What do Darth Vader, Cilla Black, and a Chaser from The Chase have in common? We asked Danny T, Head of Sales here at The Expert Gate Company. Danny has been with the company for 3 years and handles the inquiries, site visits, and quotations.

Want to find out more about our head of sales? Keep reading as we share our hotseat interview!

Could you sum up your role as if you were telling a child what you do?

I tell my daughter, I make mates and sell gates!

Nice and simple, love it! What’s the most rewarding part about your job?

I get a lot of chances to meet nice people from different backgrounds, industries, work environments, and walks of life. I also get to see some amazing properties, which is always fun!

What’s your biggest achievement to date in your role?

Well, when I started, The Expert Gate Company was only a couple of months old, and I managed to build that up into a strong company since. I’ve also managed to get some continuous contracts with architects and builders!

What’s your favourite project you’ve worked on so far?

Favourite project? Without saying names, we’ve recently finished a set of aluminium sliding gates in Worsley. The project was completed with walls and railings, which they provided, but together with the gate we installed, it looks absolutely brilliant.

It really does! What are you working on right now?

How long have you got? I’ve been in non-stop surveys since Wednesday, so I’ve had an afternoon of catching up on some admin in the office. I’ve got a full day of meetings tomorrow, I’m working on about 17-18 quotes.

What’s your favourite product or solution we supply?

Well, if it were me, if it were my property, I would like the aluminium sliding gates. I think they look great; they’re more of a modern type of installation. And I could just picture, if I were to buy a new house now, I’d know exactly what I’d be looking for, how I want it to look. And the aluminium sliding gates would be perfect for what I want. They’re also easy to maintain, which is always good!

Moving onto your personal life, what do you do when you’re not at work?

I have a partner, a daughter, and a dog, so when I’m not at work, I’m either walking with them or dropping them off at various clubs. My daughter plays football, sings, dances, acts, and all that takes up most of my time. And I have a season ticket, too, so it’d be football, family, and walking the dog.

If you could switch jobs with someone, who would it be? It can be anyone in the world.

Anyone in the world? I’m probably not qualified enough, but I’d love to be a Chaser off The Chase. Yeah, that’ll be a great job. I love quizzes and general knowledge. My brain is full of all types of weird facts and figures, so we’ll have a pop of that. I’d love to go on the show as a contestant, but if it could be my full-time job to be a Chaser? Yeah, I’m doing that.

What would be the title of your autobiography?

I’ve thought about this already. I spent a big part of my working career in the centre of Manchester, working in recruitment. I think after a certain amount of time, I realised it probably wasn’t for me, but I did well in it and came out of it. My autobiography would be “How Recruitment Nearly Ruined My Life. (Not Quite)”.

You’re going on a month-long project. What three things are you bringing with you?

I need something to watch at night, so I need an iPad or something I could use to watch films to pass the time. With it being so busy, I’d probably also need a crate of wine and just a phone to keep in touch with family and friends. So, iPad, crate of wine, phone!

If you could have one superpower, what would it be and why?

Oh, teleportation. That’s easy. I’m not the most patient of souls, and queuing’s not my forte, even though I’m very well-mannered. But travelling, I can’t stand. So teleportation is the go-to for me.

What would be your last meal ever?

We have these types of discussions in the office all the time. I’d probably go for a full Chinese banquet. We’re talking appetisers, ribs, soup, and then three or four different dishes. Duck, rice, bring it all.

Good choice! What was the silliest nickname you’ve ever been given, and how did you earn that nickname?

Well, it’s actually my nickname from my friends. So my nickname is Cilla, after Cilla Black. I used to have a big ginger afro growing up, and I’ve got curly ginger hair now, so… yeah. It stuck.

It’s a good nickname! With Star Wars Day coming up, who is the best Star Wars character?

The best? Oh, Darth Vader, hands down. That’s my point of view anyway, because he’s the most powerful Jedi to ever exist. He’s also pretty cool. And from a cheesier point of view, he’s the guy who turned to the dark side but, with another chance, manages to turn it back around again. It shows you can make mistakes but then make them right again.

What’s the best Star Wars film?

Empire Strikes Back is easily the best Star Wars film. It’s got everything; it’s a big part of joining all the stories up. It’s a bit like The Two Towers in Lord of the Rings, so you have your intro and your character intro, then you find out more about the planets, the force, etc. But the middle one pulls them all together, and obviously, the last one wouldn’t be the same without the middle one.

Final question, would you be a Jedi, or would you be a Sith?

I reckon I’d be a Jedi. I don’t want to be a bad guy; I like to do good and treat people nicely. And it’s not safe to visit the dark side.

Thank you for braving the hotseat Danny! Need a hand with your home security, or maybe you want to test Danny’s skills as a chaser? Get in touch!