Group managing director, DTP Group
What was your dream career as a child?
I was very sporty as a child - cricket and golf in particular - but I must have had the knowledge that I could play at a high level, but just not high enough, so wanted to be a journalist, which considering I am on the scale for dyslexia must have been me setting myself a challenge to overcome.
What has been your personal highlight of 2019
Being part of the IT industry Byte Night charity, a rough sleeping activity where the IT industry comes together to raise money to end youth homelessness, as I find it hard to believe that tonight more than 80,000 young people will be sleeping rough, sofa surfing or in temporary accommodation through no fault of their own.
Which famous person deserves a (gentle) slap?
Maybe a double header here - Boris and Jeremy, bringing both my forehand and backhand into play! Do I need to explain why?
What two things (apart from family) would you grab if your house was on fire?
As long as my laptop is backed up, I don't have a lot of other physical valuables to speak of that I could not lose.
Which of your 2019 predictions have come to pass?
The rise of intelligent spaces/smart buildings; the new Spurs ground and the Ryder Cup venue being two I could mention.
What TV show have you binge watched this year?
I am not typically a binge watcher, and am pretty disciplined (or old fashioned) rationing myself to one a week, but I did enjoy a number of shows including Summer of Rockets, Riviera and of course Game of Thrones.
How has 2019 been from a business perspective?
It has been a good one, but hard work.
What annoys you most about your commute?
That there was not a good coffee shop on it until very recently.
If you could witness one past event, what would it be?
Back to the Boris/Jeremy answer of sorts, and being present to lobby for a two-vote Brexit, a year apart, as we voted on blank page manifestos.
How do you explain the channel to people?
A too price-oriented supermarket for IT - not that that business model does not work!
What have been your favourite and least favourite partner conference destinations?
Being a HP/HPE-only partner, it has been a choice of two this year, Houston and Vegas, with Vegas winning out slightly as we went a day early and caught Tyson Fury's first Vegas fight - all four minutes of it.
What is the biggest challenge facing the channel in 2020?
Staying relevant as the pace of change is only getting faster as clients leverage the power of IT to transform their businesses, but also the channel not eating its own dog food in many cases, such as MPS industry which is ripe for Uberisation
