Name: Michael Furniss (I have no middle names, although when I tell people that they never believe me and just think I’m covering for an embarrassing one! Honest, check my passport)

Time at Mobal: I joined Mobal on March 10^th, 2002. Oh how the time flies!

Position at Mobal: Copywriting and marketing strategy (that’s why you’ll see my name at the bottom of lots of emails)

A quick bio: My childhood was a typical one, I was born as the result of a night of passion between my mother, a missionary’s daughter with a wild, carefree streak, and the tribal leader of a nomadic Berber trade caravan, deep in the Arabian Desert. I could ride a camel before I could walk…

…ok, so that’s not strictly true, but it’s far more exciting than the truth. In reality I was born in the UK in 1977, studied History and Social Science at Manchester University, I then spent a carefree summer drifting around Europe and North Africa (including a stint working as a fish farmer at a Kibbutz in Israel), followed by another carefree year drifting round South America, before returning back to the UK to a boring administration job. I then returned to South America, this time with a bit more ambition and worked as a journalist for the Bolivian Times, based in La Paz for 6 months. I then returned to the UK and joined Mobal, and here I am today.

Interests: As you can see, I am very keen on travel, although I don’t get to do it as much at the moment. I also like to play the guitar, but have long given up any hope of becoming a rock star.

Favourite travel destination: Has to be Brazil. Although it has its problems, and is not always the safest place to be, you cannot beat the place for the sheer sense of vibrancy and atmosphere.

Favourite travel tip: Try to at least learn a few phrases to try out on the locals. You will get a much better reaction by completely messing up their language compared to not trying anything. Also, try an learn the name of some famous football (football as in soccer) player from that country. You will not believe the amount of conversations I’ve had where we’ve communicated purely through the medium of footballers names — it’s the true universal language!

Amazing but true: I’m single at the moment ladies… ha ha!