Howard Hall

Group managing director, DTP Group

Tell us something most people won't know about you

I am a pretty good sports masseuse, specialising in shoulders and backs, and also not a bad reflexologist as well.

What has been your highlight of 2018 so far?

Delivering 29 per cent growth in our FY. I'm very proud of the team, and it just goes to show that a solid, well-executed strategy will deliver even in very competitive times.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Probably some Z-list faded celebrity, due to the unattractiveness of the role and the low budget that a straight to YouTube film script could attract.

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

HPE (just ahead of HP Inc), as you have to admire such a ballsy strategy over the last few years - the right one in my opinion - and one that is delivering as well as leading the sector.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Sadly I seem to have become a NZ Sauvignon Blancaholic, as you cannot beat a nice chilled glass after a long day at work or play. Funnily, the fridge and wine rack are full of other alcoholic temptations, which are totally ignored, but a good bottle of Sav Blanc will soon be rapidly finished off. Which probably means a party at mine to clear space in the fridge.

What is the most irritating tech buzzphrase of 2018?

I am getting too old to care, to be honest.

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

I would allow university graduates to offset and pay off their course fee debt against future income tax owed in the years following graduation.

What's the biggest untapped opportunity facing the channel?

Learning how to create and sell around real business outcomes driven by technology.

What is your most treasured possession?

I am not one for material things, to be honest, but it is nice to keep a relatively full head of hair in a very fast-moving and stressful industry. Long may that last - the hair and the fast-moving industry.

What do your family think you do all day?

Not sure about all day, but the international business trips to establish our subsidiaries in markets such as the US have been known to be called ‘holidays', although I cannot see how a three-day trip to West Coast US can be seen as anything else other than a business travel version of ‘Tough Mudder'.

Who has been your mentor in business?

My father, who decided he was coming to work for me more than 20 years ago, and is still contributing to DTP growth in his early 80s