Dan Scarfe

What has been your personal highlight of 2020?

Moving to Canada. The height of a global pandemic seemed an excellent time to emigrate. It has certainly been quite the adventure so far.

Which three celebrities would you invite to a Zoom party?

Elon Musk, Richard Branson and Jack Dorsey. I would insist on using Teams though, naturally.

What has been your guiltiest lockdown pleasure?

Online shopping. You know you've developed a problem when a package gets delivered to you and you have no idea what it is so you get a fun surprise when you open it up!

Which tech figurehead has inspired you most this year, and why?

Satya Nadella, of course. I love how Microsoft is now framing everything in terms of what the company's purpose as an organisation is.

The commitments to carbon and water neutrality and then reclamation are simply awe inspiring and hopefully will encourage lots of other businesses to do so as well.

What piece of technology, or app, have you not been able to do without during the pandemic?

Teams. My new OS.

If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do?

Donald Trump. I would withdraw from the election race immediately. The world needs some good news right now.

Do you miss face-to-face events?

Yes. That has been the hardest. Virtual conferences and meetings are nowhere near the same experience as in person. That can never be replaced.

How will COVID leave its mark on the way the channel operates long term?

COVID will leave its mark everywhere. It will never be the same again. Hybrid working is the new normal and the channel needs to understand how to best support that.