Chief operating officer, TSG (Technology Services Group)
What was the worst job you have ever had?
My student Saturday job in the local butchers, where it was my responsibility to clean the electric meat saw. If I think about it, I can still smell the potent combination of meat, blood and bleach, which no aftershave could ever disguise.
Which actor would you pick to play you in a movie of your life?
I have absolutely no idea, so I asked my wife. She suggested Nicholas Cage. He's got variety, I'll give him that.
What do you do as your party trick?
I can juggle beer bottles, though my success does tend to hinge on how many of those bottles I have consumed myself.
What is your favourite chocolate bar?
KitKat. Not the Chunky version which is just an imposter. The ratio of chocolate to biscuit in the original KitKat is just right.
What has been the highlight of your career to date?
Seeing people in my team progressing their own careers. It doesn't get any better than that.
Has 2014 been a good, bad or ugly year? All of the above. There's been a lot of challenges, and more change than usual, but that just means there's more highs when you overcome those challenges. And the outlook is promising. The pressure to drive business results, increase growth and profitability, reduce operational costs and manage workforces are all key focusses for businesses at the moment, and they are increasingly looking to technology to help them get there.
How would you explain the IT channel to a stranger without boring them to death?
If in doubt, go with the alcohol analogy. The IT channel is a bit like making your favourite cocktail. You choose the ingredients, mix them up, and then you have your solution. Beware though, home-made cocktails rarely taste quite right. It's always worth turning to an expert mixologist.
Aside from the channel, my dream career would be... I love a good courtroom drama, so I'd love to be kitted up in full prosecution mode, telling criminals on trial that they couldn't handle the truth. Either that, or a racing car driver, living the dream on the Formula 1 circuit.
What major issues will the channel face in 2015?
The biggest issue is the same issue we have every year - reducing the complexity of IT and combatting meaningless jargon. I actually heard the term ‘Internet of Customers' the other day. What does that even mean? We need to talk about how solutions can help end users, and make a difference to what they and their teams actually do on a daily basis.
