Peter Lorant
Head of Partners (EMEA & Asia Pacific), Google for Work (formerly known as Google Enterprise), Google UK
What was the worst job you have ever had? My low point was being a ‘crowd control manager' at some shite 1980s gigs while at uni in London (Canada). I should have received danger pay for sitting through a Paul Young concert.
Which actor would you pick to play you in a movie of your life? Harvey Keitel - he's a nice bloke but you wouldn't want to cross him.
What do you do as your party trick? I can solve a Rubik's cube in less than five seconds... however, it does involve a hammer and a blow torch.
What is your favourite chocolate bar? I grew up in Canada and my favourite ‘candy' was something called a Tootsie Roll. It is a bit like Marmite - you could either eat it or tar a road with it. It certainly put hair on your chest (and on your tongue).
What has been the highlight of your career to date? My highlight has been launching the cloud ecosystem in EMEA. Google was definitely at the vanguard of this new disruptive business model and I have had the pleasure of being at the heart of it for the past six years. I have thoroughly enjoyed watching our small partners grow up to become sizeable, profitable businesses with amazing FTSE references. We still have a long way to go, but it's been a hell of a ride.
Has 2014 been a good, bad or ugly year? 2014 has been a great year for us and many of our partners. We launched several new products, especially Google Drive, Google Cloud Platform and many new Google Chromebook devices. Our partners have certainly benefited from our continued innovation and most are growing their Google business nicely. But watch this space - there are some exciting new developments coming in 2015.
How would you explain the IT channel to a stranger without boring them to death? They help make technology work for your business as opposed to twisting your business to work with the technology.
Aside from the channel, my dream career would be... to work in Google's Street View team - it would be magical to be paid to visit the world's best museums, art galleries and hiking trails.
What major issues will the channel face in 2015? 2015 will be the Chinese year of the Sheep. Apparently, it is a symbol of peace, harmonious co-existence and tranquility. Yeah, right! Not in the IT channel. The channel will face all the typical threats and opportunities that it has always faced - the strong will get stronger and the weak will get weaker. Of course, the general election could accelerate that growth or decline, depending on who gets into No 10.