Readers' lives: All out for that buzz

This gadget girl is a bit of an adrenaline junkie at heart

Childs: The channel must constantly assess where value can be added

What was your first job, and how did you get into IT?
It was at an Apple reseller, where I was a purchasing procurement buyer. This role gave me the perfect grounding to the IT channel and how it works. I was always fascinated with technology as a child, and I am a bit of a gadget girl.

Planes, trains or automobiles?
Planes every time, as I get motion sickness on all the others.

What sport should be in the Olympics but isn’t?
Rugby. I am a sports fanatic, with rugby my preferred one to watch. Coming from the Midlands, I like nothing more than watching the Leicester Tigers play, for the talent on the field! I believe it is set to come into the Olympics in 2012, so I may not have to wait long.

Which TV character would you most like to be?
I quite fancy myself as FBI agent Emily Prentiss from Criminal Minds. CSI and Criminal Minds have to be my favourite shows. The way those characters get into the criminal psyche and work out the mechanics behind a scene fascinates me.

What is your favourite joke or the one you heard most recently?
I just went on eBay looking for a dictaphone. It gave me Gordon Brown's phone number.

What was the best holiday you ever went on?
I would have to say getting married in the Maldives in March 2010 was the most amazing trip of a lifetime.

If you had a week to live, how would you fill it?
I’m renowned for being a bit of an adrenaline junkie on the quiet, so I would have to fill that week with action-packed, nail-biting adventures. Maybe bungee jumping, a parachute jump, travelling to far-off lands to dive with Great White sharks – anything to get that buzz!

Print or online news?
At work I find it easier to pop online for instant news, and I think the surge of smartphones and advent of the iPad will further drive people to news online. However, outside work, like many I still like to thumb through a newspaper. It’s tangible, and I think most people like to get their news this way.

Do you use social media?
I am a big fan of LinkedIn for business purposes, and Facebook for personal communication with friends and family. The boundaries are blurring for many, though. Our Lexmark Twitter feed and Facebook fan page are becoming increasingly relevant ways to reach out to new partners and end users.

What does the channel most need to learn this year?
It’s imperative for the channel to be constantly assessing where they can add value. Above all, customers want more for their money. Channel players and vendors need to work together to develop add-ons, and get them right.

Do vendors do enough to help their channel?
Vendors and channel partners should be working as one. Suppliers need to invest in their channel, both in terms of time and money, to make sure both parties are working as a slick, united machine.

Kelly Childs is head of channel sales at Lexmark