Andrew Carr

Managing director, Trustmarque Technology Solutions

Which tech figurehead do you admire the most?

Lou Gerstner, former CEO and chairman at IBM. He managed to turn around IBM in the late 1990s and early 2000s with passion and momentum, by recognising that culture and people drive change, regardless of the size of company, and the technology then follows. The title of his book sums it up nicely: Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?

What's the biggest challenge facing the industry no-one is talking about yet?

Sales enablement: why? As we know people buy from people and we are moving into a world of more complex solutions that encompass ecosystems of capability and not commoditised products with defined functionality. For example, what is and how do you sell the Internet of Things? We need to invest in enabling our frontline resources to have the requisite skills and knowledge to support our customers' demands during this transitional period.

If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they be?

Brian Clough, Arnold Palmer and Sir Alex Ferguson.

How has 2017 been for you?

2017 has been a good year, bringing plenty of excitement, change and opportunity, which we should reap the rewards from in 2018.

What's the most extravagant business lunch you've ever had?

I am not one for extravagance. Nothing beats a good solid ham and cheese sandwich smothered in salad cream.

Which global city best matches your personality?

Nottingham: "Born and bred, me duck."

What would be your super-hero power?

I always wanted to be able to fly.

Complete this sentence. The worst thing about our rivals is… I am not one to disparage our rivals; however, the industry generally tends to set unrealistic expectations through the powerful marketing machine for new technologies which the channel then has to convert into realism.

What makes you nervous?

Birds flying around me.

If you could eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Sausages.

Sum up the channel in three words

Dynamic, transitioning, chaotic.

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