Peter Cunningham

SVP Northern Europe, NTT Com Security

What achievement are you most proud of?

Building and managing high-performance global teams from a variety of cultures and backgrounds in IT, and helping companies understand how they can use security as a business enabler. Taking high technology companies from small beginnings to global adoption.

What has been the biggest change in the channel since you started working in it?

Recognising the channel will not survive if it just continues to resell products on a pass-through basis. Companies need to offer value-added services and the biggest change has been the channel's transition to become a trusted advisor and business enabler as opposed to merely pushing kit.

What three things could you not live without?

Google Maps and my little black book of contacts because my role requires me to travel and meet people across Northern Europe. My third thing would be a good book for when there is time to unwind.

What has been your most embarrassing moment so far?

Answering some of these questions! What do your family think you do all day? Develop people and change businesses for the better.

Who is your ultimate celeb crush?

Emma Thompson - she is intelligent, would have lots of great anecdotes about all the people she has worked with and would always bring a smile to my face.

What is your guilty pleasure?

People watching.

What would be your first act if you were made Prime Minister?

Ban the selfie!

Has 2015 been a good, bad or ugly year?

2015 is my first year at NTT Com Security, so it has been good for me! I am responsible for leading the continued growth of the company in the UK, Nordics and Benelux, and it's a pleasure working with talented people at a company with great heritage and commitment to helping businesses take IT security and risk management more seriously.

If you didn't work in the IT channel, what would you do?

Be a pilot.

What major issues will the channel face in 2016?

There is still a way to go in increasing the industry's awareness of information security. Many organisations don't see poor data security as a serious risk to the business. The channel will therefore need to educate businesses about the wider implications of data breaches and persuade them that data security should be an essential part of every company's overall risk posture.