Paul McIntosh enjoyed his Cisco tenure but is driving onwards and ahead
What was your first job, and how did you get into IT?
First job was working at Olympus Sports retail store in Brent Cross (those were the days). Got into IT when KiSS Technology was acquired by Cisco over five years ago.
Planes, trains or automobiles?
Automobiles. They give you total freedom, unless you're on the M25, M6, M5, or M40. Oh, blow it -- I'll go for planes!
What is your favourite joke or the one you heard most recently?
A guy meets a lady of the night in a bar. She says: ‘This is your lucky night. I'll do absolutely anything you want for £150, as long as you can say it in three words.' The guy replies: ‘Hey, why not?' He pulls his wallet out, and one at a time lays three £50s on the bar, saying: ‘Paint...my...house.'
What was your best business trip ever?
Going on a road trip with my old team at Cisco from LA to Las Vegas. Great fun and what a weekend! Mr Jack Daniels...enough said.
What was the best holiday you ever went on?
Australia with the family four years ago. Melbourne was stunning and we had the monsoon in Brisbane and 43 degrees up the road at Steve Irwin's zoo. Bizarre!
"I never..."
... manage to hit my drive off the first tee straight and long
"I always..."
...hit a second golf shot just as badly as my first!!
Print or online news?
Online. I am too tight to spend 70p on the print version.
Do you use social media?
Yes, LinkedIn for business and Facebook for social.
Will the economic recovery continue?
If you want it to it will, if you want to make a difference, be positive and get out there and make things happen. If not, it won't!
What does the channel most need to learn this year?
Have to support entrepreneurial UK businesses. We're all in this together through the good and the bad! Keep smiling...
Do vendors do enough to help their channel?
I believe vendors do. It's whether the channel wishes to support entrepreneurial UK companies as opposed to just going with the norm!
Is IT well taught in schools?
Listening to my kids I would have to say no. IT could and should be an incredibly exciting area at schools, stimulating thought, ideas and creativeness. I believe this is all missed at the teaching level.
Paul McIntosh is managing director of XEL Solutions
