Andy Corcoran

UK&I GM partner and commercial sales, VMWare

What's the most surprising lesson 2024 has taught you so far?

Taking a breath and trying to disassociate yourself from the noise will really help in the long run with your mental strength

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?

Alan Turing every day of the week. What a hero. Whilst his exploits in modern computing are well understood; be it cracking the Enigma code or theorising on AI way ahead of time, he also nearly got into the British Olympics running team, and he had a surprising habit of chaining his favourite mug to a radiator to ensure his coworkers wouldn't use it. I think exploring the fine line between genius and madness to be pretty interesting .

Which tech or channel figurehead has impressed you the most this year, and why?

I like to follow Jensen Huang. He has a great ability to translate the complex into laymans for those of us that are interested in all things AI but might not have the intellectual horsepower to understand it all.

What technology trend do you think is being overhyped, and why?

Difficult not to put AI in this bracket. There are huge benefits to be relaised from embracing AI but a perspective on the ethical implications is imperative. I don't necessarily think the impact is overhyped, but understanding how easy it is to deploy AI to serve either your business or your customers requires some partner expertise.

If you were stranded on a deserted island but could have one piece of tech with you, what would it be?

Well, it is difficult not to say a satellite phone to be honest. Then you wouldn't be stranded!

What's your go-to productivity hack that keeps you on track during a busy day?

The pomodoro technique for time management is key for me especially as I find myself working from home a lot more.

If you had the time to learn one new skill, what would it be?

Has to be learning a new language. We have the luxury of speaking one of the world's most spoken languages, but the ability to talk to somebody in their native tongue develops a much better connection. My French GCSE just doesn't cut it.