Jenny Hicks
What has been your personal highlight of 2020?
I have been lucky enough to have an exciting project throughout, designing our new technology experience centre at Innovation House in Bracknell. The 4,500 sq ft provides nine application-themed zones, over 150 Midwich Group sold products, a home cinema room, film studio, control room and multiple examples of education, meeting space and workplace technologies.
Which three celebrities would you invite to a Zoom party?
James Corden, Tristan Harris, Charlotte Dujardin.
What has been your guiltiest lockdown pleasure?
The TikTok app.
Which tech figurehead has inspired you most this year, and why?
Tristan Harris - to promote his work and fears via the Netflix show and bring awareness to the infinite possibilities both good and bad.
What piece of technology, or app, have you not been able to do without during the pandemic?
Krisp.ai - offers noise cancellation of background disturbances for video calls.
If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do?
Jessica Meir (astronaut on the first all-female spacewalk) - I would collect a handful of the surface from the moon (moon dust) to bring back for my son.
Do you miss face-to-face events?
Yes, particularly conferences. The learning experiences at virtual events cannot compare to the immersive experience of a great in-person conference.
How will COVID leave its mark on the way the channel operates long term?
COVID has accelerated user adoption of workplace technologies, video communication, data collection and analysis activity-based (including remote) working. Channel providers will find interest in the latest solutions will increase and that the user is far better informed about their requirements.
A-list
More on People
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
North hires former Allvotec boss Comerford as new COO
Latest addition to the executive board previously worked with CEO Williams at Damovo
Bezos hands Amazon crown to cloud boss Jassy
AWS chief will take on the Amazon CEO mantle when founder steps into executive chairman position in Q3
Trend Micro appoints Baker as UK boss
Former sales director tells CRN what partners can expect from the cybersecurity vendor under his leadership
More news
Sapphire Systems snaps up SAP specialist
Services provider achieves hat trick of acquisitions three months into 2021
Vendors could start assessing partners based on their sustainability credentials, channel warned
"I think it will get to the stage where partners will probably be assessed on whether they are conforming to the social principles some of the vendors are pushing. We're not there yet, but I think it's coming," says channel veteran Phil Clark
Zoom rings in record year for revenue growth
Video platform vendor finishes strong year with a record haul in its fourth quarter
'I feel like we're only just getting started' - Distology lands private equity backing
Investment will be put towards breaking into new countries through M&A and expanding leadership team, CEO and founder Hayley Roberts tells CRN
