Senior vice president, sales, MTI
What achievement are you most proud of?
That depends on who's asking. If it's my wife, it has to be the kids. The boss, building out and continuing to grow MTI. My mates, breaking 80 at The Oxfordshire, earlier in the year.
What has been the biggest change in the channel since you started working in it?
In the early days, it was about product, price and availability. Now the market is saturated with solutions that drive efficiencies. Partners need to be able to differentiate, be proactive and innovative, as they seek new ways in which to help clients utilise technology to underpin business growth and development.
What three things could you not live without?
I would have to say work, downtime and sleep. I genuinely enjoy what I do, I am grateful for what I have and I never take any of it for granted.
What has been your most embarrassing moment so far?
Back in the 1980s/early 90s, it was customary for clients to proudly show suppliers around what was then called the ‘IT room'. Keen to impress, vendors would nod approvingly and admirably at the large racks and shiny boxes. As a young, rookie vendor sales guy, I enthusiastically followed suit, until I was told I was looking at an air conditioning unit and not the latest mainframe.
What do your family think you do all day?
Play golf, fly to exotic locations, eat in expensive restaurants, stay in great hotels and chair powerful meetings in impressive boardrooms. OK, I do play golf, but rarely outside a weekend and the rest of the time I'm generally delayed in dull, faceless European airports, trying to access email. If I'm in the office I grab lunch at my desk; if I'm out and about, lunch is often an over-priced high street coffee chain sandwich, while conducting an account review or planning for my next meeting.
Who is your ultimate celeb crush?
Lucy Verasamy (ITV weather presenter). Marvellous - she could make watching a presentation on quantum physics truly fascinating for me.
What is your guilty pleasure?
A lie in on a Saturday morning, with a slightly fuzzy head, being woken up by the kids and the dog. It's a great way to start the weekend though.
What would be your first act if you were made Prime Minister?
Ban quiche. Why anyone would ever want to eat cold, sweaty, scrambled eggs on a fattening, crumbling base of lard is beyond me.
Has 2015 been a good, bad or ugly year?
It has been challenging. The channel has had a good run over the last 10 years, but now it has to work harder than ever before to create real and lasting value for clients and partners. We must work closely with a variety of key stakeholders across our clients' businesses, to understand their challenges and opportunities. We must ensure that IT is closely aligned to the business, to drive change and achieve competitive advantage through wise investments, which meet immediate requirements and longer term, strategic goals.
If you didn't work in the IT channel, what would you do?
I'd be a sleep deprived, stressed, grumpy alcoholic. Wait, that sounds strangely familiar... I'd have loved to have pursued a career in motor racing or professional golf, but with the latter I'd have had no chance, given I only broke 80 in my forties!
What major issues will the channel face in 2016?
The market is congested with products, services and suppliers and the plethora of choice will impact client decision-making criteria and processes, which in turn could have a knock-on effect to the length of sales cycles. I can see both collaboration and competition ahead. But one thing is for sure in this game, it's never going to be dull.
