Graeme Watt

Chief executive, Softcat
What was your dream career as a child?
I wanted to be a vet - a modern-day James Herriot.
What has been your personal highlight of 2019?
Our eldest daughter, Alice, graduating in medicine and now embarking on her two years as a junior doctor.
Which famous person deserves a (gentle) slap?
Chris Froome - don't take your hands off your handlebars when riding at over 50km per hour. It's very dangerous.
What two things (apart from family) would you grab if your house was on fire?
That's a tough one - our dog and my bicycle.
Which of your 2019 predictions have come to pass?
Brexit will have limited impact on our business, that a no-deal Brexit is the most likely scenario and Liverpool to win the Champions League.
What TV show have you binge watched this year?
Man in the High Castle.
How has 2019 been from a business perspective?
It's been phenomenal - I work with some great people in a fantastic company and environment at Softcat.
What annoys you most about your commute?
The unpredictable home leg of my commute to Marlow from SW London.
If you could witness one past event, what would it be?
Waterloo - I went there in 2015 on the 200-year anniversary of the battle and was fascinated about the way the battle ebbed and flowed, the etiquette of fighting at that time and how many people took credit for what took place.
How do you explain the channel to people?
It's not easy, but we work with business consumers of infrastructure technology to deliver their needs and simplify the design, deployment and pricing as a minimum.
What have been your favourite and least favourite partner conference destinations?
I have really only been to Las Vegas this year for conferences, so there is your answer to both questions!
What is the biggest challenge facing the channel in 2020?
Finding new talent to expand, moving the needle on gender diversity and just keeping up with demand driven by further moves to the cloud and 5G.
More on People
Former ScanSource Europe boss takes exec job at competitor BlueStar
Maurice van Rijn appointed VP of business development at fellow US distributor
'This crisis has given us the opportunity to build a better normal' - Tech Talent Charter CEO
Debbie Forster talks to CRN about expanding beyond gender diversity and how the pandemic has given companies tools to create more inclusive working environments
K3 on the hunt for new CEO
Adalsteinn Valdimarsson departs after five years with the cloud services provider
RM CFO takes on chief exec mantle
Neil Martin to take over form long-standing incumbent David Brooks
Kaspersky picks former Symantec exec as new UK boss
Cybersecurity vendor appoints Christopher Hurst as new general manager of UK and Ireland
More news
Computacenter acquires IT logistics firm in Germany
MD Reiner Louis tells CPI the buy is to strengthen the reseller's ability to service customers in the west of the country
Microsoft in advanced talks to acquire AI vendor Nuance - reports
The deal is estimated to be valued at around $16bn
Former ScanSource Europe boss takes exec job at competitor BlueStar
Maurice van Rijn appointed VP of business development at fellow US distributor
CCL Computers snapped up to create £125m business
West Yorkshire PC builder acquired in £11.25m private equity-backed deal