THIS month up to 7,000 runners will take to the streets of York for the second ever Yorkshire Marathon.

While many 2013 participants will be back to beat their time, 2014 also sees the return of event sponsor Plusnet, making this York's second Plusnet Yorkshire Marathon.

Plusnet's chief executive Andy Baker joined the phone and broadband provider last year to take full responsibility for the commercial, operations and service performance of the internet services provider (ISP) and is now located at the Sheffield headquarters.

Prior to Plusnet Mr Baker spent almost nine years at BT, the final two of which he held the role of chief executive of BT Wi-fi managing five million hotspots in the UK. While at BT Mr Baker also worked as commercial director for TV and gaming and ran the consumer products unit.

Prior to BT Mr Baker had a number of roles, across a range of businesses, from big to small to fledgling; including a Virgin start-up, Dixons Stores Group, setting up Post Office home phone and even some time at house builder George Wimpey. Common across each was the creation and delivery of simple solutions that customers really wanted, from complex telecoms and technology start points.

Outside of work, Mr Baker now lives in Sheffield after relocating from South West London to take up the role of Plusnet chief executive. Mr Baker, who is married with two children, describes himself as a “sports nut”, though admits this is limited to spectating these days.

What job would you like to have other than your own and why?

"Running Plusnet really is the best job so a difficult question! If I absolutely had to choose something else I would have loved to have had the prowess to be a professional sportsman.

"Sadly my amateur ‘hacking around’ in most sports generally drew more sympathy than interest in paying me to do more of it.

"My sporting dream certainly makes me envious of the commitment, dedication and talent of anyone running this years Plusnet Marathon."

Greatest achievement?

"The sheer pleasure of teaching your children new skills, riding bikes and learning to ski both come to mind, and seeing their immense satisfaction in the moment they know they’ve cracked it. It’s a sense of pride impossible to beat. "

What makes you most angry?

"I’ve got a pet hate about bad manners which any commute across London used to bring to the boil.

"Moving to Yorkshire to work at Plusnet has definitely been very calming, it’s great to be working with and around so many friendly and hardworking people who make a real difference and pride themselves on doing what they say they will.

"It’s been great to see as we’ve grown to more than 1,000 employees and opened an office in Leeds as well that we retain this spirit."

Biggest mistake?

"Advertising an expensive TV in the national press at a wrong low price was certainly a sobering career moment while at Dixons.

"It certainly taught me some valuable lessons at an early stage in my career about the importance of a good process, attention to detail and never putting your name to anything but your best work."

What do you need to make life complete?

"More hours in the day to allow me to give more back to my very supportive and understanding family would be wonderful."

Why do you make a difference?

"My simple aim in anything I take on is to ensure I make a difference, leaving or handing something over in better shape than I found it.

"If I can achieve that and at the same time create time in the day to help others achieve their own ambitions, then I can sleep well at night."

Epitaph

"100 years of making things better" would be nice!