O'Hara, Mark

A-LIST 2005

Company: Hydra Solutions.

Job title: Managing director.

Place of birth: Kent.

Year of birth: 1961.

Marital status: Married.

Career highlights: Founded Hydra in 1997. Corporate finance consultant 1991 to 1997. Parallel Media Group finance director 1988 to 1991. Nesco Investments group controller 1985 to 1988. PCW qualified ACA 1984.

What do you love most about the IT industry? The pace of change.

Which company do you most admire or respect in the IT business? Any company that behaves with integrity and treats others as it would wish to be treated.

Which individual do you most admire or respect in the IT business? The IT director of our largest customer, who must remain nameless, for fear that he would label me a brown noser. He knows who he is, and he knows how much I appreciate his friendship, support and loyalty.

What is the biggest technology trend you anticipate in the next 12 months? XML.

What is the one thing working in the technology industry has taught you? That good salespeople are very hard to find.

Where do you think the channel will be in five years time? It depends on whether vendors insist on maintaining channel integrity, or just permit it to descend into a free for all. If the former, then I believe it will evolve into a number of niche specialist areas. If not, then it will be chaos, with price alone as the driver, which will in turn force resellers to cut costs and therefore quality of staff.

Which do you think is the most influential vendor in the UK? Cisco.

Which do you think is the most influential ISV in the UK? Among UK companies, I'd say Sage, although that might just be the accountant in me coming out.

Which vendor's technology do you think has changed the face of IT? Blue Coat. Fantastic technology which has had a major effect on web access.

How do you unwind or spend your spare time? By providing a chauffeur service to three children, shouting on touchlines, going to church (doesn't seem to have helped yet) and playing guitar in the Saucy Flapdragons. If there is any time left, I might get a game of golf.

Where is your favourite place to eat? At home, a rare treat. My most memorable dining experience was at Bern's Steak House in Tampa, Florida, which was crazy, and the Cliff in Barbados takes some beating for its location and quality of food.

What is your favourite drink? A nice Margaux or St Estephe. In moderation, of course.

What is your favourite TV programme or film? Being There, or more recently, Shakespeare in Love and the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Who is your favourite musician, band, artist or genre? I like most music, but especially 60s to 70s rock - bands like Queen, Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull and, of course, the Beatles and Stones. It reminds me of when I used to have hair.

What is your favourite book? Puckoon by Spike Milligan. Genius.

What career would you have pursued if you hadn't worked in the channel? I would probably have stayed in the corporate finance world, but I always really wanted to be a lumberjack.

What has been your greatest business achievement? Still being in business in spite of the best efforts of certain former employees over the past year or so.

What is your personal ambition? To play golf on the seniors tour and for the Saucy Flapdragons to have a number one album. I won't be holding my breath.