Palmer, Graham

A-List

Job title Director and country manager, UK and Ireland.

Company Intel.

Year of birth 1962.

Place of birth Doncaster.

Career outline One of my first jobs in the industry was designing alarm systems for the elderly. I joined Intel in 1988 and have done all sorts of things ranging from marketing and communication roles, PR and brand management and more recently leading the UK digital home sales team.

What motivates you every morning to get up and work in the channel? You channel guys are a brilliant bunch to work with: entrepreneurial, technically savvy and you call a spade a spade, what could be more motivation than that?

What has been the most over-hyped technology in the past five years? Voice recognition.

What will be the most underrated technology in the next five years? I’m not sure it’s ‘underrated’, but ‘liberating’ and ‘exciting,’ will be the rapid move to multi-core computing.

Which technology would you most like to have invented? YouTube.

Do you have any regrets from your time in the industry? No.

If you could swap places with anyone in the industry, who would it be? Bill Gates, so I could enjoy a wealthy retirement.

What is the biggest hurdle you have faced in your career? Probably selling Intel ProShare, videoconferencing software for PCs, before people wanted videoconferencing.

What is the biggest success of your career? Well, certainly one of my most fun roles was setting up Intel’s graphics business.

What piece of technology could you not live without? My Intel Centrino Duo laptop.

What would be your advice to anyone starting a career in IT? Look at the share price.

What is your favorite computer game? Toca Race Driver 3.

What would you like for Christmas if you could have anything? A golf handicap of less than five.

What is your favorite karaoke song? Don’t Stop Me Now, by Queen.

What would be the title of your autobiography? From Doncaster With Love.

Do you have any phobias? Yes. Those disgusting cosmetic surgery programmes on TV. My wife and daughters seem to love them.

How many beers before you fall over? 10.

Number of staff you manage? More than 50.

What is your golf handicap? 18.

What car do you drive? BMW 330D.

Number of air miles you have? Not enough to fly my family first-class on holiday, sadly.