Neil Sawyer

Channel director, HP

What was your dream career as a child?

To become a long-haul pilot for BA.

What has been your personal highlight of 2019?

Seeing my eldest entering her first year at school and hopefully moving to a new house by the time this is published.

Which famous person deserves a (gentle) slap?

I would avoid the slap but definitely would love to have a word with a few of our politicians right now!

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

Funnily enough, I had to think about this for real a few months back! My children's cuddly toys always buy some favour in a tricky situation.

Which of your 2019 predictions have come to pass?

Those partners who have continued to reinvent have continued to prosper.

What TV show have you binge watched this year?

Peaky Blinders.

How has 2019 been from a business perspective?

Despite some macro-economic turbulence, another year of growth and development. Our MPS partners have delivered amazing results along with our end user compute channel. We have delivered on all our goals.

What annoys you most about your commute?

Late trains.

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

The Wright Brothers flying a plane for the first time in 1903.

How do you explain the channel to people?

The best time with the best group of friends you could possibly imagine.

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

Las Vegas is always good fun. But there must be other places in the world we should see!

What is the biggest challenge facing the channel in 2020?

Managing customer expectations through the choppy waters of Brexit.