Paul Shannon

What has been your personal highlight of 2020?

Liverpool being crowned Premier League Champions after 30 years of waiting.

Which three celebrities would you invite to a Zoom party?

Dave Chappelle - my favourite current comedian; Bill Hicks - my favourite comedian of all time; and Deirdre Rachid - just to add a different angle and possibly some new material for me, Dave, and Bill.

What has been your guiltiest lockdown pleasure?

White wine and quizzes.

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

Lord Sumption. He has had the courage to rubbish everything about the coronavirus actions the government has taken and explain that dying should be our choice and protecting death should not be put above living life.

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

WhatsApp - memes, videos and nonsense chat got me through the darkest days.

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

Boris Johnson - I'd use that week to actually show some solid leadership and make some decisions that aren't pandering and weak.

Do you miss face-to-face events?

I miss face-to-face anything. Sustained, meaningful social interaction is the key differentiator of primates and most other animals, without which we will become more mean-spirited and less generous with our time and love for each other.

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

I'm hopeful that the channel will realise that "solve not sell" is the most important mantra for working with customers. If we help them solve problems we are relevant, if we just sell them what we think they should need then we are moribund.