Brazier, Alan

A-LIST 2005

Company: Cisco Systems

Job title: Director, customer advocacy

Place of birth: Bushey, Herts.

Year of birth: 1961.

Marital status: Married.

Career highlights: After several years in the oil industry as a hydrographic surveyor, joined the IT industry in 1987. Sales and business development roles at Mitel, Voicetek, Octel, Lucent and Cisco.

What do you love most about the IT industry? The people, the pace of change, and the opportunity to positively influence peoples lives and their productivity.

Which company do you most admire or respect in the IT business? Cisco Systems.

Which individual do you most admire or respect in the IT business? John Chambers [of Cisco].

What is the biggest technology trend you anticipate in the next 12 months? Virtualisation of networked resources.

What is the one thing working in the technology industry has taught you? To embrace and drive change.

Where do you think the channel will be in five years time? I see a strongly connected world where the channels and the vendors have a deeper level of process integration, and mutual interdependency, combining the scale, infrastructure and market reach of the vendors with the local presence and customer relationships of the channel.

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

Which do you think is the most influential ISV in the UK? There are many ISVs that have had a huge impact on the market.

Which vendor's technology do you think has changed the face of IT? Cisco Systems has enabled collaboration in ways we didn't dream of 20 years ago.

How do you unwind or spend your spare time? Travelling, sailing, boating, and spending time with my wife and children.

Where is your favourite place to eat? Italy.

What is your favourite drink? Tea.

What is your favourite TV programme or film? 24.

Who is your favourite musician, band, artist or genre? Motown.

What is your favourite book? The Harry Potter series.

What career would you have pursued if you hadn't worked in the channel? Property developer

What has been your greatest business achievement? Growing and aligning Cisco's services business in the UK.

What is your personal ambition? To sail the world, having retired early and got my kids through school.