Wayne Cockerill
Career so far: I have spent 24 years working within IT, starting out at the Mars Group, where I first cut my teeth in IT with PC DOS and good old Lotus 123. Having an entrepreneurial passion, I moved from a major corporation to an independent with great potential and joined Aindale to run the support operation. Working quickly up through the company I became a director and partner before taking full ownership. Having established Aindale as a successful VAR, employing nearly 50 people over two divisions, I additionally took over as chairman of the Network Buying Group (NBG) - the UK's premier IT buying group - and now enjoy running both organisations.
If you could be anyone for a week, who would you be and what would you do? I would be an astronaut on the next Space Shuttle mission - to fulfil my secret ambition to see the Blue Planet from space.
What would you have as your last meal? A traditional lamb roast dinner - I can taste it now.
What is the best corporate jolly you have ever been on? With my passion to get behind the wheel, it has to be a Jonathan Palmer Day in Bedford - I've been with both Symantec and Acer. These are adrenalin-packed days, where you can push to go faster.
Do you see the cloud as a threat or an opportunity? An opportunity. The key is to understand that the current cloud offering has significant limitations, but there will be some areas it will fit. We have taken the stance to research and understand the cloud model to determine its position so we can offer this to our clients, or not as the case may be. This is done through clear, informed advice to clients - as if we didn't know that our competitors would advise them instead. So, my view is, don't ignore it because it is the cloud and you think it may be a threat; embrace it to understand it. Then, position it well - it will become an opportunity, even if the opportunity is not to use the cloud for your clients. The cloud only becomes a threat if the vendors try to open direct channels to the end user, which would be a high-risk strategy against the might of the channel.
Have any of your predictions come true this year? Predicting Spain to win the World Cup.
What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2011? Creating demand for IT in what is likely to be a very tough year.
What is the best part of your day? Arriving home to a busy house and switching off the laptop.