Chris Gould

Career so far I have been in the IT industry for nearly 10 years covering a variety of roles at EMC culminating in the job that I now do, which is running all of EMC's indirect routes to market in the UK & Ireland, plus the Technology Alliances. Prior to joining EMC I spent about 15 years in banking working for GE, Barclays and Lloyds TSB doing a variety of management roles focused on the corporate banking sector in the UK and some work in the Nordics. By trade I am a mechanical engineer, having completed a five-year apprenticeship with Dowty Group Services.

Do you care about green IT? Yes I do care both because of the broader environmental issue that we face but also because we have no choice. Power supplies in to our customers' datacentres are becoming more of an issue particularly in some of the main conurbations such as London and as such it is incumbent on EMC as a company to continue to invest in the necessary R&D to make our products more efficient. As the father of three girls, it is also important to me that we leave a legacy for our children which means they can enjoy the same quality of life that we have, and green IT is an important part of that overall picture.

If you could be in a rock/pop band, which one would it be and who would you be? Don't laugh but I would be Gary Barlow from Take That. People already say that I both look and sound like him (at least I am sure that is what they said) and I think he is a hugely talented singer, songwriter and musician. As a band I think Take That have done a phenomenal job of reinventing themselves and their last tour was spectacular.

What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on/taken partners on? The Ryder Cup at the Belfry when the Europeans won and I was lucky enough to be on the green at the 18th watching the victorious team walking down to the last hole.

Has 2009 been as bad as everyone said it would be? 2009 has been tough. We have had to work harder than ever for the same results, but we have a strong business, with very sound propositions and good people and we were already operating the business in a lean fashion which has meant we have been able to get through the recession so far with minimal impact on our headcount in the UK & Ireland. I am feeling quietly confident that 2010 will see an improvement.

Have any of your predictions come true this year? Yes, I predicted England would qualify for the World Cup and that England would win the Ashes.

What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2010? The biggest challenge that we have at the moment is that our customers' buying habits are changing so fast than at any time I can remember in the last 10 years and both the vendors and channel partners have to adapt at the same pace. Customers of all sizes want to buy their IT solutions as services propositions, not technology, and the market is accelerating towards the "cloud" rapidly, which means we and our partners need to invest in our people to ensure that their capability is in line with the new customer world.

What is the best part of your day? When I eventually get home to be greeted by two stupid Labradors, my three gorgeous daughters and my ever-patient wife. Family life is so busy that I don't have a chance to think about what is going on in my work life once I walk through the door at home; it is a welcome relief.