Rick Wade

Born in Cheltenham Spa on the edge of the Cotswolds, whose hills are in the heart of England. As much as he loved this picturesque area, one thing was clear to him, he yearned to travel and find his chosen career. He first ventured to Birmingham, where he worked as a stagehand at the National Exhibition Centre lugging equipment for rock 'n' roll bands, his passion for music was an extra bonus. He was so fascinated by the lighting design and gear used at a Whitney Houston show that decided to make a profession out of it. He then moved to London with a production company and went on tour with world famous stars, also working at high profile corporate events - and even at a G8 summit where he was invited to be presented to Queen Elizabeth II after the event.

In 1998 he was asked to go to Dubai for three months, attracted by the prospect of opening up a new branch office. But the Emirates wouldn't let him go and in 2010 he became the General Manager of the N&M branch office. He says that working in this country can be a challenge and you must be the right type of person to handle it. And that is exactly what he is doing, even after 16 years in the region.

Rick Wade - Burj Al Arab, Dubai, UAE, October 2014