The Boardroom

Directors, specialists, CEOs, MBEs, PhD holders, and other higher-ups… they’re all people you might meet in the boardroom. It’s a professional space where best behaviour is upheld. But these successful types are people too! They have lives and we want to know what goes on in them. We squeeze answers out of them on subjects you wouldn’t normally discuss in the boardroom

PROFILE:

Dr Sarah Jones Deputy Dean in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media at De Montfort University Age: 40 Born in Stratford-upon-Avon Lives in Bedfordshire Noteworthy: PhD in Immersive Storytelling. Awarded Inspirational Tech Leader 2019. TedX speaker. Ex-ITV/GMTV.

FRIENDSHIPS: How would you describe yourself as a friend?

Fiercely loyal. ADVENTURES: What’s the craziest thing you’ve done? Dancing on top of the Empire Hotel in New York.

ENVIRONMENT: Where would your nearest and dearest look for you? Curled up in bed with a book.

HEALTH AND FITNESS: What’s your unhealthiest habit? Domino’s.

INTELLECTUAL LIFE: What do you geek out on? American politics.

RELATIONSHIPS: What’s your best relationship advice? Be with someone who’s your harshest critic but your biggest fan.

SKILLS: Weirdly good at anything? Ballroom and Latin dancing. I used to compete as part of my university team a lot and won a few competitions, so I would have nailed Strictly! I also used to be a cheerleader when I was 25 for the London Rockets.

SPIRITUAL LIFE: Which of life’s mysteries keep you up at night? Being a former journalist, I’m naturally very curious and hate not knowing the answers to things. I guess the thing that keeps me up at night most is why there is such inequality in the world.

CAREER: What’s the worst part about your job? Not being able to fix things quickly. In my previous career in TV, it was very much speed-driven and universities are a lot slower to work in! However, we have sped on through necessity over the past year, it’s been busy and challenging.

CREATIVE LIFE: Outside of work, what did you last ‘create’? I made a glass tile thing – I don’t even know what to call it. My partner bought me a craft box subscription. It’s for me to take time away from tech and the screen to do something tactile and creative. And I made a korma last night. FAMILY LIFE: What’s your most fond memory from childhood? I was very privileged to spend a month in the States when I was seven while my dad was working there. It was a very transformative holiday.

COMMUNITY LIFE: Which political topic are you most interested in right now? I care a lot about the future of things, media, tech, and how we ensure quality education. I really worry and care about support for care leavers and estranged students. Data shows more young people in care will go to prison than they will to uni, which is heart-breaking and makes me angry.