Ian Kilpatrick

Chairman, Wick Hill; Head of cyber security, Nuvias

What is your greatest career move to date?

That's an easy one: moving from a fortune 50 company into Wick Hill. That's kept me happy for a long time.

What is top of your bucket list?

Skiing a black run with my daughter when she's old enough to do so.

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

A much better recognition by vendors that the channel is crucial to success. In the past many vendors thought that a messy hybrid approach, using the channel only when it suited them, was the way to do business. It's much more professional now. That's certainly not to say that it's perfect - new VC startups often need some assistance in writing their business models.

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

It's still at the minimum two years away so that's long a way off; when it happens it will be a challenge and an opportunity. I think it presents a big opportunity. However, in security there are many more opportunities, as well as some challenges, that are much more relevant and pressing and I think that our channel partners will continue with the success and growth that has characterised recent years for them. Ask me the question in three years' time.

What is your least favourite task during the working day? Anything that is a distraction from focusing on growing the business for us and our partners. For instance, wasting time on negative issues.

If you were an animal, what would you be?

Anything that I would want to be also turns out to be an endangered species so I'll stick with who I am, thanks.

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

Sign up to be blasted into space. That would be a great experience for me, and would make lots of other people very happy too.

What is your worst habit?

Impatience.

How has 2016 been for you?

Absolutely great. Thanks to our partners our business grew by well over 30 per cent and we did the deal with Nuvias, which significantly expands our business horizons. And for the first time in all my years in security, business boards have finally recognised that security is a business risk, that they need to understand and protect against the same way as they do against other risks.

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

Running and driving in a successful motor racing business, or anything else competitive. Running a business is a competition; being the best is the measure of success. I enjoy winning.

What major issues will the channel face in 2017?

I'm not qualified to comment on the whole channel, but I do have some knowledge of security. The challenge for the security channel in 2017, in addition to that of managing strong growth, will be maintaining its status as trusted advisor in delivering and supporting solutions to some of the new threats. Alongside that, with
security now an important board discussion topic, dealing with the changed approach that requires.