Laura Bouchard

Central government director, Microsoft UK
What has been your highlight of 2018 so far?
I got married.
Who would play you in the film of your life?
Haha, I am obsessively tidy and there's a hidden fat girl inside me so it would have to be Courteney Cox (aka Monica from Friends).
Which tech firm (other than your own!) do you most admire?
I am a big advocate for diversity and inclusion so I was really impressed with PWC's ‘flexible talent' initiative, which allows people to apply for jobs, stating their skills and availability, then matches the recruits to relevant projects on which they can work shorter weeks or work for only a few months a year. Also I loved Accenture's #InclusionStartsWithI campaign.
What is your guiltiest pleasure?
Box sets - I can't get enough of crime thrillers like Dexter and Line of Duty.
What is the most irritating tech buzzphrase of 2018?
To be honest, I find corporate jargon the worst, particularly ‘level set' and ‘reach out'.
What would be your first act if you were made Prime Minister?
Gosh, I have a very long list including reforming tuition fees, boosting healthcare spending and investing in renewable energy, but a priority would be to have proportional representation in Parliament.
What's the biggest untapped opportunity facing the channel?
AI. Today there is an AI use-case in every organisation in the UK. There are many flavours of AI; we have deep scientific research and robotics, which get a lot of press coverage. Then simpler pre-built platforms and APIs such as cognitive services through to the AI-infused tools I use daily, such as Teams. So help organisations understand what AI actually is, synthesise the complex, land the first workload, make it useable and cement yourself as a forward-looking, innovative partner.
What is your most treasured possession?
My family.
What do your family think you do all day?
My girls think I play MineCraft.
Who has been your mentor in business?
I have been fortunate to have so many amazing mentors but I have to call out Clare Barclay as an utter legend who inspires me to be brave and try new things and is always so supportive.
More on People
9 channel stalwarts reveal their 2021 predictions
We asked a number of channel veterans to sum up what they believe this year has in store for the tech sector
New North CEO Williams open up on plans to scale through M&A and becoming the UK's 'de facto' IoT player
The channel stalwart opens up to CRN about M&A plans, heading the new entity and what attracted him to his new role
Five hiring trends that will shape the next 12 months
Recruitment guru Marc Sumner picks out the five key trends that hiring bosses should be aware of in the coming year
Wick Hill founder departs Nuvias and sets up STEM not-for-profit business
Ian Kilpatrick’s new venture is designed to encourage children into STEM subjects at an early age
'Recruitment changes that would have taken years took days'
Channel Recruitment guru Marc Sumner looks back at the challenges the IT channel has had to face in the face of the pandemic
More news
9 channel stalwarts reveal their 2021 predictions
We asked a number of channel veterans to sum up what they believe this year has in store for the tech sector
Atos makes $10bn offer for DXC
French services heavyweight reportedly eyeing up US competitor
Babble CEO: 'I expect us to do 10 acquisitions this year'
CEO of unified comms VAR opens up on hitting £100m, redesigning a new corporate office for post-COVID business and private equity interest in his space
Nearly a third of IT professionals want a career change, research finds
Employer behaviour, work-life balance and re-evaluated priorities are driving factors behind new job searches, according to Reed