Chief executive, Viglen
Career so far I’ve always been involved in technology, and my technical introduction to commercial computing came from programming mainframe systems. With an eye to a developing market, I moved to Australia, taking on the emerging microcomputer market, initially in a technical capacity, but breaking into sales, marketing and moving rapidly into management. When the opportunity arose to work for Alan (now Lord) Sugar at Amstrad, I joined the team, launching Amstrad Australia and scooping the Marketer of the Year award along the way. I moved back to Europe as managing director of Amstrad. We then acquired Viglen and I assumed the responsibility as chief executive where I turned Viglen into a specialist in the education and public sectors.
If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be? I think I would be Bear Grylls – a born survivor! He lives the adventurer life, trusting his instincts, being someone who has all the skills needed to survive in any given situation, himself into the unknown. We have a similarity in the fact we both hold dual British/Australian passports and we like the finer things in life. It’s not always bush tucker: there is glamour and glory when the lights go off.
I also recall him going to dinner at altitude in 2005, setting a new world record for the highest open-air formal dinner party, which they did under a hot-air balloon at 7,600m, dressed in full mess dress and oxygen masks. The idea is just fantastic and something I only wish I could have been a part of.
What will next year’s most overhyped industry buzzword be? big data. It’s approaching over use now and next year it will be all the talk.
Has 2012 been a good, bad or ugly year? It has been a mixed year, with government funding cut backs and ASPs driven down. However, we have had the opportunity to grow business on a value proposition, as we have acquired new customer and business with the storage industry.
What would you have as your last meal? I would have to say for Ferran Adria to reopen El Bulli exclusively for me and few select friends to have a Spanish gastronomic sensation of a meal that would surpass anything I have ever had. His modern interpretation of Spanish food is just sensational and would be the perfect way out.
What keeps you awake at night? Not very much at all. But if it does I find sleeping pills do the trick.
What piece of technology could you not live without? My McLaren MP4 12C (nothing touches it – literally). Also my music that comes with me in all forms: iPad, iPod, iPhone and portable speakers – the dominance of an all-in-one platform.
Have any of your predictions come true this year? Music wise, yes. I seem to have a good ear for what is worth listening to and have listened to quite a few bands before they have technically "made it" and thought they will be big, and before you know it Radio1 is playing them on repeat. There is another career path out there for me maybe.
What is the best partner/customer trip you have ever been on? The Hitachi ski trip to Val d'Isère in 2012. I somehow managed to break my finger but won best wipe out, so that says it all but I absolutely loved it.
What do you see as the channels biggest challenge in 2013? Sector consolidation, as the channel partners fight it out with one another and with the emerging dominance of Tier 1 suppliers, there is going to be pressure on some resellers who might struggle to survive.
