Interview with Andy Green – copies of the ‘Sail’ magazine are available from the alumni office at Swansea University: alumni@swansea.ac.uk Andy Green graduated in 1980 in History and American Studies followed by a sabbatical year as Student Union Treasurer. His work spans promoting his books and consultancy on creativity, flexible thinking, personal brand development, public relations and providing business support to creative industries. How was your time at Swansea? It was a transforming experience. In the first year I learnt to ask ‘what’s your criteria?’ In year two I discovered that ‘all criteria are relative’. And in the third year I understood how ‘some criteria are more relevant than others’. This insight helped me to think more quickly in analysing problems and issues in all my work in public relations and creativity. What was your best memory? For domestic peace it has to be meeting my wife, Judith (nee Overton) at Swansea. 24 years of marriage later, I’m delighted to say it’s had a lasting impact on my life. My best friends are still also from my college days. There are the obvious memories of the various temptations from Mumbles runs to running the Sooty’s Disco football team in the midweek league.(We were the first club to have official club jumpers with an embroidered Sooty emblem!) I suppose any best memories must revolve around the people you knew. Back in 1992 when the national lottery was created we were having a dinner party conversation about what one thing would you do if you won the lottery. I said: ‘I would have a big party with everyone I knew at Swansea.’ On sober reflection we realized you did not necessarily need lots of money to make this happen. Although these were pre-Internet days we were astonished when over 350 people turned up to our reunion event. The offer of Albright bitter at 1977 prices, our own commemorative T-shirt and a buffet with college egg curry probably helped. We repeated the idea ten years later with a similar result. Some things I am still very proud of; as student union sabbatical I set up a weekly newspaper and established the first crèche at the college – both of which, over 23 years later, are still going strong. Others I am perhaps less proud of: like inadvertently being thrown by a mate (who is now a multi-millionaire) through a Clyne window. Coming from the East End of London, I had never seen the sea in winter. I discovered the joys of skating under the influence on ice formed on the retreating tide in the moonlight. There was one defining moment when waiting at the bus stop, near the infamous holiday chalets at Limeslade Bay and watching these fantastic waves crashing: I vowed never to move back to London. I subsequently spent 24 years in Yorkshire and am now planning to move back to South Wales - to be near the sea again. What was your worst moment? As student union social secretary I briefly became Wales’s number one reggae promoter and we had some brilliant nights. I once however had the choice of two unknown bands; one was to become the Eurythmics with Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart. I chose the Yachts. This was eclipsed when I foolishly put on a punk band called ‘Page Three’ - in what was to be their last-ever gig - whose members were to become the anarchist agitation group Class War. This band included a lady of ill repute involved in the so-called ‘sex for luncheon vouchers scandal’ in the ‘70’s. Their act included doing rude things with jelly babies and feeding them to the front row of the audience. It got worse: the night ended in chaos with police and fire brigade called out, the College Safety Officer beaten up, and my dear mate Bertie Mathews getting thumped. My abiding memory is when cleaning up the mess at the end of the night. This big Welsh guy stood in the hall with his posture indicating he was going to make some negative pronouncement but declaring, in his broad valley’s accent: “Smutty, but good!” I learnt that you can at least please some of the people some of the time! (The story is further recounted in the excellent ‘Bash the Rich’ by Ian Bone Tangent Books.) What are you doing now? I set up my own public relations and brand consultancy back in 1993. Since then I have become a serial entrepreneur – with businesses ranging from a Media Centre in Wakefield, which is Britain’s only moo-ing building, as well as a creativity consultancy where I deliver inspirational conference talks, facilitate brainstorms and deliver training events on how each of us can transform our world by thinking flexibly and creatively. I have written ‘Creativity in Public Relations’ – the world’s first book on the subject and in my latest book, created the concept of ’Personal Brandcasting’; explaining how great communicators, whatever their style, use four elements of strong personal brands, communicate in every dimension, create word of mouth or meme friendly messages, and build networks. Barry Sheerman MP, a former Swansea lecturer and now a great friend, is a wonderful example of a personal brandcaster. I also produced a book called ‘A minute with Tony Blair’ following a chance meeting with the Prime Minister. I am looking forward this spring to a lecture and brainstorm tour of Australia and also am planning a ‘Challenge your thinking tour’ doing 15 venues across the UK in just one week in September. . In what way has your time in Swansea helped your career? My books on creativity and personal communications are based on a belief of making the best of every situation. At the time Swansea was a backwater for some things; major bands rarely played there. So I learnt to think flexibly and creatively to make things happen. The network of friends has also created unusual opportunities. I teamed up with Jane Thomas – or Steph Lindsay as she was known in her Swansea days as A.U. President - to work on the stillborn ‘Yes’ campaign for a Yorkshire Assembly. Perhaps we were both inspired by the example of Wales acquiring greater autonomy and democratic accountability, and the benefits of developing a stronger local culture around a new political body to counter the growth of ‘Engbland’. Frustratingly, the referendum never happened. But like any challenge I face there’s always another day!