Wizard of Oz
Australian-born Scott Tyson may not box but he has played cricket in England
What was your first job, and how did you get into IT?
Apprentice toolmaker with my dad's company in Melbourne. After 10 years I decided I wanted to play cricket in England. From there I did a few sales jobs until I got into IT with SpectraLink (now owned by Polycom) in 2002.
Planes, trains or automobiles?
I love planes, as it's a long way to Australia and I just love knowing I am only 24 hours away. The world became a lot smaller when Boeing got those things to fly.
What sport should be in the Olympics but isn't?
Cricket. The world would see what a great game it is, and Australia might beat a US team at something.
Which fictional TV character is borrowing ideas from your life?
Fireman Sam. I love the idea of living in a lovely Welsh village, rarely seeing any real trouble.
What is your favourite joke or the one you heard most recently?
My brother actually driving a car - that would be a joke!
"In my dreams ..."
... I would have batted number-five for Australia, and in my spare time, would be Mark Webber's reserve and test driver. Wouldn't mind hosting Top Gear as well, but they already have a token short guy presenting.
What was your best business trip ever?
USA in 2003. After kick-off, a few of us decided to spend the weekend at Vail for a few days skiing. On the first run, our US friend said he would head off and ski the black runs as he was an expert. But as we got to the chair lifts, we saw this figure lying on the ground and a flat signpost and sure enough, Mr Smarty Pants had gone too fast, collected the sign and snapped his Achilles tendon. Waving him off to hospital for a full-length cast was very funny.
What was the best holiday you ever went on?
In 2005, my wife and I decided to take a week off in Fiji and on the day of our departure, we found out she was pregnant with our first child, which we had been trying for three years to have.
"I never..."
... want to lose the feeling of being an Aussie. I love the UK and living here but my blood is green and gold [Ewwww - Ed].
What would your superpower be?
I like the idea of X-ray vision, but being able to fly would be the best. Imagine not having to queue at airports and wait in boring terminals and lounges.
Do you or have you read Channelweb.co.uk on your mobile phone?
Yes, I regularly click on to see what's happening in the channel and what the major vendors and disti/resellers are talking about. I mainly log on via the PC in the office.
Print or online news?
For general news in the UK, I normally buy a newspaper, but for all the sports news or news back home, I go online.
Do you use social media?
Yes, but I limit it. I do use FB but only for close friends or associates, and posting pictures of my family to the family back home. I also use LinkedIn to keep in touch with professional friends or colleagues around the world.
Will the economic recovery continue?
I am a 'glass half full' person and all the signs I currently see show that people are a lot more buoyant about the economy and the stability of their jobs since the middle of last year.
What does the channel most need to learn to succeed and grow this year?
Not just this year! I think more of a partnership approach, because we often see channels not working in unison with their vendors or distributors. Managers want their channel to be knowledgeable, professional and driven. Working together allows this to happen. Hunger for the business helps and a long-term view of account management and support will always see a relationship-savvy channel do well in tougher times.
Is IT well taught in schools?
I'm not quite sure, as I haven't attended school for a long time. IT was not a subject when I was at school. My son starts in September and his school is decked out with internet-enabled PCs, so I would assume it's a strong part of the curriculum.
Scott Tyson is EMEA channel manager at Bradford Networks