Will O'Brien

Vice president alliance & channels, Oracle UK

What was the worst job you have ever had?

Getting up to bake bread at 4am in my native Yorkshire.

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

Daniel Craig, because he's smooth and charming like me.

What do you do as your party trick?

I can perform 2½ 360-degree spins on a skateboard.

What is your favourite chocolate bar?

Ritter Sport Hazelnut.

What has been the highlight of your career to date?

Doubling the number of customers and revenue for Oracle EMEA's Retail Business Unit over a four-year period.

Has 2014 been a good, bad or ugly year?

It's been a good year - I've taken on a new role and am working with a new team. We understand what we need to do and are now working on a series of business improvement initiatives, which is great fun.

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

Oracle has the best products in the industry for companies and enterprises of all shapes and sizes. Solutions to customer problems are created by the Oracle channel, which comprises consulting alliance partners and value added resellers. Are you bored yet?

Aside from the channel, my dream career would be... running a bike shop.

What major issues will the channel face in 2015?

The migration to cloud-based revenue streams will have a profound impact on the P&L of all companies operating within the IT ecosystem. Companies will need to change their operating models to cater for this shift in revenue streams. Customers also increasingly expect higher levels of service and accountability from IT product and solution providers. The successful entities will combine the ability to be highly customer-centric, while offering customers a choice in how they wish to buy.