Fenton, Stuart

A-List 2006

Job title: Managing director.

Company: Insight.

Year of birth: 1968.

Place of birth: South London.

Career outline: I launched my own mail-order business in 1991 while still at collage. I didn’t manage to finish college. I sold up and then joined US giant MicroWarehouse and remained there for eight years as vice-president of Europe. My final two years were spent as general manager for Canada and worldwide e-business. I joined Insight in 2002.

What motivates you every morning to get up and work in the channel? I thoroughly enjoy the industry and the larger-than-life characters in an occasionally dull world of technology.

What has been the most over-hyped technology in the past five years? Radio frequency identification.

Which technology would you most like to have invented? The BlackBerry.

Do you have any regrets from your time in the industry? I should not have sold my business in 1995.

If you could swap places with anyone in the industry, who would it be? Sara Driscoll, it sounds like an easy job.

What is the biggest hurdle you have faced in your career? I haven’t faced any thing insurmountable, yet.

What is the biggest success of your career? My next project.

What piece of technology could you not live without? The BlackBerry.

What would be your advice to anyone starting a career in IT? Choose something else, simply because the great things all happened about five years ago, when you could be innovative and profitable at the same time.

What would you like for Christmas if you could have anything? A holiday.

What is your favourite karaoke song? Help, by the Beatles.

What would be the title of your autobiography? I don’t plan on writing one.

Do you have any phobias? Yes. Journalists.

How many beers before you fall over? 1.

Number of staff you manage? 700.

What car do you drive? A mini.

Number of air miles you have? 800,000.