Kahr, Mark

A-LIST 2005

Company: Micro Peripherals.

Job title: Commercial director.

Place of birth: Hampstead, London.

Year of birth: 1966.

Marital status: Married.

Career highlights: Being appointed as a board director of Micro Peripherals while in my 20s.

What do you love most about the IT industry? The most appealing aspect is its ability to surprise me even after 18 years

Which company do you most admire or respect in the IT business? The profitable ones.

Which individual do you most admire or respect in the IT business? Gordon McDowell, my mentor and boss of 15 years.

What is the biggest technology trend you anticipate in the next 12 months? The internet.

What is the one thing working in the technology industry has taught you? A deal is not deal until it is paid for.

Where do you think the channel will be in five years time? Hopefully, riding the crest of a wave from a buoyant economy driven by the Conservatives. On top of that, Chinese vendors will have brand identity, margins will still be tight, and channel integrity will be the hot topic, as it always has been.

Who do you think is the most influential vendor in the UK? Hewlett-Packard.

Who do you think is the most influential ISV in the UK? I'm a hardware man. I like to touch and feel my product.

Which vendor's technology do you think has changed the face of IT? Microsoft, closely followed by the VDU.

How do you unwind or spend your spare time? I love cooking, especially for dinner parties. My spare time is spent with my wife and three children, doing whatever I'm told.

Where is your favourite place to eat? Spain, because the climate agrees with me - in an italian restaurant, of course.

What is your favourite drink? Red wine at dinner, vodka when on the tiles.

What is your favourite TV programme or film? Eastenders, till the day there is a happy ending

Who is your favourite musician, band, artist or genre? James Blunt currently. Genre is the 80s.

What is your favourite book? Delia Smith's Cook Book.

What career would you have pursued if you hadn't worked in the channel? City broker, earning a respectable wage.

What has been your greatest business achievement? Surviving three managing directors.

What is your personal ambition? To retire at 50.