What has been your personal highlight of 2020?
Like the majority of us, unexpected holiday cancellations meant a change of plan so my energies were diverted to home improvement - garden improvement, to be exact. After much hard graft and blisters, we now have the most amazing outdoor kitchen complete with a fabulous pizza oven. Roll on next summer.
Which three celebrities would you invite to a Zoom party?
Michael McIntyre would be invited because he makes me laugh and let's face it, we all have a man-drawer. I'm officially Rita Ora's biggest fan (much to my wife's disgust) so without her there would be no party! And third, a bit of a stretch on the celebrity angle, but perhaps Boris Johnson could attend to make sure we're actually sticking to the social distancing rules (if he actually knew what they are)...
What has been your guiltiest lockdown pleasure?
Watching Escape to the Chateau, a TV series which follows the highs and lows of Dick and Angel Strawbridge, who bought and renovated a really old, run-down chateau in France. Who do you think inspired me to build an outdoor kitchen? Next stop: a chateau in France!
Which tech figurehead has inspired you most this year, and why?
Elon Musk - I love how he's driving and reinventing the industries he plays in. He's somewhat controversial, but hey, he's interesting! He would make a great Bond villain. All that's missing is a white cat.
What piece of technology, or app, have you not been able to do without during the pandemic?
Without a doubt RingCentral has proved invaluable - video, messaging, phone calls - everything is covered. It made our transition to working from home almost seamless. Oh, and I couldn't have made it through lockdown without the JustEat app… Takeaway anyone?
If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do?
I'd love to be in Stefano Domenicali's shoes for a week. As the new boss of Formula 1, I'd overturn all the rules that have stifled innovation and removed technological advances. The new rules and regulations have turned a once exciting sport into a very dull traffic jam for two hours. It needs to change.
Do you miss face-to-face events?
I miss the social element of getting together with colleagues and partners because that's hard to replicate via video but from a get-stuff-done perspective, I think most of us probably wasted lots of travel time attending events that, in hindsight, could have been done remotely.
How will COVID leave its mark on the way the channel operates long term?
The channel ecosystem is one that's always been full-on in terms of energy, buzz and noise. There's definitely less chat these days - conversations have become more focused with defined business outcomes and actions. This can only be positive as it will drive productivity, efficiency and ultimately growth. Who doesn't want that?
