Career so far: I've been in my current role for four years now, having held roles with our small business team and previously in training. Earlier, I worked in the distributor world, and started life in the training market.
If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do? I would love to be head of MI5 for a week. I would be fascinated by the information I'd be privy to - but would enjoy knowing I could return to normality at the end of the week.
What would you have as your last meal? I love Indian food, including the occasion that accompanies each and every meal. So I'd enjoy a multi-course banquet with my family and friends, helped along by a chilled bottle or two of Chardonnay.
What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on/taken partners on? Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference has gained a name for itself for its annual themed party. The one that stands out in my memory was attended by many hundred partner-versions of James Bond, each and every Bond villain, and the channel's answer to the elegance of the Bond girls.
Do you see the cloud as a threat or an opportunity? It won't surprise readers when I say it will be a huge opportunity. But it is great to see how many of our partners are wholeheartedly supporting this sentiment, as they start to reap the rewards the cloud and cloud services offer them. This is just the beginning.
Have any of your predictions come true this year? My feeling that 2010 would really see the cloud emerge as the all-defining theme of the IT industry has certainly come to pass. It's exciting to see so many partners being bold, innovative and entrepreneurial in shaping the many ways cloud can help businesses succeed.
What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2011? The biggest challenge will be to any partners who by 2011 haven't taken positive steps to diversify their offerings for a market increasingly expecting cloud-based software and services. The key shift in what I now hear from partners (compared even to a year ago) is that customers are now actively seeking out cloud - rather than than ‘being sold' cloud. Partners really need to ensure they are keeping ahead of this curve through the rest of 2010 and into 2011.
What is the best part of your day? I wouldn't still be doing my role after four years if I didn't still enjoy the diverse demands and opportunities it presents me each day - but, ultimately, I still enjoy walking in the front door and seeing my three-year old son every evening. He keeps me in the real world.
