Mark Johnson
What has been your personal highlight of 2020?
Joining the UK&I team at NTT Ltd. It's fantastic to have the opportunity to join an organisation I admired as one of my channel partners.
Which three celebrities would you invite to a Zoom party?
Heston Blumenthal for the food experience, Freddie Flintoff for the stories and Kylie Minogue for the music.
What has been your guiltiest lockdown pleasure?
Rebalancing the home/work life despite the intensity of Webex video calls, and refinding my love of cycling, being able to get out into the Surrey Hills.
Which tech figurehead has inspired you most this year, and why?
There have been too many true signs of leadership from tech leaders to call anyone out specifically. There have been so many great programmes where companies put their people first during COVID, from flexible working/home-schooling to additional days off and mental health programmes. Overall, I think the tech industry has done a good job of looking after its people.
What piece of technology, or app, have you not been able to do without during the pandemic?
Strava for personal use but the humble laptop for work.
If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do?
Our family dog Coco. She is always happy to see people, eats and sleeps well. I would love to know what goes through her mind and how she is permanently happy.
Do you miss face-to-face events?
Yes, the necessity of face-to-face interaction has never been stronger in building relationships and teaming with customers and partners.
How will COVID leave its mark on the way the channel operates long term?
I believe customer and partner engagement has fundamentally changed, and, hopefully, the interaction has become more personal despite the physical barriers. The need to help customers transform their businesses has never been greater and the necessity of trusted relationships to do this will become greater. I also hope less time travelling to meetings that can be done remotely will bring more balance to our industry.