Managing director, Krome Technologies
What was the worst job you have ever had? Taking my dad's advice from when I was a teenager, I've never had a "McJob". I've always tried to do something which adds a skill or experience to what I know already. So I'd have to say assisting cabling engineers to cable call centres through fibreglass insulated ceilings. I learnt how it works but it was really itchy.
Which actor would you pick to play you in a movie of your life? I'd have to go with Tom Green as people often like to wind me up and say he looks like me (or I look like him), although we're actually nothing alike. I'd personally be happier with Kevin Bacon and his connections; that's bound to be good for business.
What do you do as your party trick? I'm told I make a good cocktail, and I can do a disappearing trick with them too.
What is your favourite chocolate bar? I'm not really much of a chocolate person but if I had to choose, I'd say a Galaxy Caramel.
What has been the highlight of your career to date? Certainly working with the team at Krome to build a great company that I can be proud of. We have a strong team of people who all work well together and deliver the results our clients want.
Has 2014 been a good, bad or ugly year? 2014 has been a good year. We've secured another major client by winning the roll to assist Sainsbury's with its Windows 7 rollout around the country, secured another four-year contract in a competitive tender scenario with Bupa to continue delivering the services we have for the last six years, and secured a number of other major projects with great clients.
How would you explain the IT channel to a stranger without boring them to death? It's like a building a house. The vendors make the bricks, roof tiles, windows and more; distribution sells it like Jewsons, B&Q or Homebase; finally the resellers are the builders trying to take all the parts people want and make something they are happy to live in day-to-day. The real challenge is to work with the craftsman not the cowboys.
Aside from the channel, my dream career would be... when I was younger I'd have said F1 driver, but now I'm older, I'd settle for GT racer at Le Mans.
What major issues will the channel face in 2015? Personally I think consolidation of unsustainable business models might cause some interesting effects in the channel. There are lots of "cloud" providers who are running services at a major loss and burning shareholder funds fast; surely that has to end sometime? That along with a continuing trend towards acquisitions among the big vendors will leave the reseller market having to stay on its toes to deliver what's required from it.
