Darren Grasby
EMEA sales director, AMD
Career so far I've spent almost two decades selling graphics, PC components and semiconductors. I've been working for AMD since August 2007, growing our business and overseeing the EMEA partner strategy.
Do you care about green IT? Absolutely. Improving the energy efficiency and performance of technology is one of the key driving forces in the industry, and is something we all have a responsibility to care about.
If you could be in a rock/pop band, which one would it be and who would you be? The last gig I went to was AC/DC in the US, and they were fantastic so would probably go for them. Although I fear my riffs will now have to be limited to infrequent air guitar strumming!
What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on/taken partners on? The IT industry may have had a reputation for extravagance, but I've always had more modest tastes. Our partners always tell us they would prefer to sit together and discuss how we can help them grow, rather than whisk them off to the other side of the world. That's definitely our priority now!
Has 2009 been as bad as everyone said it would be? The market has been tough but in many ways we've had a really good year and achieved major milestones in delivering on our strategic plan. We've launched some great products offering both high-end performance and value, and also have made giant strides in helping partners grow their business through initiatives such as the AMD Fusion Partner Programme. Highlights have to be the momentum we're seeing behind the Phenom II CPUs and the recent response to the ATI Radeon HD 5800 series graphics card launch, which has been nothing short of phenomenal.
Have any of your predictions come true this year? I predicted we'd grow our business, and continue to take market share in the CPU and GPU arena, and we have achieved both. However, I also predicted I would get my handicap under 12 and that hasn't happened and so will hold off renaming myself Nostradamus for now!
What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2010? As the UK steadily climbs out of the recession, channel partners will need to be able to respond quickly and effectively to shifting spending patterns, and so will need to work well with existing suppliers. The AMD Fusion Partner Programme is designed to make it easier, more convenient and more profitable for partners to work with AMD, and so we see some really good times ahead.
What is the best part of your day? Unwinding with dinner and a nice glass of red wine.