Sales and marketing director, Trustmarque
What is your greatest career move to date?
Walking away from my education as a biologist and ‘falling into' the IT industry - the rest, as they say, is history.
What is top of your bucket list?
To own or part-own a football team, preferably my home team Watford.
What has changed most since you started working in the channel?
The obvious change is it is so much tougher to make money. Every deal is hard work - even the term bluebird has become extinct. It was never easy but a combination of more knowledgeable customers, more and smarter competitors chasing the same prize and a transforming landscape has meant you have to be top of your game to survive.
How do you think Brexit is going to affect the channel?
No doubt it will impact channel businesses with international operations. Trustmarque is very much a domestic player with most of our business in the UK public sector, so I think the impact on our business will be minimal.
What is your least favourite task during the working day?
Anything to do with email, management-by-spreadsheet or meaningless meetings - my passion is people so I'm at home when I'm with my team, customers or partners. I always learn something new when I spend time with another human being.
If you were an animal, what would you be?
I'd say something like an excitable labrador! Enthusiastic, full of energy, loves humans and never stops eating...
If you won the big one on EuroMillions, what would you do?
I'll confess to liking the nicer things in life, so I'd be one of those big spenders: a yacht, private island, Lamborghini and so on. I've been unfortunate enough to lose a couple of friends this year who passed away way too early and that's taught me to enjoy life every day.
What is your worst habit?
Thinking I have all the answers.
How has 2016 been for you?
A tough but satisfying year. Tough because most of the first half of the year was consumed with our sale process to Capita. Satisfying because we have put the Trustmarque team through the mill over the past seven years - an MBO, two trade sales and a merger and we have finally found a stable and permanent home for the Trustmarque family.
If you didn't work in the IT channel, what would be your dream career?
I'd love to own a football team (see my bucket list). Failing that I can always fall back on my scientific skills - maybe I could be the next Darwin!
What major issues will the channel face in 2017?
We will see the lines between distribution, reseller and system integrators continue to blur at a pace. New emerging competitors (never before considered) and customer demands will drive the need for new operating models and new ways of thinking. Taking the ‘safe' option or maintaining a status quo is no longer good enough.
