The brands that will thrive in the coming years are the ones that have a purpose beyond profit.

Purpose is not an add-on, it’s not an initiative. It is a culture change and it never finishes

If you offer people a decent service, if you give them you know Internet access, if their phones are not cut off on the trains, you know if you have plugs where they can plug in their computers, and if you have a smiling, cheerful staff; and if you can travel really quickly, then you can make a success out of the rail business.

The entrepreneurs who succeed usually want to make a difference to people’s lives, not just their own bank balances.

If you're hurt, lick your wounds and get up again. If you've given it your absolute best, it's time to move forward.

I suspect in most companies, the public relations person is down at No. 20 in the pecking order. But here, he is fighting incredibly important battles. If a negative story starts running away with itself in the press and is not dealt with fast, it can badly damage the brand, and so we put enormous weight on our PR people.

In the beginning it was just about the business - now it's about the brand.