Mukesh Gupta

Career so far Since founding e92plus in 1989, that has been my whole focus - but with changing resellers, vendors, technology and three recessions, there has been plenty to do in that time.

If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do? Captain Kirk. To boldly go where no man has gone before.
Cloud - friend or foe? Every cloud has a silver lining.

Has 2011 been as bad as everyone said it would be? No, we have seen growth but it's tough and everyone has to work hard to justify their role in the channel. But the opportunities and business is still out there.

What would you have as your last meal? The finest, richest foods and the greatest wines - you don't need to worry about health or the bill at that point.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with? Plenty I could mention, but probably shouldn't.

Have any of your predictions come true this year? Security continues to be a growth sector, with no shortage of threats, but the challenge of finding real differentiation and disruptive technology is growing harder as many platforms and solutions have been commoditised. Unfortunately my optimism for Chelsea's triumph in Europe remains unfulfilled.

What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2012? From the bigger perspective, the difficulties of a challenging economy needs to be balanced against the continual need to invest and grow. As we have seen, a lack of a clear strategy can affect even the biggest companies in the channel. On a day-to-day basis, the channel needs to work harder to complement and support partners and ensure that we can all build profitable businesses.

What is the best part of your day? Doing the deal - I love it when a plan comes together.