very grateful.
If we can help to keep people safe through the COVID pandemic and reduce carbon emissions through less travelling to physical viewings, we are hoping to do our little bit.
What’s your ‘hot take’ for 2020?
Not to take things for granted, such as our everyday freedoms, being able to spend precious moments with extended family and far-away friends, not to mention our regular trips to the Med!
Tell us your hopes for 2021
Progress to a positive new-normal, where our freedom to roam returns, where people hit both emotionally and financially by the impact of 2020 can recover and where some of the technologies developed to vaccinate against COVID 19 can be used to reduce the impact of other illnesses.
What would you like to see the States of Jersey focus on first in 2021?
Re-training those islanders that have been displaced from work during COVID and putting in place re-skilling plans to deal with roles that will be automated away in the coming years. A lot of tasks in finance, our biggest industry, are ripe for this transformation, so as an island we need to start planning for this as a priority.
What does a perfect Christmas for you look like?
Helping my son prepare a snack for Santa and Rudolph on Christmas Eve, spending quality time with family and watching Spurs maintain 1st place in the Premier League with a win on Boxing Day.
Do you prefer Christmas or New Year?
As a young adult – New Year. Now as a father, Christmas of course!
What’s your favourite Christmas movie?
Bad Santa!
Are you ready for Christmas or do you wait until the last minute to get organised?
I’m very organised this year!
What would you like Santa to leave under the tree for you this year?
Some new hair to fill in some of the gaps developing on my aging head!
