Yolanta Gill

Chief executive, European Electronique
What was the worst job you have ever had? I

have been lucky enough never to have had a job I didn't enjoy. I have managed to take something positive from each job - after all, a job is what you make it.

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

Hopefully I'm allowed to choose an actress rather than an actor. It would be Cate Blanchet, as I think she is a great character actress.

What do you do as your party trick?

Having thought hard and long about this, it appears I've yet to discover it, so I will read with interest everyone else's responses so I can consider my options and perhaps will finally acquire one.

What is your favourite chocolate bar?

I can never resist a Ferrero Rocher - or two.

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

My highlight for last year outlined our triple award win in 2009 which is a hard act to follow. However, we have had a few great successes recently, including winning the Education Investor Award in the category of Innovation and Infrastructure with our Freedom Cloud solution. Launching the Freedom Cloud solution and winning the first few contracts was also a great feeling of achievement.

Has 2014 been a good, bad or ugly year?

It has, and continues to be, a great year. After a double-digit growth in the year ending March 2014 we have continued to grow and prosper. We have succeeded in winning contracts for 50 organisations and 30,000 users with our Freedom Cloud solution. Coupled with this we have expanded by opening new offices in Manchester. We have taken great satisfaction from listening to our customers and helping them achieve their visions and goals.

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

The pathway which unlocks potential and makes the world accessible to everyone.
Aside from the channel, my dream career would be... having obtained a law degree from the University of Warsaw I would have pursued my career as a lawyer. I like a challenge and the legal environment would certainly provide this.

What major issues will the channel face in 2015?

With the amount of data being produced on a daily basis, which is exponentially increasing, securely storing and accessing this data is becoming a major challenge. Creating and providing customers with public and private cloud-based storage is paramount. Securely accessing data from mobile devices, which can be both personal and institutional, provide both a challenge and a major opportunity for growth.
Effectively utilising the plethora of data in our possession through data analytic tools will also play a key role.

The above then poses the question of how to effectively budget for IT resources in order to support organisational requirements. New revenue models therefore will need to be developed to support usage of IT resources in the modern world.