Career so far:
I've delivered business growth for more than 25 years, in roles ranging from general manager for BT's ICT division and head of global sales at Equant. As chief executive of ABSNet I led the company's sale to Capita Group plc, and then joined Intrinsic as managing director. In June this year I led a £30m MBO and am now chief executive.
Cloud - friend or foe?
Friend, but we have to tread carefully. Cloud offers such fantastic versatility, scalability and financial flexibility that we'd be foolish to not embrace it. But the market is saturated with talk - there needs to more forward-facing, simple transparency with customers, especially when it comes to allaying security fears.
Has 2011 been as bad as everyone said it would be?
It's definitely been a challenge, but we've continued to deliver growth, successfully making it through our buyout and seeing a lot of expansion, so things look bright. We've adapted our offering to understand our customers' needs, making the tough financial climate part of our considerations.
What would you have as your last meal?
A hog roast washed down with a case of Malbec.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with?
Steve Jobs which unfortunately won't happen now. He was a visionary genius, who had the rare ability to turn that vision into a commercial success.
Have any of your predictions come true this year?
At the end of 2010 I predicted Intrinsic would sell in the first half 2011 and I'm delighted to say the transaction completed in June.
What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2012?
Identifying our challenges should always start with customers, and the two big issues they're facing are cloud computing and tech consumerisation. Our job is to make those transitions as smooth as possible - to keep things simple at the customer end and recognise where scepticism lies. There are big security concerns around both, so it's going to be important to address those openly.
What is the best part of your day?
Walking my chocolate Labrador Bob at 6am each morning (when I'm not away on business). Bob's my sounding board for most of my commercial decisions. Now I have a bank and a private equity house to manage, Bob's ear is even more critical.
