James Ward

Managing director, Hammer

What was the worst job you have ever had?

Being a door-to-door salesman, selling a carpet cleaning product.

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

Robert De Niro, because he is the ultimate of cool.

What do you do as your party trick?

I don't have one, I'm afraid.

What is your favourite chocolate bar?

Maltesers - but it's not strictly a bar, so does it count?

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

The management buyout of Hammer, 10 years ago. Myself and four colleagues bought Hammer, and we have since driven the company's strategic expansion; resulting in a 50 per cent increase in turnover since the takeover.

Has 2014 been a good, bad or ugly year?

It has been a good year. It's been Hammer's record year in terms of turnover and profit, and we have achieved year-on-year growth. We have increased our expansion in Europe, with two new offices opened in 2014, and our European integration centre will open early next year.

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

That's impossible.

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

What major issues will the channel face in 2015?

In this exploding data-driven world, storage is absolutely vital - not only in 2015, but moving forward. The continuing change of how the world stores and manages its data as it grows will be a huge decision point, as even more challenges and opportunities present themselves on the market to tackle data evolution.