Career so far: I started in Telecoms with 02, where I held a number of roles over a four-year period. I then went to work for two American oil companies, holding a number of roles in the UK utilities industry before joining BT in 2004, where I have held five senior roles.
If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do? It’s a difficult question to answer. I’d probably be someone fun, like the Stig. I’d love to spend my days racing sports cars on the Top Gear race track – in particular the Bugatti Veyron.
What would you have as your last meal? A steak washed down with a bottle of red wine.
What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on/taken partners on? It has to be when I worked for 02 and I watched a football game in a corporate box at Middlesboro with Malcolm Allison. He told me a thing or two.
Do you see the cloud as a threat or an opportunity? It is definitely an opportunity. The cloud offers a robust, scalable and commercially viable alternative for many companies that traditional IT support cannot offer. Selecting the right cloud vendor of course will be key. There’s a lot to be done to demystify the cloud.
Have any of your predictions come true this year? I predicted many things and have seen many of them come true. I think the big one was that the channel would see a real increase in competition, which has happened. There’s been a huge amount of activity this year, with lots of people vying for time and sales. I think that’s a good environment for everyone, including end customers.
What do you see as the channel’s biggest challenge in 2011? I don’t think we’ve seen the full impact of the current financial climate. I expect further consolidation as the market continues to be tough. It is therefore a challenge for people to decide who to buy from and whose products to sell to as margins are squeezed. Channel partners need the reassurance that the people they choose to do business with will be there at the end of this consolidation.
What is the best part of your day? I would have to say the first hour of the day. I usually get up very early, walk my dogs and create my ‘to do’ list for the day on my Blackberry. It’s also my favourite thinking time.
