Alastair Bell

Non-executive chairman, Bell Integration

What was your dream career as a child?

A commercial diver and I was lucky enough to be one for several years.

What has been your personal highlight of 2019?

Seeing the bloody year unfolding was enough! No one could predict that year of ours.

Which famous person deserves a (gentle) slap?

I've been told to keep it short but all the usual suspects.

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

Clash bootleg and the nearest bottle of (decent) wine.

Which of your 2019 predictions have come to pass?

Bell is still profitably growing in all geographies. Also, our new start-up Squalk is signing new clients with unique telco offerings, proving new thinking in established categories still works.

What TV show have you binge watched this year?

Chernobyl and the superb Peaky Blinders with a dash of Fortitude. (Thanks to Singapore Airlines.)

How has 2019 been from a business perspective?

Exceptional - it is great to see growth in our geographies/revenues and our unique offerings.

What annoys you most about your commute?

Nothing - it's 800 yards to the office.

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

29 August 1976: The Sex Pistols, The Clash and Buzzcocks played Screen on the Green, Islington. Music changed away from large venues to dance halls and became immediate.

How do you explain the channel to people?

Layer Cake with more of the good elements and a lot less of the bad.

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

Canalys for all the right reasons as a great partner event; thankfully I blanked out the worst.

What is the biggest challenge facing the channel in 2020?

It is really no different to other years - a level of unique, profitable offerings to customers with a roadmap to deliver on.