An Interview with John Neal
John Neal, Chief Executive Officer, Lloyds
Published April 12th, 2019
As we transition into spring, what outdoor sports do you enjoy playing/watching?
As a kid, I grew up playing rugby and cricket. In my twenties, I was out of favor with rugby, but I played league squash for 12 years at a reasonable standard. Nowadays, it鈥檚 cycling. It鈥檚 really growing in popularity everywhere. I think in Australia, they sell more cycling holidays than golf holidays. It鈥檚 just as easy to get a bike on plane as golf clubs and, you know, you can go somewhere.
Follow up: Predictions for Rugby World Cup in the fall?
Wales. I鈥檝e had my ten pound bet on Wales since the beginning of the season. They鈥檝e been quietly The Team. I think they鈥檙e undefeated in their last 14 or 15 tests. Of course, I鈥檓 now confessing to the world my mother is Welsh and my Welsh heritage is coming to the fore here, but there it is.
What book have you read recently that you鈥檇 recommend and why?
In business we鈥檙e all quite time-constrained and it always amuses me that we all have time to read a thousand pages of board papers but not enough to read a novel. So, I鈥檝e started to read poetry again which was a big thing of mine when I was a grad student as an English major. I鈥檇 recommend you read some poems by Ted Hughes who was married to Sylvia Plath. If you鈥檝e got two minutes, read a poem of his called, 鈥淭he Thought Fox,鈥 which is about a poet writing a poem.
What advice would you give yourself if you were graduating from college right now?
I would say to seek sponsorship and mentorship. One of the things I think about that was integral to my success was sponsorship I received as a younger man. I was given authority when I was 26. So, I think a lot about that now. In business, it鈥檚 important to remember, no one shows up on Monday and wants to stuff up. I try to remember to give younger people chances to grow. And if they make a mistake they will work three times as hard to make sure they don鈥檛 again. So, now I try to make sure I鈥檓 the guy who is willing to give the 25-year-old the chances I had.
Outside of London, where have you/would you most enjoy living?
New Zealand. It鈥檚 just breathtaking. If you ever watched the Lord of the Rings films, it really does look like that. New Zealand is the same size as the UK but only has 4 million people. The South Island is the size of England and only has 1 million people. So, you鈥檝e got these wonderful expanses of untouched wilderness that are just incredible.
What鈥檚 the technological advancement that鈥檚 taken place in your lifetime that you believe has had the biggest effect on who you are as a person?
The iPad. The development of these tablets is just mind-boggling in terms of what you can do. The latest iPad Pro does everything I need it to do. I take my iPad everywhere I go 鈥 no need for a laptop.