Mark Chambers
Chief executive, Ramesys
Do you care about green IT? Yes I do. I care about effective green everything.
If you could be in a rock/pop band, which one would it be and who would you be? The Foo Fighters, and I'd be Dave Grohl.
What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on/taken partners on? I am not keen on corporate jollies unless they allow really good networking time. I tend to pass onto my hard working team as a reward if it's just a jolly. The most effective ones I have been on are when you can spend four (in my case six) hours on a golf course as this gives you a lot of time to explore opportunities while on a long walk.
Has 2009 been as bad as everyone said it would be? Not for us but we have been cushioned by our government contracts and having a large long-term order book. It's been very good in terms of attracting excellent people to the team.
Have any of your predictions come true this year? I don't like making predictions as things change so quickly. Everyone knew 2009 would be challenging so I can't lay claim to that one. 2010 will be no different so hopefully everyone has built their business strategy accordingly and not buried their heads in the sand!
What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2010? Getting the lines of demarcation right. We must be completely joined up and understand who is responsible for what. If we are confused imagine what the customers see and think. They are all that counts. For the resellers we have to see where we can really add real value and drive up margins as it will not come from the channel itself.
What is the best part of your day? The beginning, and the first triple-shot Starbucks..