Stuart Balshaw

Career so far I've spent 24 years in IT sales, starting with telephone sales, account management and sales management. I have been at Symantec for12 years.

Do you care about green IT? Yes, and so does Symantec. More efficient use of IT benefits both users and the environment. As well as developing it as a value proposition for our customers, we also practice what we preach and are recognised as a leader in this field.

If you could be in a rock/pop band, which one would it be and who would you be? It would have to be the Stranglers, with me being Jean-Jacques Burnel (showing my age I guess).

What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on/taken partners on? A few years ago when I was working in distribution, Microsoft booked a fleet of six helicopters to take us to the Land Rover test track. It was just a great day and I sadly miss them!

Has 2009 been as bad as everyone said it would be? It's been tough but there is a real sense that we're over the worst.

Have any of your predictions come true this year? Yes, my kids continue to become more expensive!

What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2010? Credit is the real spoiler, and is a real challenge to all concerned. As vendors we need to find ways of being more flexible and creative in how we help our channel, and it's a major focus for me as we plan for next year.

What is the best part of your day? First thing in the morning, before the hoards wake up in my house, and as they are now teenagers, that generally lasts until about 2pm at weekends.