Ben Marnham

Chief executive, Timico Technology Group

What is your greatest career move to date?

Joining Timico Technology Group.

What is top of your bucket list?

Competing in the Le Mans 24-hour race.

What has changed most since you started working in the channel?

Most forward-looking partners are moving to a managed services model because their customers are demanding it and good-quality cloud services have evolved rapidly. The convergence of telecoms and IT is never more apparent than today. It's an exciting time to be able to offer all of these core services to our partners.

How do you think Brexit is going to affect the channel?

I don't see much impact in the short term. The UK market is highly competitive with many small- and medium-sized businesses competing hard for customers. That's a key strength because it encourages innovation and growth among UK businesses.

What is your least favourite task during the working day?

Answering emails.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

A honey badger. Just because.

If you won the big one on EuroMillions, what would you do?

I'd invest it.

What is your worst habit?

Answering emails.

How has 2016 been for you?

Fantastic. Joining Timico Technology Group has given me an opportunity to really make a difference.

If you didn't work in the IT channel, what would be your dream career?

An off-piste ski guide.

What major issues will the channel face in 2017?

The increased market share of large global suppliers offering cloud services direct to customers potentially cutting out the channel's value. The channel will need to work hard to identify its core strengths and provide managed services that customers need and are broad enough to make it difficult to switch providers because their added value is so clear.