Chief executive, Thesaurus
Do you care about green IT? Yes, considerably. Attention to it will give us a better world and the room to expand the capability of our current IT centres without causing as much damage to the environment.
If you could be in a rock/pop band, which one would it be and who would you be? Led Zeppelin or Green Day. If I had to be a particular artist, then probably Jack Johnson. I'm just taking singing lessons so expect to see me in 2010's X Factor.
What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on/taken partners on? In recent years, DNS in Majorca - a great time. Other than that, the old Micro Focus bashes in the US were amazing.
Has 2009 been as bad as everyone said it would be? Yes. In general, some organisations started suffering earlier in the year but, as always, there is a lag behind a problem time. I think many found July through to September very poor in terms of product sales. The lag I expected, the depth maybe not quite as much.
Have any of your predictions come true this year? Yes, I predicted the second lag for business after the main peak of the credit crunch was over.
What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2010? Manufacturers' margins. To cope with pressure from shareholders, the pricing they offer to customers and a high cost base in a lower market, they will inevitably reduce margins to the channel as a side effect. The only alternative is to diversify into higher margin areas, for example software.
What is the best part of your day? In the working day, when a big sales comes in. At home, when relaxing with a loved one.
