David Kay

clock

Global business partners VP Europe, IBM

What was the worst job you have ever had?

I had a summer job at Courtaulds loading asbestos into acid to make viscose. Mole check!

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

Stan Laurel. He was a proud Lancastrian and able to make fun of himself.

What do you do as your party trick?

I am currently reviewing options as I can no longer walk on my hands or down a yard of ale in one.

What is your favourite chocolate bar?

Caramac - a rare treat.

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

I'm still waiting, but having fun on the way for 36 years.

Has 2014 been a good, bad or ugly year?

Good, bad, ugly is a typical day, but good generally; stepping up to channel transformation.

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

We try to tell a bunch of entrepreneurs what to do with vendor products - and fail miserably.

Aside from the channel, my dream career would be... a billionaire.

What major issues will the channel face in 2015?

Ongoing transition from selling product to selling as a service. This is an issue but a big opportunity; and the ongoing struggle for relevance versus direct sales, but the channel is destined to win out eventually.

 

You may also like

Reseller

clock 23 November 2015 •

Reseller

clock 23 November 2015 •

Distributor

clock 23 November 2015 •

Sign up to our newsletter

The best news, stories, features and photos from the day in one perfectly formed email.

More on Vendor

Dell has laid off 13,000 employees in one year amid slump

Dell has laid off 13,000 employees in one year amid slump

Dell Technologies’ total employee count shrank from 133,000 a year ago to 120,000 as of this month, down 9.7 percent. The tech giant is awaiting a turnaround in PC and infrastructure sales that has yet to materialise, according to its most recent earnings.

clock 27 March 2024 • 3 min read
10 big Nvidia announcements at GTC 2024: Blackwell GPUs, AI microservices and more

10 big Nvidia announcements at GTC 2024: Blackwell GPUs, AI microservices and more

CRN rounds up ten big announcements Nvidia made at its first in-person GTC in nearly five years

Dylan Martin
clock 25 March 2024 • 12 min read
Christanto Suryadarma, Zebra Technologies

Christanto Suryadarma, Zebra Technologies

CRN
clock 22 March 2024 • 4 min read

Highlights

Staff & Salaries 2022

Staff & Salaries 2022

A snapshot of pay and headcount trends in the UK channel

Doug Woodburn
clock 09 March 2022 • 1 min read
Midwich CEO on Nimans acquisition, 2021 results and return to pre-pandemic levels

Midwich CEO on Nimans acquisition, 2021 results and return to pre-pandemic levels

Stephen Fenby talks to CRN after Midwich’s 2021 results in which profitability exceeded pre-pandemic levels

Josh Budd
clock 08 March 2022 • 3 min read
4 more vendors suspend sales in Russia following Ukraine invasion

4 more vendors suspend sales in Russia following Ukraine invasion

IBM and Microsoft are among a number of vendors which have also announced that they will halt sales in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

clock 08 March 2022 • 3 min read