We were thrilled to get the chance to sit down and talk with Charlie Bowmont, founder of Capstar Chauffeurs, a premium chauffeur company that employs former servicemen and women from the British Armed Forces. The company is built around core military principles; integrity, loyalty, trust and discipline. These values ensure that Capstar provides an unparalleled experience for both private and corporate clients in London and the South East. Capstar’s pioneering mission to aid ex-servicemen with their reintegration into the civilian workforce is an honourable one, and their stellar presentation, affable nature and knowledge of the city sets them apart from the rest. Providing a secure and ever reliable service, they are fast gaining popularity among private clients.
The most memorable place I have been in the past year is…
A fantastic lodge in the Seychelles called Alphonse Island. I was lucky enough to be there for a week with 15 friends – blue skies, blue seas and a fantastic service on the Island.
If I had to choose one vacation destination for the rest of my life it would be…
The Alta River in Northern Norway. My father’s family have been visiting since the 1870’s to fish for Salmon on this wonderful river. There is great family history here and it is the one place I can leave the phone in the bag and totally relax.
My favourite city is…
Melbourne – great food, climate and so many friends there. A very close second would be Cape Town for the same reasons.
I always go back to eat at…
The Hind’s Head in Bray – my favourite pub in the UK. An honourable mention will have to go to the Kylesku Hotel in Sutherland (seafood) and the Roxburghe Hotel in the Borders for regional Scottish food.
The most exhilarating culinary experience I have ever had was…
Having my first meal of fresh food in the British base outside of Basra after a month of living in the desert of SE Iraq. Chicken and chips, orange squash and cheesecake has never tasted so good.
The first thing to appear on my list of guilty pleasures would be…
At the moment it’s a week away from the office. I started a new Chauffeur firm (Capstar Chauffeurs) in 2013, it has been a great experience but the early days of a new company take up an enormous amount of your time! A week away is rather at a premium!
I am currently glued to…
The new season of Game of Thrones when it comes out again, and I’m missing Top Gear!
If I was asked to fill a large domestic space with art I would…
Take advice!
My style icon is…
Sean Connery as James Bond. Very sharp suits, timeless elegance and so cool. Steve McQueen would be another.
The item of clothing I wear most is…
A Patrick Mavros belt my father gave me for Christmas last year.
If I had to choose between theatre, opera, film and dance I would pick…
Film
My favourite movie is…
The Big Lebowski, Trading Places or the Grand Budapest Hotel.
My biggest work inspiration is…
As an individual – from my time in the Army it would have to be my former Commanding Officer – now Major General of the Household Division. A great leader and an inspirational man.
I was compelled to found Capstar because..
In order to provide meaningful and sustainable employment for those leaving the Armed Forces. I also wanted to find an industry where those who had been injured during their service could operate on equal terms with their able bodied counterparts.
My business partner (Rob Bassett-Cross) and I felt that there was a natural service culture in the Armed Forces, and those leaving could use the inherent military qualities of timeliness, etiquette, discretion and security awareness to brilliant effect as Chauffeurs in London.
The transition from the forces into the civilian world is not an easy one, and we wanted to provide opportunity for anyone who had served, knowing that they would do an outstanding job, whilst creating the top chauffeur business in London.
The person I would be most interested to meet, dead or alive is…
Winston Churchill.
The greatest challenge I have had to surmount in my life so far is…
I would say that founding and building a start-up business has put a few grey hairs on my head, but deploying on operations as young officer gave me a good basis to understand hard work, motivation and leadership.
As a member of a Pub quiz team, my specialist category would be…
An unhealthy obsession with cars of all ages would give me an advantage in Top Trumps, pub quiz category would probably be sport.
This time in ten years I will be…
On the board of Capstar Chauffeurs, now a Global business and the largest employer of Veterans of any international company.
Capstar Chauffeurs; http://www.capstarchauffeurs.com
Hind’s Head; http://www.hindsheadbray.com
Kylesku Hotel; http://www.kyleskuhotel.co.uk
Roxburghe Hotel; http://roxburghe-hotel.net
Patrick Mavros; http://www.patrickmavros.com