Mark Ash

Chief sales & marketing officer, Altodigital

What was your dream career as a child?

Either to be a rock star or play for Man Utd. Sadly, I'm tone deaf and have two left feet - not that that would be a problem this season!

What has been your personal highlight of 2019?

Seeing the team embrace cross-selling and making telco and AV part of our managed service offering.

Which famous person deserves a (gentle) slap?

Donald Trump. He is a bully and is undoing all of the good that his predecessor did.

What two things (apart from family) would you grab if your house was on fire?

That's easy - my two road bikes. Without them, life wouldn't be worth living!

Which of your 2019 predictions have come to pass?

Predictions are for gamblers and pundits, who invariably call them wrong. I prefer a growth mindset and play the cards that are in front of me.

What TV show have you binge watched this year?

It's a toss up between Stranger Things, Altered Carbon and The Punisher. Netflix rocks!

How has 2019 been from a business perspective?

It has been an interesting year where we put in place the foundations to grow our business rapidly. This always takes time and progress isn't as visible/satisfying as ‘above ground work'; however, it's a necessary part of the journey.

What annoys you most about your commute?

Don't get me started - read Sara Yirrell's book! This one is easy - when my rail provider replaces my train with one with no tables, seat back trays, power or café car, thus rendering working nigh-on impossible.

If you could witness one past event, what would it be?

England winning the World Cup. It's an event that is ingrained on the psyche of our nation and thus far a once in a lifetime event!

How do you explain the channel to people?

It's where distribution sells to and end users buy from, when manufacturers do not sell direct.

What have been your favourite and least favourite partner conference destinations?

Monaco is always a great partner conference and somewhere that has a sense of occasion, whereas any of the print shows in Germany/Netherlands outside of the big cities are typically hard to deliver a good partner conference.

What is the biggest challenge facing the channel in 2020?

Brexit.