Top VARs 2021: Q&A with Telefónica Tech UK&I CEO Martin Hess

The CEO on how recent Cancom sale will change the 55th-ranked Top VAR

How will the future of the company change now it's part of Telefónica Tech?

The big difference between Telefonica Tech and Cancom is the level of investment they'll make to help us grow in the UK and Ireland. The ambition is to be the leader in cloud and cyber in the UK and Ireland. And I think they've got the wherewithal to help us get there.

Why is the UK such as an important market for Telefónica Tech?

Telefónica Tech are going to invest in four markets: Spain, Germany, Brazil, and UK. The UK has always been at the leading edge of tech adoption and so they realised that if they want to be leaders in cloud around the world, they have to be leaders in the UK.

You've made some strong statements about the need for staff to return to the office. How do you feel now?

I just think that working from home all the time, for most people, is a bad thing. I think it's bad for them and bad for the company. I was pretty much a lone voice during lockdown advocating that people come back into the office. I think it's important to have a sense of place for a business. I think that's where the ideas come from. I think that's where the energy comes from. I think that's where the spark comes from. And I think a company loses its soul over time if it is completely atomised and people work from home all the time.