Stoker, Martin

A-List 2006

Job title: Channel sales manager.

Company: SAP.

Year of birth: 1963.

Place of birth: Sydney, Australia.

Career outline: Been in the business application software market for 21 years.

What motivates you every morning to get up and work in the channel? Anticipation of the unexpected.

What has been the most over-hyped technology in the past five years? Browser-based front ends to core business applications.

What will be the most underrated technology in the next five years? Web services.

Which technology would you most like to have invented? Voice over IP.

Do you have any regrets from your time in the industry? Not staying in touch with as many people as I should have.

What is the biggest hurdle you have faced in your career? Trying to sell GP Dynamics in 1993 as a Windows 3.11-based business application.

What is the biggest success of your career? Growth in 2006 on 2005 at SAP with SAP Business One.

What piece of technology could you not live without? Sky Sports.

What would be your advice to anyone starting a career in IT? Evaluate as many different technology areas as possible as it is very easy to get pigeon-holed into one area of expertise.

What is your favorite computer game? Tiger Woods PGA Golf 2005.

What would you like for Christmas if you could have anything? Aston Martin Vantage.

What is your favorite karaoke song? Last Christmas, by Wham.

What would be the title of your autobiography? Shiraz Anyone?

Do you have any phobias? No.

How many beers before you fall over? 10.

Number of staff you manage? 5.

What is your golf handicap? 13.

What car do you drive? Various.

Number of air miles you have? Don’t know.