Larks, Tony

A-List 2006

Job title Marketing manager of northern Europe.

Company Trend Micro.

Year of birth 1972.

Place of birth Brighton.

Career outline I was sales manager at distributor Software Compatibility from 1989 to 1995; managing director of Webventures from 1995 to 1996; sales and marketing director of research at The Research Group from 1996 to 2003; business development manager at internet security VAR, Peapod UK, from 2003 to 2005.

What motivates you every morning to get up and work in the channel? Every day is different so shaping channel campaigns that create business value for all is a moving target and always challenging.

What has been the most over-hyped technology in the past five years? CRM never lived up to the expectations that many businesses placed upon it.

What will be the most underrated technology in the next five years? Pen and paper. The ability to do one thing at a time opposed to mobile, voice over IP, instant messaging and email.

Which technology would you most like to have invented? Microsoft Windows.

Do you have any regrets from your time in the industry? If I had one, it would be taking the marketing career rather than sales: sales guys get paid a hell of a lot of money in real terms.

If you could swap places with anyone in the industry, who would it be? Sara Driscoll because she gets all of the channel gossip fed to her and she gets to see the good, the bad and the ugly.

What is the biggest hurdle you have faced in your career? As a manager (in the past), it was having to decide who to make redundant when times were tough.

What piece of technology could you not live without? My mobile phone, we are inseparable.

What would be your advice to anyone starting a career in IT? Rise with humility fall with dignity. And take the sales job.

What is your favorite computer game? Poker.

What would you like for Christmas if you could have anything? 2007 Ferrari Enzo 599GTB.

What is your favorite karaoke song? Anything from 1990s.

What would be the title of your autobiography? Flippant.

Do you have any phobias? Yes. Spiders.

Number of staff you manage? 5.

What car do you drive? BMW 323 CI Convertible.

Number of air miles you have? I don’t really know.