Superhero 80s geek

Emmet Florish is no floppy Lost Boy but still raves about his love of The Simpsons and geeky characters from Star Wars to Judge Dredd

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

Technically my first job was picking strawberries aged 12, where I was paid £3 for an eight-hour day. Later I worked on the factory floor at Verbatim, making floppy disks. I guess you could say that was my first foray into IT and the storage environment.

What could prompt you to give it all up and join the revolution?

Who says I'm not part of the revolution? I'm part of the SolarWinds revolution.

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

Q: Why didn't the skeleton go to the dance?

A: Because he had no body to go with.

I have small kids (aged seven and five) so clearly my humour is at their level.

Should Prince William shave his head?

Oh yes, definitely - then he can claim he's going topless too, in support of HRH Catherine Middleton.

In my dreams…

... I am Batman, married to Princess Leia, riding Judge Dredd's bike, wearing Neo's leather jacket. A complete superhero geek.

What was the best business trip or junket you have ever been on?

The best trip ever was to Santa Cruz, California, staying in a hotel on the beach, waking up to the sound of the ocean. And the movie The Lost Boys was filmed on the boardwalk in Santa Cruz - that's an awesome movie from the 80s!

Where would you like to go or what would you like to do on your next holiday?

Las Vegas, with money I could afford to lose and to see some cool shows. It would be great if Paul van Dyk was playing there. He is one of the best electronic music DJs in the world. Thanks to my best friend for introducing me to his music!

If you had to choose just one leisure activity, would you choose an art or a sport?

Does playing video games count as a sport? I'm terrible at sport and art, but I'm a whizz at Mario Kart!

What never fails to make you laugh?

The TV show The Simpsons; hands down one of the best shows on TV. It has some of the most gifted TV writers.

What do you think are your three greatest accomplishments (so far)?

Can I count my two kids as two of the three? And relocating to the US in my late 20s was a significant accomplishment. My wife supported the move and we ended up living there for nearly five years. Our kids were born in Texas - so we've got a good international flavour in our house.

Your closest near-death experience?

I did a tandem parachute jump for charity in Ireland when I was younger. I was attached really tightly to the instructor. Shortly after the chute opened, the instructor loosened the harness to make it more comfortable. He had told me he was going to do this, but I forgot and I dropped about three inches. Perhaps not so much a near-death experience, but I definitely got the fright of my life!

What are the characteristics of the perfect channel partner?

Willing to change and align to your business needs as often as they change, communicates on a regular basis, and views themselves as an extension of your company and your team.

What are you reading and why?

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. I borrowed it from a friend and wasn't too sure about it as it's not my normal sort of read but it's absolutely fantastic.

Emmet Florish is EMEA channel manager at SolarWinds