Alicia Shepherd

Head of B2B sales, CMS Computers

Career so far It has been a bumpy road with some interesting twists and turns along the way.

What was your first job and were you any good at it? I was a chef - the fact that I use my microwave more than my oven answers the second part of that question.

Who was your top teenage pin-up? Growing up we were banned from using Blu Tack so my pin up was whatever wallpaper or colour scheme my parents had chosen for me.

My colleagues won't know this about me but... I'm terrified of heights and have been known to take very long detours to avoid high bridges.

What is your favourite snack? Pepperami Hot.

What has been your career high point to date? To be honest I'm not sure I've got there yet as I cannot pick out one single moment so here's hoping it's still out there waiting for me. If I'm lucky enough to be on next year's CRN A-List, maybe I can tell you all about it.

Has 2013 been good, bad or ugly? It has been a very good year - we have double digit growth and are now recognised as one of the UK's top five desktop brands; the sky is the limit.

What do you say when asked at a party what you do for a living? I have learnt not to mention IT or computers as the moment you tell someone this they bombard you with questions about how does a certain app work, and so on - so I simply answer that I work in sales.

If I wasn't working in the channel I would probably be... That's a tough one, I love selling and meeting people, and for the past 18 years have never considered doing anything else.

What will be the channel's biggest challenge in 2014? Windows 8.1 adoption within the B2B sector.