Co-founder and sales director, LAN3
Career so far I have always been in sales, starting with mobile phones at a company called Talkland (who were later bought by Vodafone). In the late 1990s I got into the IT reseller industry via European Electronique and a few years later moved on to a local reseller called Genisys, to assist in setting up a new networking sales team. After eight years and following the sudden bereavement of my father, myself and a colleague decided that life was too short and we established LAN3.
What was your first job and were you any good at it? I worked for my local golf club, collecting balls from the range. When collecting, I was always seen as the target by my friends.
Who was your top teenage pin-up? Kylie Minogue and Monica Seles.
My colleagues won't know this about me but... I used to model socks for a leading catalogue company. I am also a very keen gardener and trim the edges of my lawn with just a pair of scissors!
What is your favourite snack? Roast beef Monster Munch.
What has been your career high point to date? LAN3 becoming five years old and establishing ourselves as a trusted network solutions provider.
Has 2013 been good, bad or ugly? For LAN3 it has been good. The company has continued to go from strength to strength and we saw our first £500k+ deal close. A deer writing my new car off on its second day was bad. My football team was ugly - I support Oxford United, what more can I say?
What do you say when asked at a party what you do for a living? I simply reply that I am in IT sales.
If I wasn't working in the channel I would probably be... a professional footballer. Anyone who loves the game would say that, wouldn't they?
What will be the channel's biggest challenge in 2014? Differentiation. What makes one VAR stand out from another?
