MIKE ODYSSEAS has come a long way since spending his teenage years working as a waiter all hours in a Greek restaurant in Stockton.

“I left home when I was 15 and had to work and support myself and it was the only thing I could get at that age,” he says.

“The restaurant at the time opened until 4am.

“It taught me humility and suited my situation – I was in a bedsit but wanted to be independent and live alone and make my own money.”

Mr Odysseas did well at school, achieving ten O-levels – half of them grade As – but dropped out of his sixth form studies because he could not combine academia and his full-time job.

“I did not have a clue what I was going to do, none whatsoever.

“I was trying to make ends meet and not thinking about the future,” he says.

When he was 18, he was asked by a friend of his father whether he wanted to be a waiter for the rest of his life.

It was a lightbulb moment and he went on to set up his first business writing software to assist word processor users.

“It was a disaster,” he says matter-of-factly.

Things took a turn for the better when he installed a car phone in his car – unusual at the time in 1987 – and sold it to someone else.

“I was asked where I got it from and I said I supply them, actually,” he says.

“I was desperate for an opportunity and that became my first sale. It was pure luck and coincidence, it wasn’t planned.”

Having spotted an opportunity, he began supplying small telephone systems and was soon billing his customers every month for their use of those systems.

The business he set up, Odyssey Systems, is now an award-winning telecommunications company offering anything from telephony and video conferencing to internet access, either in the office or on the move.

It has a £4m annual turnover and 1,500 clients and employs 32 staff, with a head office on the Preston Farm industrial estate, near Stockton.

Mr Odysseas is originally from Cyprus, but moved to England with his family at the age of 11.

When he is not working full-time running the business, the 44-year-old is a keen cyclist and has completed a number of charity rides on behalf of Daisy Chain, a Stockton charity supporting families affected by autism.

“It keeps me fit, clears my mind, and gives me a positive attitude to life,” he says. “It’s harder to remain supremely fit than it is actually to make money.”

Asked where he sees the business heading over the next few years, he says modest annual growth is the aim, while remaining innovative and creating new products for the company’s customers.

“I am a fairly hands-on boss and believe it is all about the fine detail,” says Mr Odysseas.

“Only then are projects delivered perfectly.

“We just want to do a good job and make sure our staff and clients are happy.”

Five minutes with... Mike Odysseas

Favourite North-East building and why?

The Theatre Royal, in Newcastle, designed by father and son architect team, John and Benjamin Green, because it is perfectly proportioned and awesomely designed. The Greens are responsible for many of Newcastle’s fine buildings.

What was your first job and how much did you get paid?

Waiter at open-all-night El Greco, in Stockton – I worked until 4am and got paid £10 a night.

What is the worst job you’ve had?

Cleaning the restaurant toilets. However, I came to view it as one of my best jobs as it taught me humility (and not to miss the urinal).

What would you cook for me if I came around for dinner?

Greek barbecue, with fulllength lamb on the spit, without any insides or hooves, of course.

What would your superpower be?

A super-cooking power to reduce the hours of cooking time of the lamb above. Name four people, dead or alive, who would be at your perfect dinner party.

Alexander the Great, who created the world’s largest empire by the age of 30; Winston Churchill, Britain’s greatest wartime prime minister; Abraham Lincoln, who abolished slavery and was the greatest president the US has elected; Aristotle, Alexander the Great’s tutor and the most important figure in Western civilisation.

Most expensive thing you have bought – other than car or house – and how much?

A bicycle for £5,000 – I’m a keen cyclist and, although it may seem extravagant, you need reliability for super-long trips, especially 300-mile charity rides from Darlington to London.

Who is the best person to follow on Twitter and why?

I don’t have a personal Twitter account, but we do have a company account, @OdysseySystems. My favourite Twitter handle is @northeasthour, as it is all about keeping business local and I am a firm believer in this.

Favourite book?

The Rats, by James Herbert.

When did you last cry?

Apparently, when I watched The Notebook, but I am sure I had something in my eye.

What is your greatest achievement?

My company winning the 2012 and 2013 Service Award in the North-East Business Awards.

What is the best piece of advice in business you have ever been given?

Always over-deliver on what you promise.

Favourite animal and why?

Shark – the most perfect predator and top of the food chain.

Most famous person on your mobile phone?

None, not my circle, really.

What was the last band you saw live?

Not my style – I much prefer an unknown jazz band in a tiny club.

Describe your perfect night in.

Popcorn and a full series of The Wire.

In another life I would be...

Epicurus – his philosophy was to attain a happy and tranquil life.

Who would play you in a film of your life?

Be serious. I am not that interesting.

What irritates you?

Unreliability – my word is my absolute bond and I expect others to be the same.

What is your secret talent?

Choosing great staff.