AUSTRALIAN-born Andrew Whitney has a variety of businesses in his portfolio.

Alongside running York-based private jet and helicopter company FlyMeNow he is also a nightclub owner after buying Mansion nightclub in Micklegate, and co-owns the award-winning Whippet Inn restaurant in North Street.

Mr Whitney first came to the UK in the late 1999s while working for an Australian software developer which had acquired an East Yorkshire firm.

He moved to York after becoming a special constable with North Yorkshire Police, which he did for five and-a-half years, followed by two years as business development manager at Copper BMW in York.

Mr Whitney, who employs around 100 people, said: “My background has always been quite entrepreneurial, and has always been in high-end, aspirational products.

“I was looking at a vocation change, and I saw an advert for a commercial manager for a group of aviators. It was a complete start up, and formed the idea of FlyMeNow.”

In 2010 FlyMeNow underwent a management buyout with Mr Whitney becoming the sole share holder.

The business operates a personal 24/7 service to clients and has access to more than 10,000 aircraft across the globe, as well as operating a medical division arranging emergency repatriation and transportation of organs by air and road.


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

“I would probably be an anaesthetist working in an A&E department somewhere.

“You can’t beat the reward of helping others, which is why FlyMeNow expanded into the air ambulance and repatriation sector. We have been able to bring people home, or take them elsewhere for emergency medical treatment. If I could click my heels three times I would be working in emergency medicine.”


Greatest achievement?

“So far it would be the Whippet Inn. The Yorkshire Hussar was a pub that was run down. My business partner Martin and I wrestled to get it from the plc that owned it, and we had a clear vision of what we wanted it to be. We closed it, renovated it, and a year after reopening we won the Best Restaurant award at the Visit York awards. That’s probably my proudest achievement.”


What makes you most angry?

“People failing to recognise their inability and dragging other people down with them. It’s called Tall Poppy Syndrome. Too often you see people failing because other people are dragging them down. When you have got someone dong a job and other people are trying to affect their performance because they cannot achieve the same, it is really my pet hate.”


Biggest mistake?

“A company that I used to work for saw their share price fall as low as 2.4p. I knew the company was easily worth a thousand times more than that. I had enough in the bank to buy 800,000 shares but I didn’t. They now trade at nearly £1 a share. That was very much a missed opportunity.


What do you need to make life complete?

“A bigger team with the capabilities we have already got. Everything I have achieved is based on the expertise that I have around me. I don’t have the ability to buy a business, sell it on and make a fortune and spend the rest of my life on a beach. I would much rather have a business with a great team of people that all contribute to the success, and we can all spend our time on the beach.”


Why do you make a difference?

“I’m a motivator. I’m very good at identifying what someone wants to achieve and helping them do it.


Epitaph?

“He worked too hard.”