Alastair Bell

Chairman, Bell Microsystems

What was the worst job you have ever had?

Definitely a student job in Shippams paste manufacturing.

Which actor would you pick to play you in a movie of your life?

Clint Eastwood, just to meet him.

What do you do as your party trick?

Stay upright despite challenging conditions.

What is your favourite chocolate bar?

Any dark chocolate.

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

Due to the great people I work with, there are many – no one event captures it but they do keep coming and every year brings justified pride in what we do as a company and how we achieve it.

Has 2014 been a good, bad or ugly year? It has been a great year. We have increased our service deliverables, strengthened the management team with some great additions, expanded our customer base and grown dramatically while maintaining profitability.

How would you explain the IT channel to a stranger without boring them to death?

A layer cake with some good players, and some casual observers. Aside from the channel, my dream career would be… a chateau owner and winemaker in Provenance.

What major issues will the channel face in 2015?

Similar to those faced in 2014 – margin erosion and for some channel companies less customer spend in traditional areas leading to business re-evaluation.