Helen Slinger

Director, BT Business Direct

Tell us something most people won't know about you

I drove a horse and carriage for weddings when I was younger.

What has been your highlight of 2018 so far?

Seeing our education proposition come together and the real impact that it's having in the classroom.

Who would play you in the film of your life?

Oh that's a tough one. I'll say Audrey Hepburn. She looks and acts nothing like me but I've always admired her and it would be the only time that my mum would approve of my dress sense and style!

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

Cisco Meraki. What it sells could be seen as complex yet the way it has taken it to market really demonstrates the solution in a simplistic yet powerful way.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Handbags and watching trash TV.

What is the most irritating tech buzzphrase of 2018?

It's not strictly a tech buzzphrase but it's got to be ‘Think outside the box' - forget the box, just think.

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

I'd do something to eliminate food poverty. There are four million children living in poverty in the UK, yet so much is wasted by supermarkets alone on a daily basis.

What's the biggest untapped opportunity facing the channel?

The cybersecurity market still has a lot more potential in it.

What is your most treasured possession?

My son, Thom.

What do your family think you do all day?

My son thinks I run the whole of BT and that we have parties in the office all the time.

Who has been your mentor in business?

I've been lucky enough to have a number of mentors in my career but one who stands out is Jamie Ford who I worked with for a number of years.