Dan Scarfe

UK Founder, New Signature

Tell us something most people won't know about you

I was nearly featured on The Apprentice a few years back. Sadly (luckily) they didn't pick me.

What has been your highlight of 2018 so far?

Being a finalist in the Microsoft UK Partner of the Year Awards. Second out of 40,000 partners is none too shabby.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Jesse Eisenberg. A geek done good.

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

Amazon. It truly is the everything store. It's scary how easy it makes it to spend money with it. Luckily there is no ability to see the total amount you've spent. I would probably cry. Its cloud is ok too - nearly as good as Azure.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Ice cream.

What is the most irritating tech buzzphrase of 2018?

‘Multi-cloud'. It's such a simple, throwaway concept that people band about. Very few understand the profound implications and complexity involved with achieving it. It has merit, for some, but the majority of organisations really only need one cloud.

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

To make the country the most entrepreneur-friendly, innovative nation in the world. Reward those who take risks and encourage others to do the same.

What's the biggest untapped opportunity facing the channel?

Helping organisations to go mission-critical in the cloud. This year will be the year it goes from a supporting role to the starring role. To do this, organisations need to build a cloud operating model.

What is your most treasured possession?

My phone. It's never far away.

What do your family think you do all day?

My wife works in IT, so has a reasonable idea. My kids just think I talk on the phone all day. Which is true. Mostly.

Who has been your mentor in business?

My current boss, Paul Cosgrave. I have learned more in the past few years working for him than in the previous 20.