Alicia Shepherd
Sales director, Terra Computer
What was your dream career as a child?
To be an astronaut.
What has been your personal highlight of 2019?
Running my first half marathon in 10 years and coming in with a PB of 1hr 52m.
Which famous person deserves a (gentle) slap?
Laura Kuenssberg - there really is no need to be quite that rude!
What two things (apart from family) would you grab if your house was on fire?
My Terra notebook and my Garmin watch.
Which of your 2019 predictions have come to pass?
I predicted I would run 10 x 10K races in 2019; I will have achieved 12 10K races and two half marathons.
What TV show have you binge watched this year?
Stranger Things - I was a little late to the party but binged all three series. I can't wait for series four.
How has 2019 been from a business perspective?
2019 has been a phenomenal year - we are tracking 40% growth and not to mention the awards we have picked up, including PC Vendor of the Year.
What annoys you most about your commute?
Middle lane hoggers followed closely by people that push in and never say thanks.
If you could witness one past event, what would it be?
The moon landing - did Neil Armstrong really take one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind? I don't want to believe the conspiracy theorists but…
How do you explain the channel to people?
Individuals drinking too much coffee, selling stuff.
What have been your favourite and least favourite partner conference destinations?
Dubai with Samsung in 2004 was amazing and my least favourite was Acer's conference in Paris, which was a sugar and caffeine overload just to work through all the PPT presentations, not to mention the boat trip where everyone was seasick.
What is the biggest challenge facing the channel in 2020?
I see two challenges: talent - finding and keeping good people; and more and more vendors dealing directly with end users, cannibalising reseller margins and new business opportunities.
By the way, Terra doesn't sell direct and will continue to be 100 per cent channel-focused.