A need for speed

As a typical Top Gun fan, Claire Lewis loves intense competition and challenge

What was your first job, and how did you get into IT?
Marks & Spencer trainee manager. But I was working in the financial sector when an opportunity arose to move into IT. Working in an industry that is innovative, dynamic, challenging and highly competitive was the key attraction.

Planes, trains or automobiles?
Planes. A typical Top Gun fan, I decided I wanted to be a fighter pilot. Asthma and poor sight ended my dream, not to mention poor coordination and a fear of heights.

What sport should be in the Olympics but isn't?
Tweeting. The speed at which this phenomenon has grown and the power it can exude makes this a worthy endurance activity.

Which fictional TV character is borrowing ideas from your life?
I have a horrid feeling it could be Jen Barber from The IT Crowd but I'm working hard to be more like Moss. Not sure which is more worrying.

What could prompt you to give it all up and join the revolution?
Free vodka.

What is your favourite joke or the one you heard most recently?
Snow White and the huntsman are walking through the dense, dark forest. Snow White turns to the huntsman and says ‘I'm scared'. The huntsman replies ‘You're scared? I've got to walk back on my own.'

"In my dreams ..."
... I am an F1 driver.

What was your best business trip ever?
Sales conference at Euro Disney while working for a national newspaper. Being paid to run around Euro Disney and having exclusive access to the park. It doesn't get much better.

What was the best holiday you ever went on?
Travelling through Vietnam for three weeks with a backpack and my two best mates.

If you had a week to live, what would you do?
Bungee jumping, swimming with sharks, heli-skiing, basejumping. If that doesn't kill me I reckon I can beat the odds.

"I never..."
... admitted that I stole my brother's Toffets.

What would your superpower be?
X-ray vision, for fun and bribery.

Do you read Channelweb.co.uk on your mobile?
No, I'm ashamed to say I have a Sony Ericsson K810i, not ideal for online content

If someone shrunk you to the size of a pencil and put you in a blender, how would you get out?
Stand on the blades, jump, grab and heave myself out. Simples!

Print or online news?
Online; who gets time to read the paper? Online news is easier to find, navigate and get the key facts and links to related content.

Do you use social media?
Yes, for both business and personal.

Will the economic recovery continue?
Yes. It's scary, but a royal wedding may actually be the event that gets Britain spending.

What does the channel most need to learn?
There's been real progress this year in defining what cloud is and what it means for businesses. The hurdle now is to help customers understand the true benefits and alleviate their fear of moving to off-premise solutions.

Your closest near-death experience?
Knocking myself out aged seven playing tag in my new pixie boots. Slippery shoes and a steep wet grassy bank are not a great combination. I got to ride in an ambulance with the sirens on, so I was told, and was unconscious for 24 hours.

Is IT well taught in schools?
Being out of education for over 10 years and not having children, I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer. However, if the speed at which my six year old niece can log into her Disney account while texting her friends and completing her homework is anything to go by things are looking pretty good.

Claire Lewis is international marketing manager at Fasthosts Internet