GPWA Times Magazine - Issue 24 - April 2013

stantly, but I think that is the nature of the beast. Regulated markets, mobile, so- cial gaming – many things are at tentative stages, so it’s hard to really tell what will happen with so many new things going on at the same time. It’s up to us to push the industry forward, be part of the changes involved and ensure that we are innova- tors. It’s certainly going to be a fun ride. Where are you from originally? And how do you like living in Malta? I’m from a tiny town in the middle of nowhere called Ystradowen, in the south of Wales, surrounded by green fields and rolling hills; however, I spent most of my forma- tive years in lovely Essex, England. I’ve been in Malta for almost three years now and I’m still enjoying it. It’s a bit on the small side and I do miss the greenery of home, but this is an amazing place to be able to see the rest of Europe; there are al- ways flights to anywhere you’d want to go. The weather here isn’t bad, either. If someone from out of town were to visit you, where is the one place you would have to take them? Although small, Malta does have a lot to offer. We don’t have the best beaches in the world, but the amount of heritage sites, restau- rants, nightlife and amazing things to see more than makes up for that. If the sun is out, meet me at Exiles, if you can find it. Word on the street is that you went to college not too far from the GPWA home offices, at Keene State in New Hampshire, and that you were a rugby player. Describe what college rugby is like in the U.S.And do you still play? I was pleasantly surprised at the level of rugby in the States. It’s not a big sport compared to the “American” sports, but those who are involved are fervently part of the game. For a Welshman, passion for rugby is part of the culture and it was great to be a part of that even though I was thousands of miles away from home. I played for a bit in Malta, where again the standard is surprisingly high. I had quite a bad ankle injury about six months back, which meant I couldn’t play for quite some time. I’ve developed into a bit of a gym-rat since being out, so Rugby has been put on the back-burner for now. You were also a writer for the student newspaper, The Equinox. Why did you decide to get into affiliate marketing in- stead of journalism? I enjoyed journal- ism a lot, but I did more of a marketing degree and part of that covered affiliate marketing, which at the time was some- what still in its infancy. It sounded inter- esting and I decided to learn more about it in my spare time and was lucky enough to get a job at Affiliate Window once I’d con- cluded my studies, which was the perfect platform for my career to date. What’s the best movie food? You can’t really look past popcorn and a Coke out of the machine, can you? I’m a bit old-school when it comes to cinema food. What is the last book you read? Did you enjoy it? And did you read it on an e- reader? Or do you need to have a copy of the physical book in your hand? I dislike e-readers with a passion. There is something different about holding a book in your hands, intrinsically linked to something a bit more definite and classic. You lose that with something like a Kindle. Currently, I’m reading the A Song of Ice and Fire series, by George R. R. Martin. Amazing books – and I am really enjoying the Game of Thrones series that has been produced from it, too. What is your favorite movie? The Blues Brothers . Hands down. I’m sure most would be tempted to say Scarface or The Shawshank Redemption , but I must have seen The Blues Brothers 100 times and it never gets old. If you had a theme song, what would it be? With a name like mine, what else could I pick but “It’s Not Unusual” by Tom Jones? I practically grew up having it sung to me! If you could go anywhere on vacation , where would you go? I’m lucky enough to have traveled quite a bit, but the one place that I really want to go now is the Philippines. I’ve heard some amazing things about it and I think that would be my next destination of choice. From plac- es I’ve been, I never fail to have an amaz- ing time in California. If you could have dinner with three other people, living or dead, who would they be? Stephen Fry, John Cleese and Jeremy Clarkson. All very astute, witty, opinionat- ed people with a lot to say for themselves. Things certainly wouldn’t get boring. What would you do if you just inher- ited a pizzeria from your uncle? I like to cook, but running a restaurant is utterly out of my comfort zone. I think I’d give it to my little brother to look after; he’s an amazing cook and has been working as a sous chef for a few years. Not sure he’d be much of a fan of pizza, mind you. What are three things that no one knows about you? Things that I can share? Novelist Catherine Cookson is my great-aunt, composer Stanley Black is my great-great uncle and I once kicked Nigel Benn when I was five! 73 Affiliate Manager Interview Series