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Power player From a start-up in a bedroom in his South Shields flat, Fokhrul Islam has led Northern Gas and Power to become a global force in the energy industry. Jane Hall hears about the ‘fire in his belly’ which in six years has taken Islam from broke twenty-something to multi-millionaire entrepreneur It’s not what you expect to see in the reception area of a global company. Yes, there’s the view. A sweeping one along the River Tyne and its famous bridges. But first to catch the eye are dyed ostrich feathers, a Hollywood-style rope barrier, red carpet and 1930s-inspired Burlesque cardboard cut-outs. The theme continues throughout the open plan office of one of the North East’s fastestgrowing companies; black and red ostrich feathers and strings of glitzy beads adorning desks where staff chat animatedly on the phone. This is the Gateshead HQ of Northern Gas and Power, which helps organisations cut energy bills, consumption and carbon emissions, and which, six years after it was founded, employs 345 people in five nations. Another 80 or so are being recruited as NGP works to tighten its grip on the energy procurement industry and move into the Asian market with a base in Singapore. An extravagant sign offers an explanation for the flamboyant decor. The theme for the firm's annual conference at The Boiler Shop in Newcastle is Moulin Rouge and to get everyone in the mood, it’s been rolled out across the office. Based at Baltic Place, NGP not only occupies the East Tower’s entire eighth floor, but has taken the third too, not for more desks, but for fun-filled downtime. Last Christmas, staff enjoyed real life Super Mario racing on mini scooters, with a £2,000 cash prize for the winner. There have been Nerf blaster shootouts and Space Hopper contests. NGP divides its yearly target by 11 months,
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and once that is hit – usually by the first week in December – everyone is sent home to enjoy the festive season, returning in January. This is on top of a standard 28 days holiday per year. Staff are rewarded with trips abroad, have access to life coaches and the opportunity to earn uncapped commission that has seen many pay their mortgages off. Its owner, Fokhrul Islam, knows all 345 staff by name, not just in Gateshead, but at NGP’s operations in Leeds, Paris, the US, Malta and Chennai. All staff have his mobile number and can ring him about anything, personal or business. He doesn’t have his own office, preferring to sit on the shop floor with his team, who genuinely hold him in high regard. Perhaps it's because he doesn’t see himself as anything special. But for the fickle finger of Fate, this quietly spoken visionary could be any one of the 170 people he employs at Gateshead. One of six brothers and two sisters born in Huddersfield, Islam’s father had moved to the UK from Bangladesh with his then 17-year-old bride seeking a more secure future. Islam was a difficult child and at 12 he was sent to live with an uncle in South Shields because, he says: “We had no money and I was getting into trouble. My parents thought he could help. But after a year he stopped speaking to me. My parents were immigrants and it was tough growing up. There were a lot of arguments and anger over money. My mum had left her dad behind when she was only 17 to come to England, and I can remember that just before he died she had wanted to go back to Bangladesh to see him,
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