If life had turned out differently, I would never have met Daniel Talbot for lunch – because he would’ve been in Peru instead.

Dan, the 133rd person I’ve met on my quest to have lunch with 500 strangers, moved to Lima in 2018, with his Peruvian wife.

Dan has years of corporate experience in the ICT industry. But he trained as a chef after leaving school. That explains what he did after arriving in Peru – he established the country’s first Aussie fish & chips shop.

Quickly, the restaurant established a loyal customer base and a strong reputation – but then coronavirus hit. Peru entered a four-month lockdown. The restaurant was forced to close. And the dream was put on hold.

Last month, Dan joined Luxriot as the company’s Asia-Pacific vice-president, which is why he returned to Sydney (although, sadly, his wife and two young children are still overseas).

Luxriot offers video management software for shopping centres, schools, mines and other sites that use digital video systems. Dan’s role is to manage staff, clients and distributors throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

Dan seems perfect for the role – he’s warm, empathetic and knows the technology inside out.