James Chadwick

What has been your personal highlight of 2020?
It has to be watching Microsoft and our partners come together during COVID-19, to provide critical services to support our national infrastructure and empower front-line workers to deliver incredible and brave achievements. From clinicians using HoloLens devices to continue critical care in hospitals and keep staff safe, to our involvement in VentilatorChallengeUK, it has been amazing to see how technology has helped at such a significant time.
Which three celebrities would you invite to a Zoom party?
Well it would be Teams… and it would be Boris Johnson, Donald Trump and Jacinda Ardern. I would want to discuss how they have managed the role of running a country during a crisis. I think we would receive quite the mix of responses and approaches!
What has been your guiltiest lockdown pleasure?
It was a lockdown rite of passage to indulge in a Netflix bingeworthy series, like Tiger King. Personally, I spent a lot of time educating myself on the US property market through Selling Sunset!
Which tech figurehead has inspired you most this year, and why?
Satya Nadella, our CEO. His approach to prioritising skills as a core business priority should be observed by companies of all sizes. He is focused on how Microsoft can help individuals get the skills needed to succeed in technology-based roles and helping to employers find the talent required to ensure business success and UK prosperity.
In response to this we have just announced a five-year campaign to help 1.5 million people build careers in technology and help 300,000 connect to tech job opportunities.
What piece of technology, or app, have you not been able to do without during the pandemic?
Teams and Teams backgrounds. It's enabled us keep our business and our customers connected through the pandemic and having the ability to change and blur backgrounds means that you can work from virtually anywhere.
If you could be anyone else for a week, who would you be and what would you do?
I would be Bear Grylls and take the opportunity to get away from the lockdown day to day and be at one with nature. I think a week would be more than enough though.
Do you miss face-to-face events?
I do, but it has been great to see how events have adapted following the pandemic. Inspire, our annual partner conference, was fully virtual and fantastic this year. We had more than 7,000 partners from the UK join.
I never thought I would miss Vegas but I did miss the informal connections and opportunities to catch up with partners, friends and colleagues.
How will COVID leave its mark on the way the channel operates long term?
We must learn from this new way of working and find our equilibrium. I envisage that there will be a lot less travel but hope that in turn this will create more meaningful in-person connections.
The channel has certainly faced unprecedented challenges following COVID-19, as every industry has. Businesses now have an opportunity to focus on making quick and easy changes with talent, future readiness and technology, to remain competitive and ensure sustainable growth into the future.
A-list
More on People
VMware's Gelsinger takes top job at Intel
Virtualisation vendor's leader will return to old stomping ground when current CEO Bob Swan departs next month
9 channel stalwarts reveal their 2021 predictions
We asked a number of channel veterans to sum up what they believe this year has in store for the tech sector
New North CEO Williams open up on plans to scale through M&A and becoming the UK's 'de facto' IoT player
The channel stalwart opens up to CRN about M&A plans, heading the new entity and what attracted him to his new role
Five hiring trends that will shape the next 12 months
Recruitment guru Marc Sumner picks out the five key trends that hiring bosses should be aware of in the coming year
Wick Hill founder departs Nuvias and sets up STEM not-for-profit business
Ian Kilpatrick’s new venture is designed to encourage children into STEM subjects at an early age
More news
Why threat actors are targeting the channel
The recent attack on Exclusive Networks is only the latest in a series which has seen cybersecurity vendors, distributors and MSPs suffer breaches to their systems. CRN asks why the channel is seeing itself become a popular target for cybercriminals
Five resellers secure places on £150m Welsh IT framework
Contract covers IT hardware to larger customer organisations
4 key challenges facing Gelsinger as Intel's new CEO
The VMware boss is joining the chipmaker as it finds itself adrift and losing market share to rivals. CRN considers why he might be the best person to steer the company through its troubled waters
European IT channel on track for record breaking year in 2021, claims analyst
Market analyst Context says European IT channel now on track to break first ever €100bn-revenue year in 2021, despite pandemic pressures