Rising to the top

Hard work has not excluded Richard Roberts from enjoying the wonders of psychology, culture and The Tomorrow People

What was your first job, and how did you get into IT?

I was a human factors engineer at a digital equipment company in Reading, following a year out from a degree in psychology and linguistics.

Planes, trains or automobiles?

Automobiles, because I love being in control, singing along loudly and roughly in tune with 80s power ballads, and have a deep-rooted shyness that stops me sharing this with others.

What sport should be in the Olympics but isn't?

Histrionics. Having experienced my fair share, I would be a great armchair judge.

Which fictional TV character is borrowing ideas from your life?

Hong Kong Phooey. I may not be a janitor, but I did once imagine myself as a crime-fighting karate master.

What is your favourite joke or the one you heard most recently?

A mate of mine recently admitted to an addiction to brake fluid. When I quizzed him on it, he reckoned he could stop at any time.

What is the best business trip or junket you have ever experienced?

My best business trip was actually my first. I took a year out from my studies at Nottingham University to work as a human interface designer and they sent me, business class, on a tour of top US customers, including NASA and the Pentagon. I thought all business travel was like that.

Oranges or bananas?

Bananas. I don't trust anything orange - just look at David Dickinson, or Jordan.

What is the best holiday you've ever had?

Australia: Sydney, Port Douglas, and the Barrier Reef. We saw in the new year on a boat on Sydney Harbour, and spent a couple of weekends in Hong Kong on the way. Awesome family time, total relaxation, wonderful scenery, no surviving pictures of me in a wetsuit - perfect!

What would your superpower be?

I would love to be able to teleport. As a kid I watched The Tomorrow People on TV and since then I have developed an aversion to queues, airports, and hours wasted getting places. Simply appearing where I want, instantly, has an appeal.

Do you or have you read Channelweb.co.uk on your mobile phone or other handheld device?

I do actually, on my iPad. Partly for the latest news, but it also keeps me in touch with old channel friends and colleagues as they pop up across the industry.

If someone shrank you to the size of a pencil and put you in a blender, how would you get out?

I'd burp my way to the top; it worked for Charlie in the chocolate factory.

Print or online news?

Online every time, as it allows me to browse the content, connect to other pieces of news when it makes sense, and find my own path through what is important to me in a way that print simply cannot.

Do you use social media?

I use social media a lot. With two teenaged sons, it's one of the few ways I can find out what's going on with them. They are currently re-evaluating their use of the English language via a series of shrugs and grunts.

What does the channel most need to learn to succeed and grow this year?

We should focus on where the money is in our business relationships, where the risk is, and who holds the value as perceived by the customer.

Your closest near-death experience?

I once wore a tank top to a nightclub in Leeds. I don't know what I was thinking.

What are the characteristics of the perfect channel partner?

One whose vision, value and culture is dedicated to delivering customer excellence, profitably and sustainably.