Joey Hemingbrough

Sales & marketing director, SICL

What was your dream career as a child?

To be an actress and get a leading role in Star Wars.

What has been your personal highlight of 2019?

Seeing my sister be nominated for the 2019 Entrepreneur of the Year.

Which famous person deserves a (gentle) slap?

There are too many to list and most are politicians.

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

My Surface Pro and mobile phone.

Which of your 2019 predictions have come to pass?

I don't make predictions.

What TV show have you binge watched this year?

I am currently bingeing on Absolutely Fabulous and Benidorm.

How has 2019 been from a business perspective?

Great - we have grown as a business; what more could I ask for?

What annoys you most about your commute?

Nothing. My commute is my alone thinking time, which is so important to me. It's where I come up with some of my best ideas.

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

Woodstock. I bet it was a great experience and probably the best festival in the history of festivals.

How do you explain the channel to people?

A community of like-minded individuals and businesses working together to provide organisations with transformational IT solutions and services that really do make a difference.

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

I have liked all the destinations I have attended this year; however, the US is a killer for the jet lag.

What is the biggest challenge facing the channel in 2020?

Finding great talent. The skills shortage the channel is currently seeing is not only from a technical perspective, but from all roles in the sector including sales, marketing, finance, product, procurement and management. Finding good people with not only the core and soft skills but knowledge of the sector is becoming increasingly difficult.