James Ward

Managing director, Hammer

Career so far I have been in the IT industry for 21 years now, working in a variety of roles at Hammer prior to becoming managing director eight years ago.

If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be? I’d be Cesc Fabregas, because he plays for the best football team in the world, and I would love to live in Barcelona.

What will next year’s most overhyped industry buzzword be? I think it will be cloud again – it’s everywhere, and still will be next year. There aren’t many conversations which don’t involve it in some way.

Has 2012 been a good, bad or ugly year? It has been a good year. It has been Hammer’s record year in terms of turnover and profit, and we have achieved year-on-year growth.

What would you have as your last meal? I would have the Emperor’s Feast, a seafood platter, at Nikki Beach in Marbella.

What keeps you awake at night? Nothing. I am lucky to be a great sleeper.

What piece of technology could you not be without? My iPhone. It can’t leave my side, it would be like losing a limb. No one doesn’t have their phone with them any more; it’s an essential part of everyday life.

Have any of your predictions come true this year? Yes, that Arsenal would have another trophy-less season!

What is the best partner/customer trip you have ever been on? When I went to the Intel Conference in Dubai in 2010, and got “stuck” staying at the Atlantis Palm Hotel for 11 days while waiting for the infamous volcanic ash cloud to clear!

What do you see as the channel’s biggest challenge in 2013? To keep the focus on profitability and growth in the key areas – storage is of the most paramount importance as ever before. Our aim is to continue to provide the high level of storage expertise with which Hammer has become synonymous.