Bailey, Tony

A-List 2006

Job title Vice-president of UK and Ireland channels.

Company Nortel.

Year of birth 1965.

Place of birth Bradford-on-Avon.

Career outline I started my career at BT’s R&D facility as a technician. I then moved to London as a systems engineer selling Nortel Meridian-1 and eventually moved into BT sales. I left BT and joined Nortel as a channel manager for BT, then as an account director for the BT channel and finally the general manager of the BT channel within Nortel. Now I run all of Nortel’s UK and Ireland channels.

What motivates you every morning to get up and work in the channel? The industry is a fast-changing one and there is always a new challenge. Also, Nortel’s growth is aligned to the channel and the channel addresses all market segments across all technologies.

What has been the most over-hyped technology in the past five years? Mobile 3G.

What will be the most underrated technology in the next five years? Hopefully not Metro Ethernet. The market opportunity is massive, but broader market adoption is required to take advantage.

Which technology would you most like to have invented? Consumer IP telephony. Just look at the value these companies have been acquired for.

Do you have any regrets from your time in the industry? Selling my stock options prior to the bursting of the dot com bubble would have been a good idea.

If you could swap places with anyone in the industry, who would it be? Steve Ballmer, chief executive of Microsoft, because of the impact of his decisions on the industry and the global economy.

What is the biggest hurdle you have faced in your career? I’ve had nothing major. Choosing the right time to move on is always a key decision.

What is the biggest success of your career? Opening up the UK market to the channel.

What piece of technology could you not live without? My mobile.

What would be your advice to anyone starting a career in IT? As with any career, people should take time out and decide what they want, where they want to be and how they are going to get there.

What is your favorite computer game? SSX Tricky.

What would you like for Christmas if you could have anything? Health and happiness for my family, but materially, an Aston Martin DB9.

What is your favorite karaoke song? Anything without high notes.

What would be the title of your autobiography? On the basis I make old age: Before Judgement Day, The Old Bailey.

Do you have any phobias? No.

Number of staff you manage? 25.

What is your golf handicap? Me.

What car do you drive? I’m about to change and I’m yet to decide.

Number of air miles you have? I don’t know.