Alan Watkins

Career so far: I am chairman and senior executive of public and private companies within the IT industry. Previously I was founder and managing director of Cisco Systems, chairman of Xploite, Glasshouse, Chronicle Solutions and Foster MacCallum. I was co-founder of Blackhawk Capital focussing on consolidation and turnaround of distressed businesses while sitting on the board of their portfolio companies. And there's more to come.

If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do? Any top golfer winning The Open.

Cloud - friend or foe? Friend.

Has 2011 been as bad as everyone said it would be? It has not been as bad as we predicted but it is getting tougher.

What would you have as your last meal? Shepherd's pie and red wine.
Who would you like to be stuck in a lift with? Sharon Stone (for her intellect).

Have any of your predictions come true this year? Significant pressures are building on the reseller community, resulting in increasing consolidation.

What do you see as the channel's biggest challenge in 2012? Differentiation in an overcrowded market.

What is the best part of your day? Early in the day when I get the most done, or in the evening watching a sunset with a large glass of wine.