Nigel Steljes

Chairman, Steljes

Career so far

I've been a dustman, a van driver, a salesman and since 1985 it's been all Steljes Limited.

What was your first job and were you any good at it?

I was a dustman, and probably not.

Who was your top teenage pin-up?

Debbie Harry.

My colleagues won't know this about me but...

I seriously considered training as a master thatcher but it gave no salary for at least six months.

What is your favourite snack?

Chips.

What has been your career high point to date?

Gordon Brown, the then-chancellor's 2004 budget speech announcing a £20m pound ring-fenced fund for state schools to buy interactive whiteboards.

Has 2013 been good, bad or ugly?

Not brilliant but not bad, with clear signs of recovery in our industry and the economy as a whole.

What do you say when asked at a party what you do for a living?

I'm an audiovisual distributor of Smart interactive whiteboards.

If I wasn't working in the channel I would probably be...

I do not have a clue. I've worked in distribution for 27 years!

What will be the channel's biggest challenge in 2014?

The challenge that some audiovisual companies will face in upskilling to meet the demands from customers who will require fully integrated collaborative solutions.