Harling, Justin

A-List 2006

Job title Director.

Company CAE Technology Services.

Year of birth 1973.

Place of birth Epsom.

Career outline Made the not-so obvious move from a history degree to accountancy before settling on IT and reaching CAE after an industry doctrination at Computacenter.

What motivates you every morning to get up and work in the channel? The two-to-three hour drive to the office, 12-hour working days and requirement to keep the other half in Jimmy Choo shoes. What greater reason could anyone have?

What has been the most over-hyped technology in the past five years? Everyone wanted to look at the Tablet PC, but not actually use or buy one.

What will be the most underrated technology in the next five years? The fact that we will be running home networks that five years ago most corporates would be jealous of.

Which technology would you most like to have invented? The wheel: still going strong after all these years.

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? At this moment in time Sara Driscoll: setting these questions must be easier than answering them.

What is the biggest hurdle you have faced in your career? Doing something productive with a history degree.

What is the biggest success of your career? CAE’s management buy-out.

What piece of technology could you not live without? How did we get things done before the internet?

What would be your advice to anyone starting a career in IT? Don’t take advice from anyone in IT.

What is your favourite computer game? Online poker.

What would you like for Christmas if you could have anything? Something someone else had thought about.

What is your favourite karaoke song? One sung by anyone but me.

What would be the title of your autobiography? Narcissism: It’s All About Me.

Do you have any phobias? Yes. Failure.

How many beers before you fall over? 15.

Number of staff you manage? 0.

What is your golf handicap? 28.

What car do you drive? Lexus RX300.

Number of air miles you have? Not enough for anything useful.