Helen Hall

What has been your personal highlight of 2020?

Following great success in the business I purchased my dream car: a brand-new Aston Martin DBS Superleggera Volante in September - pure joy!

Which three celebrities would you invite to a Zoom party?

Tom Hardy, Cillian Murphy and Bradley Cooper, no explanations needed!

What has been your guiltiest lockdown pleasure?

Playing with my daughter, throwing biscuits down from the window while she's been out playing in the garden and hoping Daddy didn't notice.

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

Cindy Rose OBE, president of Microsoft UK. Her history in media and comms around the convergence of these into the user's experience has been a great example of vision for the industry.

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

My iPad, as the ability to do everything all the time quickly has been a godsend. There is no messing with selecting the right audio or drivers, it just works. The camera even seems to know how to light my best side for all those videoconferences.

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

The famous F1 driver from the 70s, James Hunt, probably during the Hesketh years. The phrase "work hard, play hard" could have been invented for him. When you live with the risks the drivers did back then you realise that you need to make it happen now.

Do you miss face-to-face events?

No, I like to meet on a more personal level. I'm missing more the meetings with our customers face to face; we always produce so much in a live environment and I can't wait to get back out there.

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

What does not kill you makes you stronger. Watching my team continue to work at the same speed from home has been a source of real pride. It's not just the tools, it's the commitment I have seen.