Elon Musk is UK channel's most inspiring tech figurehead
More than a fifth of CRN A-listers named the controversial Tesla and SpaceX boss as the tech luminary who has most inspired them this year
Elon Musk has edged out Satya Nadella as the most inspiring tech figure among top UK channel executives.
Some 22 per cent of the 132 channel bigwigs questioned in the 2021 CRN A-list named the controversial Tesla and SpaceX boss as the tech luminary who has most inspired them this year.
That put him ahead of Microsoft CEO and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, who secured 14 and 10 per cent of the votes, respectively. Other notable picks included Cisco, HP and Dell CEOs Chuck Robbins and Antonio Neri and Michael Dell, and Stemettes founder Dr Anne-Marie Mafidon.
VIEW THE A-LIST AS A PDF HERE OR THE INDIVIDUAL PROFILES HERE.
Though not all were fans of Musk personally, his leadership and vision impressed many.
Broadcom's Apay Obang-Oyway, branded Musk a "transformational tech leader who is pushing the boundaries of thought and reality in many industries such as transport, energy and space", while Computacenter's Julie O'Hara said "the brain-machine interface stuff his Neuralink business is doing is mind-blowing".
"Although a controversial character at times, Musk's abundance of ambition, disruptive approach and philanthropic desires are inspirational for me," added Robert Pooley, solutions director at Saepio Information Security.
Now on its 17th edition, the CRN A-List is designed to tease out some fun information on the channel's top executives after a gruelling year. Those taking part this year include Softcat CEO Graeme Watt, TechUK head Jacqueline de Rojas MBE, Forrester analyst Jay McBain and Insight's soon-to-be-crowned EMEA president Emma de Sousa.
Our A-listers were also asked who they would be for a week if they could swap bodies with someone.
Outgoing US president Donald Trump narrowly edged the field, securing nine per cent of the vote to Boris Johnson's five per cent. Many wished to switch places with their dog or cat, with several offering to body swap with Jeff Bezos (although mainly with a view to defrauding him of his $180bn fortune).
More than four in five (82 per cent) of A-listers said they missed face-to-face events, with many acknowledging that while virtual alternatives got the job done, there was no substitute for meeting in person.
Some five per cent admitted they don't miss physical get-togethers, however, with Printerland boss James Kight branding them "a waste of time", while 13 per cent were ambivalent.
With events now being held virtually, not having to travel was mentioned as a bonus by eight per cent and two per cent admitted that they don't miss the hangovers after a big event.