Name: Alex Wright
Job title: CEO & co-founder
Company: Dash Water
What was your first job? My first job was working in a wine shop, which is where I ended up meeting my wife.
What’s been your worst job interview? When I was asked what my worst habit was – to which I replied “sleepwalking into strange places”, the interviewer thought that was very odd.
What was the first music single you bought? Dire Straits, the debut album with tracks including Sultans of Swing.
“Sometimes you have to pause or shelve a genuinely good initiative because it isn’t the right priority at that moment”
How do you describe your job to your friends? I tell them that I sell healthy and delicious drinks.
What is the most rewarding part of your job? Building a team and watching people grow.
One of the best things about scaling a business is seeing talented individuals take on bigger challenges and develop into leaders. When that translates into strong growth for the business and creates new opportunities for the team, it’s incredibly rewarding.
What is the least rewarding part? Saying no to good ideas. In a fast-growing business, there are always exciting opportunities, partnerships and innovations you’d love to pursue. The challenge is maintaining focus. Sometimes you have to pause or shelve a genuinely good initiative because it isn’t the right priority at that moment, and that’s never easy.
What is your motto in life? “No” is just a “yes” later.
Persistence is one of the most underrated qualities in business. Timing matters, circumstances change, and today’s rejection can often become tomorrow’s opportunity if you’re willing to keep going.
If you were allowed one dream perk, what would it be? It would have to be season tickets at the Emirates Stadium.
Do you have any phobias? Heights, although I have managed to do two bungee jumps and skydive.
If you could change one thing in grocery, what would it be? I’d like to see the industry move faster from talking about health to actively driving it.
Retailers have an enormous influence on consumer behaviour, and I’d love to see stronger action around reducing dependence on products with high levels of added sugar and artificial sweeteners, while giving healthier alternatives greater prominence.
What luxury would you have on a desert island? A sand wedge and golf ball – I’d create my own Augusta golf course.
What animal most reflects your personality? A falcon.
What’s your favourite film and why? Any Quentin Tarantino film. The man is a genius!
What has been the most embarrassing moment in your life? Reciting French sentences in front of my class at school. My dyslexia means I’m useless at languages.
Which celebrity would you most like to work with and why? Richard Branson, he’s got a wonderfully creative mind.
What would your death row meal be? It would have to be Mexican – big flavours, plenty of spice – and a glass of pinot noir.
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