Lorraine Gray

Director, Pursuit Marketing

Tell us something most people won't know about you

I acquired Jon Bon Jovi's left shoe, when it fell in to the crowd during an acoustic set at his concert in Glasgow in 1996.

What has been your highlight of 2018 so far?

Escaping the Scottish climate to open our office in Malaga.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Melissa McCarthy.

Which tech firm (other than your own!) do you most admire?

Google - I'm always excited to follow its journey, and continued technology innovation. We are also very similar culturally (albeit, with Pursuit on a much smaller scale!)

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Peter Andre - need I say more?

What is the most irritating tech buzzphrase of 2018?

‘Chatbots' - this continues to be introduced as ‘new technology'; however Microsoft's animated paperclip helper was introduced in 1999. While the latest developments are more intuitive and impressive, I'd be disappointed if the technology hadn't progressed in the last 20 years.

What would be your first act if you were made Prime Minister?

More effective use of government-funded nursery and childcare services. Currently, all three- to four-year-olds are entitled to free childcare, irrespective of the parents' employment. I believe this free childcare should only be available to parents in employment. This would ensure parents are encouraged and supported to continue employment by securing childcare with their preferred, local provider, and not be in a position where the cost of childcare impacts their net earnings and financial wellbeing.

What's the biggest untapped opportunity facing the channel?

VR/AR technology. When I attended the Microsoft World Partner Conference in 2016, the thought leadership around HoloLens was one of my key takeaways, and I expected there to be more developments with this technology. There is an opportunity for the channel to productise VR/AR technology for a diverse range of sectors including education, manufacturing and retail.

What is your most treasured possession?

My rings - on the left hand they symbolise my marriage and family, and on the right hand I have a ring that belonged to my sister who passed away suddenly in 2016.

What do your family think you do all day?

"Something with computers," and managing a fast-growing team.

Who has been your mentor in business?

I have had the privilege of working with many successful business leaders and it would be hard to pinpoint one individual who has mentored me. However, I believe my work ethic has been fundamental to my career development, and this was derived from my dad. My dad (now retired) has always reinforced the importance of being punctual, reliable and committed… and working hard to achieve what you want in life. I hope I can pass these attributes on to my son.