Chairman, Wick Hill Group
Career so far
My last real job was as UK financial controller for a Fortune 50 corporation, before setting up a financial and management consultancy. Then Wick Hill, which has been a lot more fun ever since.
What was your first job and were you any good at it?
Internal audit for a local authority. I was fortunate to have a great boss who was commercially minded, who mentored me and gave me a huge amount of freedom and authority. He gave me the skills and confidence to progress in that job and then the impetus to move on to industry.
Who was your top teenage pin-up?
Veruschka - for anyone my age or who has seen Michelangelo Antonioni's film Blow-Up, you'll know who I mean.
My colleagues won't know this about me but...
I'm still in the UK top 40 all-time lists for my under-23, 2km steeplechase athletics' (not horse) times.
What is your favourite snack?
An apple. I get through a bag of them a week.
What has been your career high point to date?
I've been incredibly fortunate to have grown with Wick Hill, which has been my career high point, and of which I am incredibly proud. Over the years, I have had the privilege of working with many great people, who have contributed to Wick Hill and our reputation. Prior to that, my high point was as UK controller for a Fortune 50 company.
Has 2013 been good, bad or ugly? It's been a very good year, with strong growth in DACH and the UK, driven by great performances by our business partners and our suppliers.
What do you say when asked at a party what you do for a living?
IT security distribution, quickly followed by B2B to avoid discussions of their lack of security on their phone or home network.
If I wasn't working in the channel I would probably be...
Unemployable.
What will be the channel's biggest challenge in 2014?
Growth - many businesses are still structured defensively and growth in 2014 will create a range of challenges, alongside the opportunities.
