Laurie Beagle

Divisional director, P&A Receivables Services

Career so far I am a career credit professional and I run industry forums and focus groups for credit and finance professionals in the UK and Europe.

If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be? The prime minister and bring all our brave boys and girls home from the war zones.

What will next year’s most overhyped industry buzzword be? Mediation: dictionary meaning “to intervene between parties in order to reconcile them”. This seems to be the buzzword in my finance world. Unfortunately it’s not the answer to every problem.

Has 2012 been a good, bad or ugly year? Good-minus. Considering all the doom and gloom spread in the tabloids, the IT sector has been fairly resilient to the economic pressures. Funding has been hard to find for the small businesses but insolvencies did slow down.

What would you have as your last meal? Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding cooked by my gorgeous wife, and apple pie and custard cooked by my lovely mother.

What keeps you awake at night? The need to consistently perform and deliver to tougher goals each fiscal period.

What piece of technology could you not be without? My BlackBerry and LinkedIn. They are my gateway to clients, prospects and what’s new in the world.

Have any of your predictions come true this year? Yes: The last year has been rough but I did predict it wouldn’t be as bad as the previous two. However, 2013 will in my view be a tougher challenge as the austerity measures really start to bite and loans need to be paid or renegotiated.

What is the best partner/customer trip you have ever been on? Taking thirty plus vendors to Dubai. Then taking them on a jeep safari that ended up at our own Bedouin camp with a Russian belly dancer and Hibbly Bubbly pipe. Photos are available.

What do you see as the channel’s biggest challenge in 2013? Customer retention. Customers will want play the field even more next year to get the best price, the best service and the best added benefits.