Hayley Roberts

Owner/managing director, Distology

Which tech figurehead do you admire the most?

Elon Musk. A daring creative, visionary leader with resolve and imagination who ignites passion and has shown persistence and conviction to overcome whatever difficulties and setbacks he has faced and the courage to create innovative organisations and completely change his industry. Although it might sound crazy, the rocket to New York from London in 25 minutes will probably be reality sooner than we think. I can't wait!

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

There are a good deal of acquisition and consolidation in this industry and as a result of this lines can become blurred with regard product specifics and vendor ‘fit'. This can lead to confusion for end users and the channel. A challenge is not an impossible task, so better education and engagement and clear direction as to how a product and vendor solves problems is one of the ways we can address this. Distology strives to provide due diligence to the channel on new tech and look for collaboration in tech where possible in order to make it easier to interpret where new tech ‘fits' in the market.

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

Henry VIII - I think there was a lot more to this leader than just six wives and beheadings. The power he wielded has got to be slightly admired; William Shakespeare - a genius. We are still fascinated by his works and ability to provoke emotion; Margaret Thatcher - not because of her political persuasion but being one of the first women who did probably one of the most difficult jobs in the world and never quit. All three are recognised for making big changes - I don't remember anyone who just ‘did a good job'.

How has 2017 been for you?

Exciting. Our team is growing very quickly but retaining our hard-working culture. We are evolving into a better business on a daily basis. It has also been a big learning curve (as every year is) due to working closely with our vendors and helping mould them into excellent channel-friendly companies.

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

In our industry, there are invitations galore to luxury events, lunch at the Shard, the most expensive seats at the Grand Prix and so on. However, for me extravagance is not the amount of money spent but the time I allocate, so maybe extending a lunch by ordering a glass of wine with a business acquaintance or an old colleague that is a real treat I allow myself from time to time which is sometimes more expensive than luxury venue.

Which global city best matches your personality?

Manchester - ever positive and always bounces back!

What would be your super-hero power?

The ability to teleport - it would massively help productivity.

Complete this sentence. The worst thing about our rivals is… arrogance - every day should be a school day, it's how we evolve.

What makes you nervous?

Apart from my son driving, the world not moving on and ignorance to issues that we need to address such as healthy eating and waste.

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

Sweet potato fries - bit healthy, bit naughty.

Sum up the channel in three words

Experts, trusted, (sometimes) under-valued.