A LIST 2018

MEET SOME OF THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS THAT MAKE UP THE CHANNEL ELITE

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Welcome to the CRN A-List 2018 CONTENTS Hello and welcome to the CRN A-List 2018. temptation of nominating their own boss – or We’ve been producing this supplement since in the case of one A-lister, themselves – as their A 3 2005, and this year we completely shook up tech hero! what we asked the 119 executives featured. I must stress, as ever, that this is not a B 4 If you’ve ever wondered what super-hero defi nitive list.  e CRN A-List is by invitation C 9 power Softcat’s Martin Hellawell wishes he only and selected by the editorial team, and D 14 possessed, which three famous people Insight’s there will be some big hitters that were not F 19 Emma de Sousa would like to invite to dinner, approached, accidentally or through ignorance. G 21 or which tech fi gurehead Westcoast’s Joe But if you know of anyone that you feel we may Hemani most admires, read on. have overlooked, please get in touch and we can H 23  e idea behind the CRN A-List is to give aim to rectify this for next year. J 32 some of the channel’s top names a chance to A big thank-you – and congratulations – to K 33 show their playful side, although as ever we all of those who feature in this year’s CRN A-List L 36 have also thrown in some more sober, business- and happy reading. M 39 related questions too. Doug Woodburn, editor N 45  e most common response we got when emailing out the questions this year was “oh, O 46 these are tougher than last year”, and we P 47 hope you enjoy reading some of our A-listers’ R 49 thoughtful and thought-provoking answers. S 51 From the reseller boss who has sampled T 58 a kobe beef burger wrapped in gold leaf and topped with caviar, to the vendor exec who V 59 shared a poisonous Fugu fi sh with the president W 60 of Sony, our CRN A-list respondents have Y 62 certainly enjoyed some interesting business Company index 64 lunches, judging from the responses. And hats off to those who resisted the

Incisive Media, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR Tel: (020) 7484 9000 Editor Doug Woodburn (020) 7484 9817 Deputy editor Trevor Treharne 9734 Reporter Tom Wright 9797 Channelnomics.eu Senior reporter Josh Budd 9854 Reporter Nima Green 9781 Senior production editor Amy Micklewright Production executive Hyrie Mehmet 9779 Commercial director Matt Dalton 9896 Head of global sales Nina Patel 9943 Client manager Naomi Cregan 9959 Account director Jessica Feldman 9839 Group publishing director Alan Loader Managing director, Incisive Business Jonathon Whiteley Circulation, back issues & licensing Address changes, circulation, subscriptions and back issues 0845 1551846, email [email protected]. To subscribe to CRN visit: www.wdis.co.uk/crn CRN is available for international licensing. Contact [email protected] CRN is published monthly by Incisive Media, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR. © 2017 Incisive Media Ltd

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If you could eat one type of food for business lunch you’ve ever had? A the rest of your life, what would it Silver service with our most important be? Mexican – Wahacca. customers in the executive boardroom Sum up the channel in three words dining suite on the 37th fl oor at Samsung Vibrant, innovative, on-it. HQ. Looking out over your own city is quite special. Which global city best matches your personality? It’s got to be New York. Ferocious pace, direct personality, larger than life, very loud and doesn’t sleep. Perfect. What would be your super-hero power? Being able to fl y.  at would help with the commute. Complete this sentence. The worst MARK ARMSTRONG thing about our rivals is… their UK&I vice president, Enterprise willingness to stay the same. ( is is also Group, Channel, SMB and Service the best thing as it enables us to shine). Providers, Hewlett Packard What makes you nervous? It’s always Enterprise MARK ASH been heights. However, some self- Which tech figurehead do you Head of print UK&I/director, hypnosis and mindfulness is helping me admire the most? Charles Babbage – Enterprise Business, Samsung conquer the fear and I continue to where would we be without him? Electronics challenge myself to track my progress. What’s the biggest challenge facing Which tech figurehead do you If you could eat one type of food for the industry no-one is talking about admire the most? Martin Hellawell, the rest of your life, what would it yet? “Good enough” tech and the decline Softcat chief executive. He has a unique be? Mexican. I love fresh, spicy food and of consumerisation. business model and style that has this fi ts the bill perfectly. If you could invite three famous transformed Softcat into one of the Sum up the channel in three words people to dinner, who would they leading players in our industry.  ey Exciting, opportunity, home. be? Henry VIII – was he just continue to grow at pace and don’t lose misunderstood?; Stan Laurel – is he as themselves along the way. funny as his fi lms?; Albert Einstein – did What’s the biggest challenge facing he wish he’d had his hair cut before that the industry no-one is talking about famous headshot? yet?  e GiG economy. We have many How has 2017 been for you? Brilliant, long-established businesses that are non-stop and an incredibly positive year typically built around a hierarchical for HPE. model.  is may mean that we miss out What’s the most extravagant on top talent that wants a diff erent way business lunch you’ve ever had? of working and it would be prudent to Harry Ramsden’s with mushy peas. look at alternative ways of working to Which global city best matches your address this. personality? London. If you could invite three famous What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they power? Cutting through it to get stuff be? Sir Richard Branson, Sir Alex done. Ferguson and Barack Obama. LOUISE ASHBROOK Complete this sentence. The worst How has 2017 been for you? Senior sales director, Partner thing about our rivals is… nothing. Interesting.  e impending acquisition of Business – UKI, CA Technologies Competition is one of the key things that Samsung’s print business by HP has Which tech figurehead do you drives our industry forward. presented us with some unique challenges, admire the most? Steve Jobs. He was What makes you nervous? My which I am sure in hindsight will mark out able to think diff erently and see into the recurring nightmare about waking up as a ‘great learning experience’. future. His ability to design and develop having forgot to revise for my fi nals. What’s the most extravagant devices that focused on user experience

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(Mac, iPod, iPhone) changed the world. What’s the most extravagant What’s the biggest challenge facing business lunch you’ve ever had? the industry no-one is talking about I have to be honest: anyone who takes me yet? Cyber security in the new world of for a Wagamama is always up there. I’m AI and machine learning. Do we really not a fussy eater… I just love food! understand the vulnerabilities to us as Which global city best matches your individuals and organisations of having personality?  at is a hard one. Perhaps a fully networked world, without London because it is the best city in the thinking about security up front as world. I also love Hong Kong – it is part of the design? amazing and full of culture. One minute If you could invite three famous you are surrounded by Western infl uence people to dinner, who would they and business and the next you fall straight be? Sir Winston Churchill – “Success into traditional Chinese culture that consists of going from failure to failure JON ATHERTON makes you feel like you have been taken without loss of enthusiasm”; Anne Frank Group director, Centerprise back 100 years. It’s a mix of successful – “How wonderful it is that no one need International/CI Distribution business and industry, vibrant night life wait a single moment before starting to Which tech figurehead do you and traditional culture. improve the world”; Charles Darwin – “It admire the most? I would have to say What would be your super-hero is not the strongest of the species that my boss, Rafi Razzak. For more than 33 power? Making people smile. survive, nor the most intelligent, but the years he has managed to evolve and adapt Complete this sentence. The worst one most responsive to change”. the business and his hunger and drive for thing about our rivals is… many of How has 2017 been for you? success (especially at his age, which he them do a great job! Astonishing so far! It has been a year of won’t thank me for!) is an inspiration. What makes you nervous? Watching transition and change in line with the What’s the biggest challenge facing the mighty West Bromwich Albion FC market but highly rewarding from a the industry no-one is talking about score more than one goal. partnering perspective as we build out yet? Everyone is talking about the If you could eat one type of food for our joint off erings to address strategic economy and Brexit. the rest of your life, what would it business outcomes for our customers. I fear 2018 will be a diffi cult year for be? Peking-style. Not over spiced. What’s the most extravagant the channel, and I am further convinced Sum up the channel in three words business lunch you’ve ever had? that “specialisation and service” are the Inventive, resilient, inspiring. I couldn’t possibly say other than to state keys to growth. With talk of interest that “all my business lunches are in line rates rising, Brexit, further public with CA Expense Policy Guidelines”. spending cuts, I do believe many B Which global city best matches your companies within our sector need to personality? San Francisco – culturally continue to drive their service off ering rich, highly diverse, a city with soul. and specialise in certain technologies. What would be your super-hero If you could invite three famous power? A healing power would be very people to dinner, who would they benefi cial. be? JRR Tolkien, Frank Sinatra and Complete this sentence. The worst Richard Burton. A guaranteed knees up! thing about our rivals is… they do an How has 2017 been for you? It’s been excellent job and keep us on our toes. great. A huge amount of hard work by all What makes you nervous? A lot of within the business has gone into things make me nervous, but it’s part of growing our marketing footprint across life and a positive sign of self the group companies, which has been MIKE BACON development. very satisfying. Work is currently in Managing director, Academia If you could eat one type of food for progress to revamp our HQ reception Which tech figurehead do you the rest of your life, what would it and sales fl oors. We’ve also opened an admire the most? Boring to say but be? Vegetables.  ere are many of them offi ce in Telford, which will shortly grow Steve Jobs. A fascinating mix of genius, and they are full of vitamins and nutrients. to 10 employees. In a nutshell, 2017 has arrogance and ignorance. Sum up the channel in three words been a year of investment in our people What’s the biggest challenge facing Change, value, essential. and future. the industry no-one is talking about

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yet? Resolute customer care and support the industry no-one is talking about are no experiences to date or certifi cation – thankfully an area we excel in. yet? One of the large cloud providers process by which to measure either your If you could invite three famous going out of business. own or others’ customers. people to dinner, who would they If you could invite three famous If you could invite three famous be? David Gold, David Sullivan and people to dinner, who would they people to dinner, who would they Karen Brady so I can discuss West Ham, be? Sir Alex Ferguson, Sir Winston be? Joe Strummer, Muhammad Ali and e Apprentice and Penthouse Magazine. Churchill and Marilyn Monroe. Leonardo da Vinci. How has 2017 been for you? Positive. How has 2017 been for you? Full-on. How has 2017 been for you? It has  e Academia Company continues to What’s the most extravagant been an exceptional year – great growth grow with strength in depth and new business lunch you’ve ever had? On in our geographies with increased services with BoxED, ConnectED and the a boat, in Monaco watching the F1 GP. revenues and profi ts. Our unique exciting launch of MacTwo soon. Which global city best matches your off erings are being adopted by our What’s the most extravagant personality? Gothenburg – it is seen to existing and new customers, I’m working business lunch you’ve ever had? be the most sociable and open-minded with talented colleagues and enjoying Every week when I take my new staff for city in the world! watching the growth. a welcome lunch. What would be your super-hero What’s the most extravagant Which global city best matches your power? Healing hands. business lunch you’ve ever had? personality? Tokyo – dynamic, Complete this sentence. The worst Not saying… forward-thinking and technology driven. thing about our rivals is… over- Which global city best matches your What would be your super-hero promising and under-delivering. personality? Portsmouth, for all the power?  e power to see the future. We What makes you nervous? My wife’s right reasons! all want to know what Apple will do next. credit card bill. What would be your super-hero Complete this sentence. The worst If you could eat one type of food for power? Time travel, both for correction thing about our rivals is… their the rest of your life, what would it and advancement. customer service. As mentioned above, be? Fresh fruit. Complete this sentence. The worst we hear it all the time. Sum up the channel in three words thing about our rivals is… A wise man What makes you nervous? West Ham Complex, challenging, evolving. once said never to slag your competition getting relegated. o ff ! If you could eat one type of food for What makes you nervous? Chair lifts the rest of your life, what would it in a ski resort, once they stop and reverse be? Sushi. at speed back down the mountain. Sum up the channel in three words If you could eat one type of food for Proactive, productive, passionate. the rest of your life, what would it be? Does wine count? If not, it would have to be curry. Sum up the channel in three words Route to market.

ALASTAIR BELL Founder, Bell Integration Which tech figurehead do you admire the most? Scott McNealy of Sun Microsystems. He advocated open PAUL BARLOW system architecture, while at Stamford Managing Director, Servium University (in the fl oor above Cisco) Which tech figurehead do you created TCPIP and delivered Java as open admire the most? Michael Dell. Not source to developers and the business only has he built a very successful community. ANNABEL BERRY business, he then keeps going and keeps What’s the biggest challenge facing Chief executive, Sapphire on building. the industry no-one is talking about Which tech figurehead do you admire What’s the biggest challenge facing yet?  e future impact of GDPR as there the most? Sheryl Sandberg. COO of

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Facebook and one of the world’s 100 most If you could eat one type of food for Which global city best matches your powerful women according to Forbes. She the rest of your life, what would it personality? Tokyo – it’s a blend of the also works hard to give back through her be? Indian food. I’m slightly addicted to traditional and the unexpected. philanthropic work. Enough said. chilli and love a curry or anything spicy. What would be your super-hero What’s the biggest challenge facing Sum up the channel in three words power? I’ve always wanted to be able to the industry no-one is talking about  riving, talented, (sometimes) time travel.  e implications are slightly yet?  e uncertainty around the undervalued. mind-bending, but the chance to change potential skills shortage following Brexit. things for the better, or do things over Skills, specifi cally in cyber security, are again is very appealing. already in short supply, so we may see an Complete this sentence. The worst impact on much needed talent. thing about our rivals is… that they If you could invite three famous never give up. But nor do we! people to dinner, who would they What makes you nervous? My be? Coco Chanel, Robin Williams and daughter becoming a teenager next William Shakespeare. All of whom have month… unanswered questions about their lives If you could eat one type of food for that I’d want to uncover. the rest of your life, what would it How has 2017 been for you? Pretty be? I’m going to cheat a bit and go for a good so far, thanks! We hit our half year cuisine – Italian would do me well for with very strong double-digit growth on NEIL BERVILLE evermore. last year, so I’m a very happy chief Executive director, EMEA Channels Sum up the channel in three words executive right now. & Alliances, Lenovo Relentless customer focus. What’s the most extravagant Which tech figurehead do you business lunch you’ve ever had? admire the most?  e inventor of the I think the days of extravagant business world wide web – Sir Tim Berners-Lee. lunches are probably gone now.  e best Not only did he lay the foundations for lunch ever though had to be in Monte the third industrial revolution, but he did Carlo, overlooking the harbour with a it without an objective for personal gain. couple of bottles of Côte de Provence’s What’s the biggest challenge facing fi nest. the industry no-one is talking about Which global city best matches yet?  e need for greater diversity across your personality? Sydney – I think it our workforce, providing fresh ideas and has the right balance of city and beach fresh approaches to business. life and the ethos is work to live. I think If you could invite three famous it would sum me up – a lot of hard graft, people to dinner, who would they but never happier than when I’m by the be? I’ve always loved stimulating, BEN BOSWELL coast relaxing. challenging conversation, and we’d have Area vice president, Europe, What would be your super-hero it in abundance with these three – David Worldwide Technology power? Teleportation so I can spend less Bowie, Nelson Mandela and Eva Perón. Which tech figurehead do you time travelling around our three UK How has 2017 been for you? A year admire the most? Jim Kavanaugh, chief offi ces and also to travel to some amazing when we’ve refi ned, revised and executive of Worldwide Technology. His places at the push of a button. re-invigorated our programmes and our will to win, relentless drive for Complete this sentence. The worst relationships with our partners. innovation, combined with his mandate thing about our rivals is… I think we What’s the most extravagant for hiring the most talented people, that have some great competition and that’s business lunch you’ve ever had? I diff erentiate themselves not only by their healthy and keeps us on our toes. I think much prefer the simple pleasures of life knowledge but the way in which they companies who spend their time publicly nowadays, but I do have fond and distant approach the customer. He has an dissing the competition probably have memories of the real jeopardy of eating unparalleled passion for learning, a too much time on their hands. the poisonous Fugu fi sh with the natural ability for creating market What makes you nervous? I have a president of Sony (I’ll let you decide disruption and diff erention by embracing completely irrational fear of thunder whether the food or the company was change. Jim inspires his team through his storms. more risky)! simple company mission, to be “a

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profi table, growth company, that is a Complete this sentence. The worst If you could invite three famous great place to work”. It’s like a “three- thing about our rivals is… I don’t people to dinner, who would they legged stool” – take one leg away and it really have an opinion here, I am focused be? Margaret  atcher, Alan Turing and immediately falls over. on our people and customers. Michael Jackson – I’m not sure at the What’s the biggest challenge facing What makes you nervous? Pollution same time! the industry no-one is talking about and waste. We are destroying the planet; How has 2017 been for you? An yet?  e channel must evolve quickly to there must be a diff erent way for the exciting year of lots of change both in the stay relevant. I believe that both population to expand. Fear of failure market and with partners.  ere is lots of customers and manufacturers are stifl ing creativity. Complacency from uncertainty ahead with Brexit round the becoming frustrated with the diluted role people or companies who do not corner, but similarly lots of opportunity that large global partners are playing in embrace change. Businesses that lose the and an overwhelming desire from the wider ecosystem. Being a point of culture of coaching to nurture and bring customers to digitally transform. product procurement is not enough; through new talent. Which global city best matches your partners need to have a point of view, If you could eat one type of food for personality? Barcelona or Miami – both deliver value quickly and be more the rest of your life, what would it are warm and fun. accountable for helping customers to be? I absolutely love Spanish tapas. What would be your super-hero drive innovation to deliver faster, tangible Sum up the channel in three words power? To be able to stop time – it is so business outcomes. Diverse, threatened, lethargic. precious and there’s not enough of it. If you could invite three famous What makes you nervous? President people to dinner, who would they Donald Trump. be? Nile Rodgers, Nelson Mandela and If you could eat one type of food for Robin Williams. the rest of your life, what would it How has 2017 been for you? One be? It would be pretty boring, but word: amazing. My wife and I overcame perhaps a breakfast buff et as that could all of the odds to become proud parents include a wide variety of foods. to a beautiful baby girl. On the Sum up the channel in three words professional front, WWT won third Transforming, consolidating, energetic. place in the UK 2017 “Great Place to Work” awards, our global customer base continues to grow, and our European business is on track to break through the $750m mark in 2017. I am humbled to be surrounded by so many fun, inspirational friends and colleagues all LAURA BOUCHARD around the globe. Channel sales director, Microsoft What’s the most extravagant Which tech figurehead do you business lunch you’ve ever had? I admire the most? Predictably, Satya tend not to do lunch, but enjoyed an Nadella! Having worked with many egos amazing private dining experience at for many years, I feel so fortunate to work Mario Battelli’s Babbo when I was living for a company where our leader is so DARREN BRODRICK in New York a few years ago.  ere were humble and focuses on people, culture UK general manager, SHI UK 12 of us, and the great man cooked and and making a diff erence. Which tech figurehead do you curated the wine. What’s the biggest challenge facing admire the most? Our very own  ai Which global city best matches your the industry no-one is talking about Lee, a humble and inspirational leader. personality? London – diverse, yet?  e talent/skills gap – it is being What’s the biggest challenge facing cosmopolitan, vibrant and always talked about but not enough, in my the industry no-one is talking about changing. opinion.  e world is changing faster yet? Whether Microsoft will leave the What would be your super-hero than we can keep up and the opportunity device business. It was interesting power? Teleportation – so everyone is vast so needing skills is vital. Focusing hearing some of the predictions during could cover more ground, visit more on developing the talent pool early in this year’s channel Canalys event; I’ve not places, solve problems and help people their career, specifi cally getting girls into seen any comments from Microsoft to faster. STEM, needs more eff ort now. validate or deny that one.

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SUM UP THE CHANNEL IN THREE WORDS

If you could invite three famous the rest of your life, what would it people to dinner, who would they people to dinner, who would they be? I’m a pasta man, I’m afraid. be? George Best, Joe Strummer and be? George Best, Sir Winston Churchill Sum up the channel in three words Orson Welles. and Princess Diana. Stronger than ever. How has 2017 been for you? Fantastic How has 2017 been for you? I have – a great year for Softcat and I’ve been very lucky this year to have gone to achieved a lot of personal goals this year some fantastic places for both business like running my fi rst ever 10K (I know and pleasure purposes. Venice and Lake I’m a bit of a late starter). Geneva are amazing places. What’s the most extravagant What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had? We business lunch you’ve ever had? Last don’t do those in Softcat! week at the Olympic museum in Which global city best matches your Lausanne, Switzerland. A stunning personality? Boston – friendly, location surrounded by lots of sporting welcoming, strong Irish roots and happy records. to play second fi ddle to New York/Martin Which global city best matches your Hellawell. personality? I’m a London boy and it’s What would be your super-hero still the best city on the planet – fast, power? Mind reading! furious and full of diversity. Complete this sentence. The worst What would be your super-hero thing about our rivals is… that they power? It’s got to be a bit of Spiderman keep improving! for me. COLIN BROWN What makes you nervous? Any letter Complete this sentence. The worst Managing director, Softcat that comes from HMRC. No specifi c thing about our rivals is… they don’t Which tech figurehead do you reason for me to be nervous, just innate realise how big our UK business will admire the most? Satya, for the fear. become. reinvention of Microsoft from being If you could eat one type of food for What makes you nervous? Watching yesterday’s news to the industry leader the rest of your life, what would it and coaching my under-13 rugby team once again. be? Potatoes – there’s such a variety of on a Sunday morning. I’m not sure what’s What’s the biggest challenge facing ways to eat the humble spud. And I’m more time consuming, running SHI or the industry no-one is talking about Irish, so what do you expect. coaching a kids’ team. yet? AI salespeople! Sum up the channel in three words If you could eat one type of food for If you could invite three famous Darwinian natural selection.

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What makes you nervous? Running at $1,300. I must say I will not forget the out of red wine. taste of this Bordeaux, St-Julien, Château If you could eat one type of food for Ducru-Beaucaillou, and I had a steak the rest of your life, what would it with it! be? Curry. Which global city best matches your Sum up the channel in three words personality? I would go for London Sociable, fun, necessary. because it is so vibrant, cosmopolitan, a bit chaotic, stylish, open, forward- looking, setting the trend… as you can see I have a good opinion of myself! What would be your super-hero power? As a small child I used to be fascinated by a series called e Invisible Man starring David McCallum. I think that would give me the edge in life. Complete this sentence. The worst thing about our rivals is… they keep KAY BRUEN coming from all angles. It never stops. Managing director, Clipsham IT What makes you nervous? Not being Which tech figurehead do you BÉATRICE BUTSANA-SITA prepared, not understanding the full admire the most? Jeff Bezos because he Managing director, Capita picture. continually pushes the boundaries of Networking Solutions If you could eat one type of food for what everyone else thinks his company Which tech figurehead do you the rest of your life, what would it represents and can achieve. admire the most? Probably Jeff Bezos be? I actually love bread and butter, but I What’s the biggest challenge facing for his tenacity and bold thinking. control my intake if it. I wish I could eat the industry no-one is talking about What’s the biggest challenge facing that all the time. yet? I think people are talking about it, the industry no-one is talking about Sum up the channel in three words but the skills gap in cyber security is a yet? Security and data protection. It is Dedicated, humble, knowledgeable. major challenge now, and will get worse. not that we are not aware of these things, If you could invite three famous but I don’t think we fully realise or want people to dinner, who would they to realise the consequences of being ill C be? Sir Winston Churchill, Peter Ustinov prepared in that fi eld. It is scary. and Dave Allen. If you could invite three famous How has 2017 been for you? It has people to dinner, who would they been a cracking year so far in terms of be? I am going to go with three new customers, and working on bigger exceptional people and furthermore they projects for existing clients. happen to be women: Mother  eresa, What’s the most extravagant who lived entirely to help others; Marie business lunch you’ve ever had? Curie, for her exceptional contribution to Sadly I don’t get invited to many science in times when women were not extravagant lunches any more but one expected to be scientists; and Cleopatra, that stands out was a fi ve-course lunch at for her beauty, intelligence and incredible Le Manoir Quatre Saisons. self-belief and confi dence. Which global city best matches your How has 2017 been for you? A bit of personality? Rio de Janeiro. rollercoaster as we are in a What would be your super-hero transformational phase and we have got RICHARD CALLIS power?  e ability to fl y, hover and be to keep going, believing we can do it. Managing director, Metaphor IT invisible at the same time – imagine what What’s the most extravagant Which tech figurehead do you you might see! business lunch you’ve ever had? A admire the most? I’ll go For Elon Musk. Complete this sentence. The worst lunch in Hong Kong (I was not working I love the ambition he has; build electric thing about our rivals is… they are at Capita!) paid for by a business partner cars without compromising performance, still there despite themselves. and the wine (two bottles only) came in Hyperloop, colonise Mars! He isn’t

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phased by how hard (or near impossible) something might be. What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry no-one is talking about yet? People are talking about AI and robots but I’m not sure people yet understand how big this is for both our industry and society as a whole. Have a read of this: https://waitbutwhy. com/2015/01/artifi cial-intelligence- revolution-1.html If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they be? Albert Einstein, Neil Armstrong ANDREW CARR and Christopher Columbus. I’m sure Managing director, Trustmarque they would have some unbelievable Technology Solutions stories to share. Which tech figurehead do you How has 2017 been for you? Great! admire the most? Lou Gerstner, former  e work/life balance is in a nice place CEO and chairman at IBM. He managed following starting a business, building a to turn around IBM in the late 1990s and house and growing my family the year early 2000s with passion and momentum, before. by recognising that culture and people What’s the most extravagant drive change, regardless of the size of business lunch you’ve ever had? What’s the biggest challenge facing company, and the technology then I’m vegetarian, so I leave the posh the industry no-one is talking follows.  e title of his book sums it up lunches to others! about yet?  e ability to adapt and work nicely: Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance? Which global city best matches your at the same pace as technology change What’s the biggest challenge facing personality? London – fast-paced and and growth. the industry no-one is talking about always changing. If you could invite three famous yet? Sales enablement: why? As we know What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they people buy from people and we are power? I’d love to be able to fl y – fast. be? Shakespeare, Aristotle and Mel moving into a world of more complex  at would be awesome. Gibson. solutions that encompass ecosystems of Complete this sentence. The worst How has 2017 been for you? An capability and not commoditised thing about our rivals is… they say adventure, with high growth but also products with defi ned functionality. For they can do something when they can’t. It strong reality checks, to help us refocus. example, what is and how do you sell the doesn’t help anyone. What’s the most extravagant Internet of  ings? We need to invest in What makes you nervous? Brexit, to business lunch you’ve ever had? enabling our frontline resources to have some degree. Not necessarily the fi nal Kobe beef burger, wrapped in gold leaf the requisite skills and knowledge to outcome but how we get there. and topped with caviar. support our customers’ demands during If you could eat one type of food for Which global city best matches your this transitional period. the rest of your life, what would it personality? New York. If you could invite three famous be? Pizza – no doubt about that. What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they Sum up the channel in three words power? Super speed. be? Brian Clough, Arnold Palmer and Sir Friendly, incestuous, useful. Complete this sentence. The worst Alex Ferguson. thing about our rivals is… they aren’t How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has run by me! been a good year, bringing plenty of CHRIS CALVERT What makes you nervous? Public excitement, change and opportunity, Managing director, Millgate speaking. which we should reap the rewards from Which tech figurehead do you If you could eat one type of food in 2018. admire the most? Amazon founder Jeff for the rest of your life, what would What’s the most extravagant Bezos, for his tenacity in the pursuit of it be? Curry.  e fl avours are a delight business lunch you’ve ever had? I am expansion and innovation. to eat. not one for extravagance. Nothing beats a

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good solid ham and cheese sandwich If you could invite three famous future for the same reseller community as smothered in salad cream. people to dinner, who would they the kit sellers cross-sell the MSP services Which global city best matches your be? Steve Jobs, Queen Elizabeth I and as a single supplier. personality? Nottingham: “Born and Walt Disney. If you could invite three famous bred, me duck.” How has 2017 been for you? So far so people to dinner, who would they What would be your super-hero good. Very busy even during quiet times be? Nelson Mandela, John F Kennedy power? I always wanted to be able to fl y. so no complaints here! and Robin Williams. Complete this sentence. The worst What’s the most extravagant How has 2017 been for you? Dynamic, thing about our rivals is… I am not business lunch you’ve ever had? eventful but most of all fulfi lling. one to disparage our rivals; however, the Lunch at the Ivy in London was lovely. What’s the most extravagant industry generally tends to set unrealistic  eir bang bang chicken is so good! business lunch you’ve ever had? expectations through the powerful Which global city best matches your Lunch at the Ivy with two business marketing machine for new technologies personality? Austin, Texas. colleagues.  e wine alone… you don’t which the channel then has to convert What would be your super-hero want to know! into realism. power? Strength and speed! Which global city best matches your What makes you nervous? Birds fl ying Complete this sentence. The worst personality? Las Vegas. It’s active 24/7, around me. thing about our rivals is… their always up for a game, a gamble and a risk, If you could eat one type of food for inability to truly understand the channel and never dull. the rest of your life, what would it and its requirements. What would be your super-hero be? Sausages. What makes you nervous? Waiting on power? Time travel. I’d love to see my Sum up the channel in three words potential off ers for candidates! Dad again… and see if he wants to come Dynamic, transitioning, chaotic. If you could eat one type of food for to Vegas, too! the rest of your life, what would it Complete this sentence. The worst be? Cheese! thing about our rivals is… we have Sum up the channel in three words not caught up for a beer recently. Diverse, exciting, passionate. What makes you nervous? Only one thing: heights.  e top of a ladder and beyond is a defi nite no. If you could eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Fresh fi sh – cooked to perfection. Sum up the channel in three words Challenging, rewarding, fun. ZOE CHATLEY Associate partner, Wallace Hind Selection Which tech figurehead do you admire the most? Martin Hellawell. WAYNE COCKERILL What he and the team have done at Managing director, Aindale BMS; Softcat is nothing short of incredible. Chairman, Network Group From a recruitment point of view, its Which tech figurehead do you employment branding and how it attracts admire the most? Elon Musk. He has staff is amazing and should be admired. inspirational ideas and vision, from Tesla What’s the biggest challenge facing to space travel. I want to ensure I take a the industry no-one is talking about trip in all his successes. STEVE COX yet? Retaining good-quality staff and the What’s the biggest challenge facing Chief operating offi cer, Chess ICT next generation of hires. Hiring new the industry no-one is talking about Which tech figurehead do you talent and training them in the channel yet?  e ‘gap’ being generated as resellers admire the most? Steve Jobs. I love his isn’t easy and graduates these days seem move more to MSP and service-only unwavering focus and constant strive for to give in too easily. Training them and models, of physical equipment sales, perfection. getting them passionate about the likely to be left to the larger organisations What’s the biggest challenge facing channel should be a big focus. which could lead to a squeeze in the the industry no-one is talking about

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yet? How to take the complex list of underdog compared with US titans like Which global city best matches your technology available today and build IBM and Microsoft, but with calm personality? San Francisco. simple to understand solutions for determination, a distinctive style and a What would be your super-hero non-technical buyers. Imagine a compassion for his staff which sets him power? Magic, specifi cally abjuration business owner with no knowledge of apart from the likes Jobs and Bezos, (healing/protective powers). I always technology being confronted with cloud, Hauser eventually helped create ARM seem to end up playing such characters on-premise, hybrid without even getting which has gone on to become one of in MMORPGs! into security and GDPR. It’s a minefi eld Britain’s most successful tech Complete this sentence. The worst without good advice. companies. Your phone will use one of thing about our rivals is… always If you could invite three famous their processors. putting profi ts or growth before what people to dinner, who would they Hauser was foremost a scientist who is right. be? Steve Jobs, Marie Curie and Nelson went into business and helped make the What makes you nervous? AWS, the Mandela. world a little better while remaining true unstoppable behemoth. How has 2017 been for you? A good to himself and his integrity.  at is If you could eat one type of food for year and one of continuous learning to something to which I aspire. the rest of your life, what would it keep track of the fast pace of change. What’s the biggest challenge facing be? Tea! Food is fuel. I’d rather do What’s the most extravagant the industry no-one is talking about without it. business lunch you’ve ever had? yet? An increasing diversifi cation of PaaS Sum up the channel in three words Brightstar once fl ew us by private jet to technologies and lack of standardisation. Evolving ever faster. Reims for a champagne lunch and then It makes sense that developers shouldn’t fl ew us back for a night at the Aviator be worrying about scaling at the level of hotel. servers, storage and so on. PaaS is where Which global city best matches your the industry can really take the fi ght to personality? London. It’s lively and the AWS. But for that to happen the best city on earth. ecosystem needs to be more inviting, What would be your super-hero with less vendor lock-in. Technologies power? Invisibility. like Docker or CloudFoundry are great What makes you nervous? What is but nobody is certain which will win out, happening around the world and how it and by the time we make up our minds it aff ects my children in the future. may be too late. If you could eat one type of food for If you could invite three famous the rest of your life, what would it people to dinner, who would they be? Indian from my local curry house. be? Alan Turing, Richard Feynman and Sum up the channel in three words Marie Curie. Changing, complicated, hype. How has 2017 been for you? Challenging but transformative.  e biggest change for me has been the appointment of my deputy chief executive, Annalise O’Rouke.  ere came a point where I had to accept that EDEL CREELY my strengths lie in strategy and Group managing director, Trilogy innovation rather than managing a Technologies medium-sized organisation, particularly Which tech figurehead do you now Memset has grown. While diffi cult, admire the most? Elon Musk. What a it has also been rewarding; Memset has visionary, from space travel to sustainable been able to take on more projects energy production! A close friend of mine KATE CRAIG-WOOD allowing further growth and my stress works for him at SpaceX and a visit to the Chief executive, Memset levels are a lot lower. facility is high on my bucket list. Which tech figurehead do you What’s the most extravagant What’s the biggest challenge facing admire the most? Herman Hauser, business lunch you’ve ever had? I the industry no-one is talking about founder of Acorn Computers. When I don’t tend to do fancy business lunches. I yet? Speed of change and ability/cost for was growing up Acorn was always the have quite simple tastes! companies to adapt.

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If you could invite three famous If you could eat one type of food for people to dinner, who would they the rest of your life, what would it be? Beethoven – a musical visionary. be? I could probably survive on bread What would he compose now?; Charlotte and gravy at a push. Bronte – how would she view women’s Sum up the channel in three words place in world today?; Oscar Wilde – “To Next to France. defi ne is to limit”. How has 2017 been for you? D Extremely busy. We are investing heavily in our cloud and security competencies. As the pace of change accelerates it’s a challenge we get to help our clients with on a regular basis. What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had? What’s the biggest challenge facing Well, Irish food is among the best in the the industry no-one is talking about world and I was lucky to be invited by a yet? What happens when interest rates long-time channel friend (thanks Emer) start to rise. We’ve had cheap money for to savour the tasting lunch menu at so long now, it’s taken for granted. And Greenhouse in Dublin. #AmuseBouche given the level of consolidation in recent Which global city best matches your years, we could see some suff er where personality? Paris. A combination of you’d least expect to. art, culture and style. If you could invite three famous What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they power? Superman speed so I could do a be? Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, MIKE DANSON bit of space travel! and Karl Marx. Interesting conversation Chief executive, Natilik Complete this sentence. The worst and they should get on. And hopefully Which tech figurehead do you thing about our rivals is… they one of them can cook. admire the most? What John highlight your imperfections. But How has 2017 been for you? Busy and Chambers did with Cisco is pretty perhaps that’s the best thing? exciting. amazing. He joined as head of sales when What makes you nervous? Waiting for What’s the most extravagant the company was turning over less than election results. business lunch you’ve ever had? It’s $200m and employed 500 people. As he If you could eat one type of food for normally butties in the offi ce, so any retires this year, the company now has the rest of your life, what would it business lunch is extravagant. I can’t more than 70,000 people and turnover of be? Chilli. think of any that stand out. $50bn. Not bad! Sum up the channel in three words Which global city best matches your What’s the biggest challenge facing Partnerships, forward-thinking, personality?  at I’ve been to, probably the industry no-one is talking about inter-dependent. Sydney. No airs and graces. Everybody yet? Our industry does not suff er from a seems relaxed, down to earth and happy lack of talk! to be there. If you could invite three famous PAUL CUBBAGE What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they Managing director, Target power? To be able to see into the future. be? John Lennon, Sir Winston Churchill Components Complete this sentence. The worst and Steve Jobs. Which tech figurehead do you thing about our rivals is… When How has 2017 been for you? admire the most? Tech has moved at you’ve been in the channel as long as we Amazing! A 10th consecutive year of phenomenal pace in the last 30 years, so have, you realise there’s plenty room for growth for Natilik and a successful it would have to be someone from the everyone to do their own thing. Our resettling of my family to Guildford after modern era and there are so many to success comes down to the things we do, two decades of living in London. choose from. If I have to pick one, based not what others do. What’s the most extravagant on the impact the web has had and will What makes you nervous? business lunch you’ve ever had? Our have on our lives, I’d go with Sir Tim Questionnaires. And I’m not good with monthly company lunch is pretty Berners-Lee. heights. extravagant – 150+ people sharing lunch

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all in one location is pretty awesome! investment into private cyber security power? Mind reading. I love psychology. Which global city best matches your companies at any point in the last fi ve Complete this sentence. The worst personality? London. Vibrant, resilient, years, to the value of $509m. As a result, thing about our rivals is… false tolerant and always looking to develop. we’ve seen more than 500 new vendors promises, creating a false economy. What would be your super-hero wanting to enter the EMEA market – the  ere’s too much dishonesty about what power?  e ability to teleport myself and challenge is that each one of them targets clients can hope to achieve. As a result, others; there is always so much to do and the same customers and markets, so clients get burned, it impacts budgets so little time! end-users are bombarded with sales across the industry and agency teams get Complete this sentence. The worst pitches. In such a competitive market, burned out trying to deliver on someone thing about our rivals is… when they these companies need a solid channel else’s promises. Clients deserve honesty. have no value to add and so sell purely on strategy, clear diff erentiation and What makes you nervous? Not price, winning business at zero margin. messaging. It’s an opportunity for the being prepared for a pitch or a What makes you nervous? Our channel, but a challenge as well. meeting. Planning and preparation is politicians’ current approach to Brexit. If you could invite three famous everything. If you could eat one type of food for people to dinner, who would they If you could eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be? My dinner party would host some of the rest of your life, what would it be? Sushi. the 19th and early 20th century’s most be? Époisses – the type of French cheese Sum up the channel in three words important fi gures: Mary Ann Evans that is so stinky, people are banned from Never stops evolving. (George Elliot), Ada Lovelace and taking it on public transport in France Mahatma Gandhi. All of them challenged – and crackers. social norms, shattered glass ceilings and Sum up the channel in three words paved the way for this generation’s Scalable, powerful, fun. opportunities.  e diversity they represent is still important today, because what they demonstrate is that it takes people of all backgrounds, sexes and races to bring about innovation and inspire change. How has 2017 been for you? It has been an incredible year at FMXA. We’ve doubled our client base and introduced new client services; we’ve built a PR team to off er integrated PR and marketing for ALISHA DATTANI our clients, which adds real value to new Chief executive and founder, FMXA vendors looking to gain credibility in the Which tech figurehead do you UK market. In addition, our brand team admire the most? I’m a huge has doubled in size through its work in ADAM DAVISON Facebooker and social media champion, helping vendors diff erentiate themselves Sales & marketing director, Cloud so Sheryl Sandberg – the fi rst woman in a crowded market. GDPR is on our Distribution appointed onto the board at Facebook mind constantly – both through the work Which tech figurehead do you – stands out as someone I admire hugely. we’re doing for clients that have solutions admire the most? Steve Jobs. He A signifi cant part of FMXA’s business has in this space, and because of its impact created a technology company that made been built on the opportunities that on the marketing discipline. awesome things – but with the absolute Facebook’s platform provides in social What’s the most extravagant best user experience. He totally selling services. I’d also give a shout out to business lunch you’ve ever had? understood the balance between value, my ex-boss, Nick Lowe, who has acted as Noma, Copenhagen.  e most gorgeous design and technology. a superb mentor throughout my career. and decadent lunch I can remember. What’s the biggest challenge facing What’s the biggest challenge facing Which global city best matches your the industry no-one is talking about the industry no-one is talking about personality? London, the absolute best yet? IoT adoption is beginning to take yet? Many of our clients come from the city on the planet and a melting pot of serious hold – but few are talking about cyber security industry.  e fi rst quarter culture, food and opportunities. the security implications of potentially of 2017 was the most active quarter for What would be your super-hero hundreds of thousands of devices being

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connected to the core, enterprise Which global city best matches your network. #MiraiBotnet  e ability for a personality? New York – lively, hacker to take control of thousands of fast-paced and busy! IoT devices and then use them to create a What would be your super-hero massive DDoS attack and bring down power? I’d love to be able to fl y so I can multiple large enterprises at once would move around more quickly (and avoid have a signifi cant eff ect on the economy. airport delays!). If you could invite three famous Complete this sentence. The worst people to dinner, who would they thing about our rivals is… they are be? Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs and formidable. Giuseppe Farina. What makes you nervous? People I How has 2017 been for you? Pretty don’t trust, and travelling without an iron! good so far, with some challenges and If you could eat one type of food for opportunities along the way! Following the rest of your life, what would it the Brexit decision, we saw a rapidly be? Cake – the more indulgent the better. changing FX situation, which is now EMMA DE SOUSA Sum up the channel in three words more stable and I believe Cloud Managing director, Insight UK Exciting, dynamic, challenging. Distribution handled this well both for Which tech figurehead do you itself, vendors and our partners. We’ve admire the most? It has to be Elon created three separate sales teams to Musk – one of the most audacious men bolster the company for the next stage of on the planet. He is brave and fearless, our growth, which is already bearing two qualities I admire the most. fruit with the signing of some marque What’s the biggest challenge facing vendors including Arista Networks and the industry no-one is talking about Blackberry. yet? Optimising the workforce of the What’s the most extravagant future – the acceptance that in the future business lunch you’ve ever had? One an increasing percentage of our of the most memorable lunches I’ve had workforce will not be human. was a couple of years ago in Kiev. We If you could invite three famous took a bunch of resellers there and had a people to dinner, who would they fantastic vodka tasting session! be? Benazir Bhutto, Audrey Hepburn Which global city best matches your and Frank Sinatra. Each come with their personality? Las Vegas – it never sleeps own fascinating stories and insights into BARRIE DESMOND and life’s one big party! days and attitudes of old – this would Chief operating offi cer, Exclusive What would be your super-hero make for an interesting, entertaining and Group power? My superpower would be fl ight. glamorous evening! Which tech figurehead do you I’d be able to squeeze in many more How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has admire the most? I really admire those weekend breaks in far-fl ung regions of been a great year so far. I returned to who follow their passion and stand by the world. work from maternity leave in February their ideas, contrary to logic and opinion. Complete this sentence. The worst and while balancing my career and trying People like Terry Matthews, who inspired thing about our rivals is…  e best to be ‘Super Mum’ can be demanding, me to get into disruptive technologies in piece of advice I’ve been given is if you I’m loving every second. I consider myself the fi rst place. Mitel and Newbridge can’t say something nice, say nothing at extremely fortunate to have a fantastic Networks are both companies that went all. So, I’m not going to answer this one! job and an incredibly supportive family. It against the grain and challenged legacy What makes you nervous? Going makes life both fun and rewarding. vendors. home to my wife after a heavy night with What’s the most extravagant What’s the biggest challenge facing the boys. business lunch you’ve ever had? On the industry no-one is talking about If you could eat one type of food for a yacht in the South of France. It was a yet? Block-chain technology. Its ability to the rest of your life, what would it team lunch for exceptional performance bring people together digitally and cut be? KFC. so not only was it a fantastic setting but out many of the ‘middle men’ gives it the Sum up the channel in three words we were celebrating as well – a great way potential to replace the traditional ways Challenging, fun, rewarding. to recognise success! of exchanging currency. In terms of the

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WHICH TECH FIGUREHEAD IS ADMIRED THE MOST? Musk polled nearly twice as many 1 in 5 votes as the next most fêted leader… nominated inventor Microsoft chief executive Elon Musk as their Satya Nadella, whose tech hero 12 nominations put him alongside the company’s co-founder, Bill Gates. The highest ranked female was Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg with four votes.

Best of the rest Steve Jobs (10), Jeff Bezos (5), Michael Dell (4), Tim Berners-Lee (4), Martin Hellawell (3), Charles Babbage (2), Meg Whitman (2), Sir Richard Branson (2), John Tu (2), Alan Turing (2), Andrew Grove (2)

channel, block-chain technology could where lunches get interesting. Last have huge potential; but only if we month, I went along to a very interesting embrace it rather than fi ghting it. long lunch with eight colleagues in a If you could invite three famous street food place in Jakarta.  e food people to dinner, who would they there was stunningly extravagant, be? Sir Winston Churchill – for his wit, although the bill was anything but. knowledge and extensive experience; Probably around €20 all in and that’s Queen Elizabeth I – to discover how she including the tip! reigned for so long in such a male Which global city best matches your dominated society and after so much personality? London. It’s been around a chaos; and George Best – to fi nd out long time, but is still having fun and where it all went wrong. adapting to the next thing, whatever that STUART DICKINSON How has 2017 been for you? may be! Chief operating offi cer, EACS Interesting would be one word. What would be your super-hero Which tech figurehead do you Challenging, to keep up the growth power? Probably time travel. admire the most? Martin Hellawell targets we set ourselves. Intriguing, to Complete this sentence. The worst because he told me to! Seriously, he has experience other cultures and ways of thing about our rivals is… selling on built a great business, always with a smile working, especially in the Far East. price, not value, and having structured on his face. Exciting, to have fi nally acquired in North rebate schemes. What’s the biggest challenge facing America – this has opened up all sorts of What makes you nervous? When the industry no-one is talking about possibilities for us. Going global, staying people tell me we have nothing to worry yet? Sssshh! It’s a secret! local while continuing to add value has about. It may be a cliché but seriously, the If you could invite three famous certainly had its moments this year, but number of times that statement has come people to dinner, who would they we wouldn’t have it any other way. back to haunt us amazes me. be? Bill Shankly because he is a legend; What’s the most extravagant If you could eat one type of food for Sir Winston Churchill because he was business lunch you’ve ever had? Of the rest of your life, what would it super cool under immense pressure; and course large, long lunches in the UK are be? It has to be lasagne. Nelson Mandela because of pure focus pretty much a thing of the past. Sum up the channel in three words and determination. Nowadays it’s in Europe and the Far East Committed, opportunistic, lucky. How has 2017 been for you? A team Maurizio Pesce/Flickr;Maurizio Nayyar/Flickr Bhupinder

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of us acquired EACS in June and it’s If you could invite three famous If you could invite three famous going from strength to strength, so it’s people to dinner, who would they people to dinner, who would they very busy and exciting. be? Alan Turing, Peter Sellers and Neil be? Jim Morrison, Steve Jobs and Joan What’s the most extravagant Armstrong. Miró. business lunch you’ve ever had? How has 2017 been for you? How has 2017 been for you? Well, When we sold Servo to Phoenix IT Challenging and rewarding. Best so far. you’ve covered most of it in CRN but to Services we went to Claridges Private What’s the most extravagant summarise it’s been romantic, hectic and Dining to celebrate, and it was amazing. business lunch you’ve ever had? In a exciting all in the same breath. Which global city best matches your communications centre, near the North What’s the most extravagant personality? London – 24/7, never Pole, 30Km north of Svalbard. business lunch you’ve ever had? switching off . Which global city best matches your I once took a client to a restaurant for What would be your super-hero personality? London. lunch in Aldwych.  ey claimed to be power?  e ability to turn into a fl y, then What would be your super-hero wine connoisseurs so I let them choose I could be a fl y on the wall! power? Slowing down time. the wine.  ree bottles later I concurred Complete this sentence. The worst Complete this sentence. The worst that they had chosen a fabulous wine – thing about our rivals is… some of thing about our rivals is… the lack of however, when I received the bill I was them are very good. communication we have at senior levels. shocked to see it was £800 per bottle! What makes you nervous? Watching What makes you nervous? Heights. Which global city best matches your Liverpool. From one game to the next it If you could eat one type of food for personality? Tel Aviv is one of my could be 5-0, 4-4, 0-5. the rest of your life, what would it favourite cities. It’s fast-paced, technical, If you could eat one type of food for be? Vegetables. full of food and lots of culture. the rest of your life, what would it How would you sum up the channel What would be your super-hero be? My mum’s cooking: roast dinners, in three words? People-centric, power? I was thinking mind-reading but steak and kidney pie, the list goes on. innovating, under-valued. you knew that already, right? Sum up the channel in three words Complete this sentence. The worst Vibrant, competitive, crazy. thing about our rivals is… not enough F of them know the value of partnering with us. What makes you nervous? Being late for an appointment or event. Airports is where I am worst. If you could eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it be? Is peanut butter a food? Failing that, watermelon. Sum up the channel in three words Times are changing. SCOTT DODDS Chief executive, Ultima Business MITCHELL FELDMAN Solutions Chief digital offi cer, RedPixie STUART FENTON Which tech figurehead do you Which tech figurehead do you Chief executive, QuantiQ admire the most? Bill Gates for his admire the most? Bill Gates. Not only Which tech figurehead do you philanthropy and his pursuit of fi nding has his passion for tech inspired me, but admire the most? Mike Norris – answers to world health problems. he has used his success for a much staying power. It’s very hard to keep What’s the biggest challenge facing greater good, to support people less fresh and driven in one role for as long the industry no-one is talking about fortunate than himself. as he has. yet?  e speed of change. Humans have What’s the biggest challenge facing What’s the biggest challenge facing coped with huge change since the dawn the industry no-one is talking about the industry no-one is talking about of time. Never at the speed we are seeing yet? With the evolution of the cloud and yet?  e ‘industry’ is a very broad now. Working out the impact of the centralisation of data, I can see a large church. In my sector of Microsoft technology on everyone and everything breach of data beyond just passwords in Dynamics, it’s the massive skills gap is now a speed challenge. the next year. problem caused by Brexit. Maurizio Pesce/Flickr;Maurizio Nayyar/Flickr Bhupinder

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than ‘city’ but got married in San Francisco so I’ll choose that. What would be your super-hero power? It’s a toss-up between invincibility and precognition. If you could see the future seven-days hence then next week’s Euromillions might be nice, but then money can’t buy health… yet. Complete this sentence. The worst thing about our rivals is… No comment. Never criticise, condemn or complain, someone once taught me. If you could invite three famous CLIFF FOX What makes you nervous? Bad people to dinner, who would they Chief operating offi cer, Pure drivers. I’ve been in cars with some be? Spike Milligan, Robin Williams and Technology Group people who really shouldn’t have a Richard Pryor. Dinner should be fun. Which tech figurehead do you licence. How has 2017 been for you? It has admire the most? I’m counting NASA If you could eat one type of food for been an incredible year marked by as ‘tech’. So, the person I most admire is the rest of your life, what would it expansion in what we do, improvements Gene Krantz, mission director for the be? “Liver with fava beans and a nice in how we do it, and overall growth. We Apollo programme including Apollo 11 chianti”. have reached 155 heads, and we’re still on and 13.  e quote “failure is not an Sum up the channel in three words track to have 250 of the world’s best option” was attributed to him, although Could do better. Dynamics and Azure consultants. he never said it. A brilliant leader coping What’s the most extravagant with the unknown, managing extreme business lunch you’ve ever had? I’m adversity and total trust in his team. really not that extravagant. My tastes are Many of NASA’s subsequent leaders for the simple things. However, I took the revered him. CIO of a very large Russian public/ What’s the biggest challenge facing private business for dinner in Moscow. the industry no-one is talking about  e meal for two cost several thousand yet? Green tech seemed to lose its way pounds in mostly meat and vodka (that I post-recession but I believe that in the can recall).  e lesson I learned about next two decades green tech, focused on Russian business following that dinner lower consumption, renewables and the cost more than $6m. environment will become ever more Which global city best matches your necessary. Planet Earth is our biggest personality? Toronto – informal but single point of failure. professional. Honest and innovative. If you could invite three famous Forever optimistic. people to dinner, who would they HELEN FREESTONE What would be your super-hero be? Robin Williams, Stefani Germanotta UK director, Partnerships & power? It would have to be the power (Lady Gaga) and Jesus might make for a Alliances, Vodafone over time. good evening, but would Jesus need a Which tech figurehead do you Complete this sentence. The worst translator? admire the most? Satya Nadella, thing about our rivals is… with one or How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has Microsoft chief executive. I met Satya two exceptions, they don’t value the been good so far; some great results and before he became chief executive; he has customer beyond the initial transaction. lots more to aim for. a quiet charisma that colleagues and What makes you nervous? I’m rarely What’s the most extravagant customers instantly warm to. He nervous in business. business lunch you’ve ever had? genuinely cares. More than that, I admire If you could eat one type of food for Does anyone do that any more since the the way he has transformed Microsoft the rest of your life, what would it ‘new normal’ was christened? I’ve had a since becoming chief executive, not just be? Vegetarian. few good nights out though. in terms of their vision for cloud, but also Sum up the channel in three words Which global city best matches your their people culture and innovation. Still going strong. personality? I think I’m more ‘town’ What’s the biggest challenge facing

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the industry no-one is talking about a straight question. Or a Time Lord. Or How has 2017 been for you? yet? With pressures on resources, to be able to transform into a cat at will. Challenging, but better than last year. liveable space and growing populations, Complete this sentence. The worst What’s the most extravagant we need technology to support us in thing about our rivals is… they are business lunch you’ve ever had? environments we cannot even conceive. not Vodafone! I can’t recall any extravagant business  is might be in space, in virtual What makes you nervous? My lunches, and I have attended a few – environments, or how we might begin 21-year-old stepdaughter’s bedroom it could be that I’m moving in the merging with technology through – best avoided! wrong circles, or that my expectations connected implants – for example, If you could eat one type of food for are too high! nanobots fi ghting off illnesses in our the rest of your life, what would it Which global city best matches your bloodstream. be? Dark chocolate truffl es washed down personality? Paris, for various reasons. If you could invite three famous with a very nice single malt. What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they Sum up the channel in three words power? Teleportation, to avoid wasting be? I’d love the chance to quiz a few Innovative, awesome, evolving. time. people. Field Marshal Bernard Complete this sentence. The worst Montgomery and General George Patton thing about our rivals is… they – I’d ask them, how did you really do it? G sometimes pip us to the post! How close did we come? And did you What makes you nervous? I don’t get ever think you were not going to make nervous as a rule but waiting for my this?  en, the great sci-fi writer, Isaac children’s exam results has been known Asimov – your future is becoming our to get my adrenalin pumping. reality; what does the new future hold If you could eat one type of food for and where can sci-fi go next? the rest of your life, what would it How has 2017 been for you? be?  at’s easy: Ferrero Rocher. Awesome! I landed the job I want in the Sum up the channel in three words company I want to work for. Challenging, exciting, evolving. What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had?  e business lunches that really stick in my mind are the unusual ones where you really get to know someone. I remember a long-standing customer took me to lunch at a kosher restaurant which was then attached to the Bevis Marks Synagogue in London. She told me some of the history of the Synagogue, that it YOLANTA GILL was the oldest in London and she spoke Chief executive, European openly about her faith and why she Electronique practised, what Kosher meant and why Which tech figurehead do you ALEXA GREAVES it was important to her. It was over 10 admire the most? Meg Whitman. Chief executive, AAG IT Services years ago, but that memory, what we ate She represents the epitome of the Which tech figurehead do you and our conversation has always stayed success that can be achieved by women admire most? I’d say Sir Richard with me. in the channel. Branson – by entering into industries as a Which global city best matches your What’s the biggest challenge facing challenger brand, he brings a level of fun personality? New York – fast-paced, the industry no-one is talking about and energy that inspires and connects intense, never satisfi ed, always moving yet? I think we have enough challenges with his audience. forward, diverse, inclusive, creative, already being talked about, so I’m happy What’s the biggest challenge the tough – the best city in the world. not to add to it. industry is facing that no one is What would be your super-hero If you could invite three famous talking about? Brexit.  ere’s a huge power?  e power of truthfulness. people to dinner, who would they level of uncertainty within the channel Everyone I spoke to had to tell me the be? Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great that few people talk about because no absolute truth, giving a straight answer to and Queen Elizabeth I. one has a solution to it.

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If you could invite three famous will be a small price to pay if we can truly people to dinner, who would they eradicate malaria. be? Gordon Ramsay to liven things up a What’s the biggest challenge bit (and cook a good meal); James Nesbitt facing the industry no-one is because I would want it to be fun; and talking about yet?  e lack of skills – David Bowie. I grew up in the 8-bit glory days of the How has 2017 been for you? A year BBC Micro and the Sinclair ZX of change. machines. Despite “Year of Code” and What’s the most extravagant other initiatives, I’m still not seeing the business lunch you’ve ever been to? required resurgence in enthusiasm in I used to work at JP Morgan Chase, so I engineering and technology. Brexit is went to Minneapolis to take one of my not going to help, either. pension fund clients out for dinner. If you could invite three famous What global city best matches your people to dinner, who would they personality? London – it’s be? Richard Feynman, Beethoven and compassionate, resilient and ready for Alfred the Great. I don’t know that they’d anything. have a lot in common, or if Beethoven What would be your super-hero would be able to hear us enough to join power? Time travel so I could see what in the conversation, but they’re all heroes the world was like at any moment in of mine. history or the future. How has 2017 been for you? Better Complete this sentence. The worst than 2016, not as good as 2018! thing about our rivals is… it’s a shame What’s the most extravagant none of them are run by women. I think business lunch you’ve ever had? As a KAI GRUNWITZ more female leaders would make for a techie, we think of extravagance being Senior vice president, NTT Security more collaborative channel. upgrading from Sainsbury’s to Pret, but Which tech figurehead do you What makes you nervous? I’ve have some pretty tasty lunches when admire the most? First of all, there Questionnaires. other people have being paying. have been multiple great visionaries in If you could eat one food for the rest Which global city best matches your the technology industry, starting with of your life what would it be?  ai. personality? Is Winchester a global city? Conrad Zuse centuries ago, but it is not Sum up the channel in three words Let’s say it is. It’s small, been around a up to me to rate them. However, Unpredictable, challenging, opportunity. long time and has more going on than considering his actions beyond you’d think to look at it. technology and leadership, I would What would be your super-hero select Bill Gates. He has not only power? Teleporting. changed the way we work today, but he Complete this sentence. The worst is also ready to share, and after making a thing about our rivals is… they’re lot of profi t, giving part of that back to such a nice bunch – it feels mean to beat society. A great attitude. them. What’s the biggest challenge facing What makes you nervous? Not much the industry no-one is talking about makes me nervous – other than four yet? Nowadays, we depend more and minutes of time added on when more on machines to help us with Southampton are clinging to a fragile decision-making processes and also we one-goal lead. However, I’m apprehensive let the intelligent systems act on our about the economic and political behalf. Sometimes we should take one RUFUS GRIG upheaval I feel is to come. step back and really think about the level Chief technology & strategy offi cer, If you could eat one type of food for of dependencies we have created. I think Maintel the rest of your life, what would it we still should have human beings acting Which tech figurehead do you be? Curry. Or Italian. Can I go for Italian – machines supporting. admire the most? Bill Gates – not for curry? If you could invite three famous Microsoft Bob or “Clippy” but for what Sum up the channel in three words people to dinner, who would they he’s done post-Microsoft. PowerPoint Necessary. Not evil. be? I love sport and so would invite

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Michael Jordan. I also love history – If you could eat one type of food for especially antiques – so Julius Caesar the rest of your life, what would it would be number two. Last but not least, be? Ras Malai. Sophie Scholl – she inspired with her Sum up the channel in three words courage and, even without a title, Scalable, fl exible, PAYG. changed the world. How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has been a really exciting year so far with a H lot of great experiences – the transformation of NTT Security is a fantastic journey in my professional life and I’m proud to be part of it. What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had? Honestly I prefer more down to earth MUKESH GUPTA and healthy lunches, so it might be a bit Chief executive & founder, e92plus boring, but I can’t remember any Which tech figurehead do you extravagant lunches. admire the most? Elon Musk – he’s Which global city best matches your genuinely attempting to change the world personality? A person can’t be through technology innovation and an described by one trait; it is a combination incredible vision. of multiple facets creating a unique What’s the biggest challenge facing personality. I’m a rock music lover and the industry no-one is talking about the combination of business and music in yet? Skills shortage. Everyone is CLIVE HAILSTONE the Bay Area is very inspirational.  e discussing it, but few (especially in Managing director, Comstor UK & alternative would be beautiful Dublin. government) are doing enough about it. Ireland What would be your super-hero If you could invite three famous Which tech figurehead do you power? A photographic memory, for people to dinner, who would they admire the most? Chuck Robbins, sure.  ere is so much information and be? I’d go for recent history: get Trump, Cisco chief executive. He is directly knowledge out there and I would love to Putin and Kim Jong-un together and that relevant to all at Comstor and has shown be able to memorise as much as would at least solve one problem. an innate ability to take a vision, redefi ne possible, available for later use without a How has 2017 been for you? Too core technologies and business models to search engine. short! So much to do, so little time. underpin digital transformations in the Complete this sentence. The worst What’s the most extravagant coming years, and re-focus an entire thing about our rivals is… It doesn’t business lunch you’ve ever had? It’s global organisation. exist. It’s mainly ourselves that limit our not about the cost or the luxury, but What’s the biggest challenge facing potential and creativity; not any external more the experience. So I’d say the the industry no-one is talking about rival. So there is no excuse – we are fascinating insight I gained and the yet? I’m not sure there is anything that’s responsible for driving our own fate and company I enjoyed when I had the not being talked about somewhere. success. chance to have lunch at Eton with Chris However, I’m beginning to hear talk What makes you nervous? A lot of Patten, the last Governor of Hong Kong. around the personal implications of a things – but currently our inability as a Which global city best matches your world that’s changing increasingly rapidly modern society to overcome century-old personality? London – the heart of to a consumption and subscription-based schemes and have the tendency to fall success and multi-culturalism in the UK. one. How people are focused, rewarded back into silo thinking and isolation. What would be your super-hero and motivated all has to change with it. If you could eat one type of food for power? I take inspiration from Iron Man! If you could invite three famous the rest of your life, what would it Complete this sentence. The worst people to dinner, who would they be?  at’s a hard one. I need two: good thing about our rivals is… when they be? Memorable parties are full of meat and a lot of red fruits/berries. copy us. But we should take that as a laughter, jousting chatter and a little edgy. Sum up the channel in three words compliment. Tommy Cooper, Caligula and Emmeline “Important”, and a “key function” for our What makes you nervous? Trump! Pankhurst round the table would keep go-to-market model. Need I say more? things interesting!

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How has 2017 been for you? Varied, What makes you nervous? Being challenging and rewarding. Business wise driven up a runway at 180mph plus. we saw organisational changes that If you could eat one type of food for brought some disruption the way change the rest of your life, what would it does, but that’s now fi rmly bedded in and be? Sunday roasts. in the past. We’re much more agile, Sum up the channel in three words effi cient and able to service partners Eclectic, fun, diverse. more eff ectively now, so it’s great that the back half has been working with them to solve customer challenges in the way we do best. Personally, I relish the challenges and more than ever this year appreciate Aston Martin and Maserati as he’s the great people I get to work with. quoted. His sheer determination and his What’s the most extravagant ability to make the impossible possible is business lunch you’ve ever had? Me, awe inspiring. extravagance? You need to ask my wife What’s the biggest challenge facing about how I value the simple things in life the industry no-one is talking about most of all. I don’t do fl ouncy and yet? It is just starting to be talked about extravagances. but I’d say it is AI. How do we defend Which global city best matches your against an AI crafted attack, be it a HOWARD HALL personality? Laugh out loud gregarious, DDoS attack or a Malware campaign? Founder/chief executive, DTP optimistic, friendly, open-minded yet a  e ability to morph as defences change Group, and co-founder/chief real rock of a place. Cape Town it is. to stop it and move the threat vector executive, Solutionpath What would be your super-hero with intelligence and with greater speed Which tech figurehead do you power? Time travel. I can indulge my than a human attacker will become a admire the most?  ere are many, all curious side and revisit iconic moments huge challenge. who have re-invented themselves and the in history, look ahead and replay past If you could invite three famous businesses they have run to survive and triumphs – like the moment I became people to dinner, who would they prosper in the long term. 1986 Benghazi Welly  rowing be? Steve Jobs, Princess Diana and Jane What’s the biggest challenge facing Champion. Austen. the industry no-one is talking about Complete this sentence. The worst How has 2017 been for you? yet?  e industry has adopted too much thing about our rivals is… they Incredible. I became a mum in April to a of a supermarket approach to business, occasionally win against us! healthy and happy little girl called focused too heavily on selling on price, What makes you nervous? Forgetting Isabella, promoted Nick Kellaway to and has lost to some extent the ability to anniversaries. Tried it once. Never again. managing director in March while I build the business case for change and If you could eat one type of food for became executive chairman of AVR and selling on value. the rest of your life, what would it another start up, a managed endpoint If you could invite three famous be? Sausage sandwich, brown sauce. security business called Custodian360. people to dinner, who would they Gloucester Old Spot, apple and sage if I What’s the most extravagant be? While they were all still students, Bill was being extravagant. business lunch you’ve ever had?  e Gates, Steve Jobs and Michael Dell. It Sum up the channel in three words Fat Duck in Bray. I’ve been very lucky to would be not only very interesting, but Challenged, adaptable, loyal. be taken there for work a few times now. also well before they developed expensive Which global city best matches your tastes – so a couple of takeaway pizzas personality? Las Vegas – I love a good would suffi ce! HELEN HALL calculated gamble! How has 2017 been for you? Busy. We Executive chairman, AVR What would be your super-hero launched Solutionpath in Australia and International & Custodian 360 power?  e ability to see into the future. the US, so there’s been a lot of travel Which tech figurehead do you Complete this sentence. The worst while doing the day job at DTP as well. admire the most? Elon Musk. He’s thing about our rivals is… there’s not But I’m not complaining. changing the way we drive, enter space enough innovation going on and those What’s the most extravagant and much more. Personally I don’t quite that seemingly only have price as their business lunch you’ve ever had? I’m believe that his cars are the love child of diff erentiator. not sure about most extravagant, but one

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of the most memorable was a HP What’s the biggest challenge facing What makes you nervous? Besides seminar/lunch at Le Manoir, where I was the industry no-one is talking about jellyfi sh and wasps? It would have to be excited to see Raymond Blanc through yet?  is may be a surprising response, the very human response to doing the meeting room window on his mobile but I fi rmly believe it’s security. While something for the fi rst time, because of in the garden, and extremely impressed you might argue that it’s already being course we all want to be successful. when he then came in and shook talked about, it is certainly the biggest If you could eat one type of food for everyone’s hand and thanked them for challenge our industry is facing today, the rest of your life, what would it our patronage! and will continue to face in the future. be? Seafood. Which global city best matches your  e risks will continue to grow at Sum up the channel in three words personality? Boston, MA. unprecedented levels and I am not Innovative, fast-moving, fun. What would be your super-hero convinced that we, as an industry, have a power? Relaxation, or at least it seems plan in place to address the heightened like a necessary super-power required by security risks of ever-more connected most of today’s IT leaders. devices and the rise of the data Complete this sentence. The worst generated. I think we should be talking thing about our rivals is… short-term more about this. focus in too many of them, whether it be If you could invite three famous driven by price driven strategy, or poor people to dinner, who would they comp plans for their sales teams. be? Leonardo da Vinci because he was What makes you nervous? Global equated with genius in so many areas; warming and the impact it seems to be Mozart for a bit of music over dinner; having on the world’s weather. and Marilyn Monroe, because why If you could eat one type of food for wouldn’t you? the rest of your life, what would it How has 2017 been for you? It has be? Buff alo wings, which for those who been challenging, but at the same time JAMES HARDY are not yet acquainted with this US brilliant. I have witnessed our team at Deputy managing director, staple, and whose minds are running wild Stone work incredibly hard, under CCS Media at the description, are chicken wings in a diffi cult industry conditions, and the Which tech figurehead do you spicy sauce. work has been rewarded with some great admire the most? At the moment, I Sum up the channel in three words achievements. would have to say Dion Weisler for the Rapidly changing sector. What’s the most extravagant pro-channel and focused approach he has business lunch you’ve ever had? created at HPI (post-split), which is Fish and chips with an extremely cold clearly paying off . Also, his clarity and glass of chardonnay.  e meal might jargon-free way of communicating is not have been extravagant, but the refreshing. location overlooking Sydney harbour What’s the biggest challenge facing in the sunshine was defi nitely out of the industry no-one is talking about the ordinary. yet?  ere isn’t one overbearing Which global city best matches your challenge facing the industry, just lots of personality? It would have to be Sydney small challenges (opportunities) that face – not only is it one of my favourite cities, organisations at contrasting stages of it is cosmopolitan with lots of buzz but at their life-cycle. If anything, the industry the same time you can fi nd a lot of wide over talks challenges. open spaces and fresh air. If you could invite three famous What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they SIMON HARBRIDGE power? Teleportation – it would save an be? In the interest of light heartedness, I Chief executive, Stone Group inordinate amount of time! will stick with a sports themed dinner: Which tech figurehead do you Complete this sentence. The worst Vincent O’Brien, Sir Matt Busby and admire the most? Elon Musk. I really thing about our rivals is… their great Muhammad Ali. admire his visionary approach to business ideas. But, as ever your greatest rival How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has and the way that he envisions high-level challenges you to bring out the best in been a cracking year!  e CCS Media goals and goes after them. what you do. team have really performed well (again)

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this year and the business continues to be be? Socrates, Cicero and Machiavelli enjoyable. Family life with my wife and – we shouldn’t be short of interesting two children is always fantastic. conversation. What’s the most extravagant How has 2017 been for you? An business lunch you’ve ever had? amazing time of growth and achievement I don’t think I have ever really had an with a group of people I couldn’t be any overly extravagant business lunch. prouder of. Which global city best matches your What’s the most extravagant personality? Barcelona. business lunch you’ve ever had? What would be your super-hero Brunch at the Grand Canyon at the end power?  e ability to fi t more activities of a conference – defi nitely a great way to in to the same amount of time. fi nish an event. Complete this sentence. The worst Which global city best matches your thing about our rivals is… they don’t personality? Hong Kong – an always treat their employees, customers interesting mix of old and new, that loves If you could invite three famous and suppliers as well as we treat ours. food and a deal (and understands that people to dinner, who would they  is refl ects badly on our industry. China will be a signifi cant infl uence for be? Welsh rugby legend Gareth Edwards; What makes you nervous?  e the future). Donald Trump would be good for a thought of spending any amount of time What would be your super-hero laugh; and Nostradamus – I’d tap him up on a boat! power? Being able to emit a controllable for next week’s lottery numbers. If you could eat one type of food for electro-magnetic pulse.  at should get How has 2017 been for you? It’s been the rest of your life, what would it my daughters away from the TV/iPad good. We’ve grown the business again and be? Pasta. Pasta dishes. when it is time to eat, among other uses. have won some great deals particularly in Sum up the channel in three words Complete this sentence. The worst the higher education and legal sectors. It Valuable for customers. thing about our rivals is… they exist. can always be better though. What makes you nervous? Filling in What’s the most extravagant questionnaires that are going to be made business lunch you’ve ever had? public, and hearing the words “I’m just Henley Regatta! As a farmer’s boy it was a popping out to buy some shoes” from bit diff erent to the norm, especially the my wife. dress code. If you could eat one type of food for Which global city best matches the rest of your life, what would it your personality? New York – the city be? Cake – all kinds, preferably with a that never sleeps. I don’t need much disproportionate amount of icing (and an sleep, being a farmer’s boy. I guess it’s in optional joke about just desserts). the genes. Sum up the channel in three words What would be your super-hero Opportunity, longevity, profi tability. power? Being in two places at once JUSTIN HARLING – there are days when this would come Managing director, CAE Technology in handy! Services ROGER HARRY Complete this sentence. The worst Which tech figurehead do you Chief executive, Circle IT thing about our rivals is… that they admire the most? Leonardo da Vinci, a Which tech figurehead do you waste energy focusing on what we’re true visionary who combined technology admire the most? Michael Dell. He is doing rather than improving what and art. a really inspiring guy who has led Dell they’re doing. What’s the biggest challenge facing through signifi cant periods of change What makes you nervous? Sport the industry no-one is talking about and growth including last year’s and competing always make the nerves yet? I think the industry does plenty of acquisition of EMC. go nuts! talking – if anything a little too much – What’s the biggest challenge facing If you could eat one type of food for so I think challenges are pretty well the industry no-one is talking about the rest of your life, what would it covered for the foreseeable future. yet? Hmmm crystal ball time.  e be? Can I class alcohol as a food type? If you could invite three famous cloud… oh no, that’s been done to death. Sum up the channel in three words people to dinner, who would they No idea! Exciting, tough, challenging.

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Complete this sentence. The worst What’s the most extravagant thing about our rivals is… that business lunch you’ve ever had? disappointingly they’re pretty good. Concorde en route to New York. What makes you nervous? Which global city best matches Completing questionnaires. your personality? Hong Kong – it’s If you could eat one type of food for dynamic, multi-cultural, vibrant, the rest of your life, what would it exciting and a bit grubby! be? I could eat lasagne every day. What would be your super-hero Sum up the channel in three words power? Determination. Increasingly thin margins. Complete this sentence. The worst thing about our rivals is… they are always peering over our garden fence… What makes you nervous? Not MARK HATTON winning on Saturday afternoon and Director, Kite Distribution facing the rugby captain. Which tech figurehead do you If you could eat one type of food for admire the most? Sir Tim Berners-Lee. the rest of your life, what would it He did what he did because it was be? Pie ’n’ mash and liquor. possible, not because it was profi table for Sum up the channel in three words him personally. Innovative, agile, cut-throat! What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry no-one is talking about yet?  e security issues likely to arise from driverless cars and the widespread use of robotics. If you could invite three famous GARY HAYCOCK-WEST people to dinner, who would they Chief executive, Blue Cube Security be? Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Mao Which tech figurehead do you Zedong. Given that their ideas and admire the most? Steve Jobs. policies brought complete poverty to the Innovation and strength of conviction. masses and are today discredited, I He wasn’t always a popular fi gure among wonder if after dinner they might have a some of his co-workers but I admire him quiet word with a certain Jeremy from for his vision, determination and risk Islington North. taking, that ultimately paid off . How has 2017 been for you? It has What’s the biggest challenge facing MARTIN HELLAWELL been a year of great development at Kite the industry no-one is talking about Chief executive, Softcat – new people, new vendors, new yet?  e ‘value added distributor’ Which tech figurehead do you admire partners. We are looking forward to 2018 muscling in on the reseller space – then the most? It’s a boring answer but with huge optimism. dictating and pre-negotiating the sell without doubt, Bill Gates. He created the What’s the most extravagant price and reducing margin before most successful IT company in my lifetime business lunch you’ve ever had? engaging a reseller. Maybe the channel and is now using the gains to make a Extravagant lunches are not really my should let resellers do what they do best lasting, positive and signifi cant diff erence thing – I once had a slice of Bakewell tart and what they have been doing for years. to millions of lives across the world. after my Starbucks sandwich if that If you could invite three famous What’s the biggest challenge facing counts. people to dinner, who would they the industry no-one is talking about Which global city best matches your be? Sir Winston Churchill, Margaret yet? Attracting enough good people into personality? Lisbon – it’s old but an  atcher and Steve McQueen. it and particularly females (not just on exciting place to be. How has 2017 been for you? the tech side). What would be your super-hero Fantastic!  is has been a year of change, If you could invite three famous power? It would have to be the ability to development, growth and more people to dinner, who would they fl y – if only to get my own back on the importantly full of opportunity with a be? Jesus, Socrates and Tintin (he had pigeons in Trafalgar Square. sprinkling of fun! some amazing adventures).

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WHO IS TOP OF THE DINNER GUEST WISHLIST? Other popular guests around the dinner table included… Nelson Mandela, with 15 mentions, followed by Apple guru Steve Jobs (11). Britain’s fi rst female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher also featured prominently, with 10 A-List personalities wanting to chat over grilled Dover sole (reportedly her 20% favourite dish).

Political leaders featured highly on our A-Listers’ dinner guest wishlist. Wartime PM Sir Winston Churchill stamped his authority on this question with 23 nominations Best of the rest Albert Einstein (8), Henry VIII (7), Jesus (7), Robin Williams (7), Alan Turing (7), George Best (6), Neil Armstrong (6), Muhammad Ali (5), Charles Darwin (4), Diana, Princess of Wales (4), Sir Alex Ferguson (4), Ada Lovelace (4), Martin Luther King (4), Marilyn Monroe (4), Queen Elizabeth I (4), William Shakespeare (4)

How has 2017 been for you? Kelway would not have been so If you could invite three famous Transitional. successful had it not been for Softcat (i.e. people to dinner, who would they What’s the most extravagant we pushed each other on).  e same is be? Shakespeare, George Orwell and business lunch you’ve ever had?  e defi nitely true in reverse. Isaac Asimov. tasting menu at Le Gavroche with Mike What makes you nervous? Pretty How has 2017 been for you? Norris, and Microsoft’s Simon Witts and much everything; I’m scared of my own Excellent. Chris Lewis in 1995 just after we got Bill shadow. But being nervous has its What’s the most extravagant Gates to do the Computacenter Windows advantages. business lunch you’ve ever had? 95 launch. If you could eat one type of food for Cheese and onion toasty. Which global city best matches your the rest of your life, what would it Which global city best matches your personality? Naples – run down, dull be? Edible. As you can see I love my food. personality? London. and increasingly smelly. Sum up the channel in three words What would be your super-hero What would be your super-hero Better than ever. power? No disease, no poverty. power? My memory for anything anyone has ever said to me in Softcat. Or at least my recollection of what they said JOE HEMANI which is always right. Chairman, Westcoast Complete this sentence. The worst Which tech figurehead do you thing about our rivals is… they still admire the most? Bill Gates for his exist. Only joking (sort of). Generally I philanthropy. have nothing but admiration for our key What’s the biggest challenge facing competitors and we need a healthy the industry no-one is talking about channel fi lled with outstanding yet? Skills shortage and a blinkered companies. Phil Doye used to say to me government. Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com

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Complete this sentence. The worst How has 2017 been for you? Like Kingston team every day: respect, loyalty, thing about our rivals is… Rivals are every other year preceding, tough, integrity, fl exibility and adaptability, necessary and they are not bad. competitive, continual investment in investing in employees and having fun at What makes you nervous? Journalists. change but full of opportunity for those work in the company of friends. If you could eat one type of food for with commercial ambition and market What’s the biggest challenge facing the rest of your life, what would it anticipation. the industry no-one is talking about be? Fruit. What’s the most extravagant yet?  e Fourth Industrial Revolution. Sum up the channel in three words business lunch you’ve ever had? If you could invite three famous Exciting, exciting, exciting. Egg and chips! For me it is the bottle of people to dinner, who would they wine and the company that turns a be? Sir Winston Churchill, Steve Jobs normal business lunch into something and Henry VIII. more exorbitant. How has 2017 been for you? Which global city best matches your Interesting, with lots of change and fun! personality? London. A cosmopolitan What’s the most extravagant city, vibrant, fun, industrious, diverse of business lunch you’ve ever had? In character, home to the greatest football New York with a key supplier (day trip!). team on earth. Which global city best matches your What would be your super-hero personality? Sydney. power? Omnipotence! I would only use What would be your super-hero it for good… honest. power? To be able to fl y. LEE HEMANI Complete this sentence. The worst Complete this sentence. The worst Chief executive, XMA thing about our rivals is… when they thing about our rivals is… we don’t Which tech figurehead do you beat XMA in a “must-win” deal. Let’s be meet for lunch! admire the most? Clive Sinclair. I was honest, it happens to us all; no channel What makes you nervous? Heights! an 80s kid; the ZX spectrum was my fi rst partner is an exclusive winner. (See super-hero power) computer. Sinclair created the What makes you nervous? When my If you could eat one type of food for renaissance that took computing into the wife picks up my phone! the rest of your life, what would it homes of the UK’s young men and If you could eat one type of food for be? Avocados. women. He set the path for these young the rest of your life, what would it Sum up the channel in three words people to drive the UK tech market. We be? Tapas (that way you can still get a Fluid, dynamic, changing. should be proud of our homegrown tech little bit of everything). innovators. His next invention, the C5, Sum up the channel in three words was crap though! Evolution is survival. What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry no-one is talking about yet?  e market is consolidating, consumption models are developing at speed, and service models are changing. We all (should) know and be talking about this. I am keen to see what the other stakeholders in this list are going to say what the industry is not talking about. If you could invite three famous ROBERT HERJAVEC people to dinner, who would they Founder & chief executive, be? Samuel Pepys, the greatest diarist of ANDREW HENDERSON Herjavec Group our age. I am currently reading his Chief executive, Simms Which tech figurehead do you unabridged diaries – he was a very International admire the most? Bob Metcalfe, the interesting, funny and gregarious man; Which tech figurehead do you inventor of Ethernet.  e idea of two Rik Mayall of Young Ones and Bottom admire the most? John Tu, president computers talking over a network to each fame (hilarious, creative and very and co-founder of Kingston Technology, other or a printer is taken for granted intelligent); and Paul Daniels (a little because of the values he has instilled in today but without Ethernet the modern close-up magic for the diners). the company’s culture that are lived by the network would not exist today. Alessia Pierdomenico / Shutterstock.com

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What’s the biggest challenge facing Everything starts from selling something. the industry no-one is talking about What’s the biggest challenge facing yet? Ownership of data – if you have my the industry no-one is talking about data and you get breached, has someone yet? Reskilling of most of the people in in eff ect stolen my property? Was my the industry – vendor and cloud side – to data ever your data? Who had ownership have the right skillset for a new digital age. of it and is responsible? If you could invite three famous If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they people to dinner, who would they be? My father as he died when I was 24 be? Alexander the Great, Jesus and and I never got to know him man to man; Nikola Tesla – a warrior, a motivational Jesus; and Mohammed. leader, and an inventor. It would be an How has 2017 been for you? Very interesting evening. busy, interesting and challenging. Helping How has 2017 been for you? OCSL to evolve and become a strong Incredible. Herjavec Group is automating cloud-based services company. and advancing its services like never What’s the most extravagant the industry no-one is talking about before. I am so proud of our team. We’ve business lunch you’ve ever had? yet? Battery life – I suppose many users expanded across the US and UK and are I can’t say, it will get me into trouble! are talking about this, but that’s because doing as much business outside of Which global city best matches your manufacturers have still not fi xed it.  is Canada as we are in region. It’s amazing personality? London as it satisfi es my is a huge challenge. Improve battery life growth and we’ve got a great team. professional side and Brighton as it and a whole new world of tech becomes Which global city best matches your matches free spirit. more relevant. I mean, has anyone personality? Vancouver and Los Angeles What would be your super-hero managed to get a standard iPhone battery – I love the views and the sunshine. power? To make everyone happy. to last a day yet? What would be your super-hero Complete this sentence. The worst If you could invite three famous power? I’d want to fl y! thing about our rivals is… trying to people to dinner, who would they What makes you nervous? Very little poach your best people. be? Steve Jobs, Ayrton Senna and Rob makes me nervous. What makes you nervous? First dates! Hall (talented high-altitude mountaineer If you could eat one type of food for I haven’t had one in a while though as I who died on Everest in the 1996 disaster). the rest of your life, what would it am happily married. How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has be? Soup – it sounds crazy but I order If you could eat one type of food for been another great year for us. We are soup everywhere I go. the rest of your life, what would it forecasting signifi cant growth once again, Sum up the channel in three words be? Doner kebabs with chili sauce. exceeding all of our targets. We have Partnership, momentum, winning. Sum up the channel in three words made great strides with our Microsoft Keep on changing. Azure off ering, having grown it by 153 per cent year-on-year and we have forged new in-roads into product sets such as GUY HOCKING Dynamics 365 and Power BI. Group managing director, What’s the most extravagant Utilize and Ignite Business business lunch you’ve ever had? Communications 350m up in the revolving restaurant of Which tech figurehead do you the Stratosphere, Las Vegas. admire the most? In current times, it Which global city best matches has to be Satya Nadella. His journey is your personality? Instinctively, I want similar to mine, having started off in a to say Vegas because I love it so much. MARTIN HESS technical role and worked his way up to a But the closest match to my personality Chairman, OCSL top position. What really inspires me is probably Cape Town with that blend Which tech figurehead do you about Nadella is his introverted, of adventure and city culture that I love admire the most? Alan Turing as he analytical approach and his so much. was a genius and a pioneer born into the determination to develop a learning What would be your super-hero wrong age. Also,  omas Watson Sr as culture at the heart of Microsoft. power? Teleportation.  e amount of he saw the importance of selling. What’s the biggest challenge facing time I have spent in airports and train

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stations I could probably count in years. impact on retailers in the future, but there is no denying the nerves that I’d still want to retain the BA air miles especially smaller fi rms who provide kick in every time I stand up in front of a though! (Of course, the honest answer is valuable work experience and skills. crowd. I tell myself it’s all part of growing! x-ray vision!) If you could invite three famous If you could eat one type of food for Complete this sentence. The worst people to dinner, who would they the rest of your life, what would it thing about our rivals is… their be? Stephen Fry, Simon Sinek and Bill be? My wife’s homemade curry. Nothing short-sighted willingness to win on cost Gates. reminds me of home more! while failing to win on value.  e short How has 2017 been for you? A little Sum up the channel in three words (and annoying) game. bit like a dream, with so many cool new Excitement, fun, kaizen. What makes you nervous? Flying. It’s clients, from leading-edge defence fi rms the lack of control. I think I would much to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club, to rather be fl ying the plane (even though the creative minds behind the Strictly I’m not a pilot). So, I guess that means that Come Dancing and Dancing on Ice “not being in control” makes me nervous! opening sequences. Not to mention If you could eat one type of food for seeing our systems land in Dubai for the the rest of your life, what would it fi rst time ever. I love thinking of Utopia’s be? Curry. Without any hesitation. I love systems making all of this happen! a hot curry (Naga or Vindaloo). What’s the most extravagant Sum up the channel in three words business lunch you’ve ever had? I’m Diverse, changing, opportunity. lucky enough to have some very kind vendors who have treated me to all sorts, however I have to give a shout out to my local restaurant based in Ayrshire DONAVAN HUTCHINSON College, the Salt & Barrel.  e food is Managing director UK & amazing and has the menu of a top-class International, PCM UK restaurant in London. Best of all it’s run Which tech figurehead do you by students, so it provides them with admire the most? Satya Nadella. Satya fantastic industry experience, and it sets the bar high with his strategy for doesn’t hurt your wallet too much either! Microsoft and is a key leader I follow Which global city best matches your closely. As an entrepreneur he has helped personality? While I’ve never been, I Microsoft’s transformation and kept think it would have to be Sydney. With its Microsoft relevant and the leader in the mixed pace of life, the fact it doesn’t take marketplace with innovation. His itself too seriously and it’s happy to methodologies surrounding change indulge in a beer at a moment’s notice management, business transformation CRAIG HUME make it a good match for me. and overall execution to strategy across Managing director, Utopia What would be your super-hero all pillars of focus sets the stage for the Computers power? Living in Scotland, Atmokinesis rest of the tech industry. Which tech figurehead do you (yeah, I Googled that too) would be What’s the biggest challenge facing admire the most? Sheryl Sandberg, pretty handy! Being able to control the the industry no-one is talking about self-made billionaire and one of the most weather would mean no more rained-off yet? I would say the impacts to the infl uential women in the world. I have an BBQs, something I have had a few too modern workforce as we introduce the eight-year-old daughter and I would love many of in 2017! evolving AI capabilities through for there to be more women like this to Complete this sentence. The worst technology. show her anything is possible. thing about our rivals is… they are too If you could invite three famous What’s the biggest challenge facing nice, but I would not have it any other people to dinner, who would they the industry no-one is talking about way! I love meeting up with the be? Anne Frank, Martin Luther King and yet? AI taking over retail customer competition, chatting about what we are Christopher Reeve. service/human jobs. A lot of the time all up to and laughing about some of our How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has we’re already speaking to AI through live adventures. been an exceptional, challenging and chat software for example, and we don’t What makes you nervous? Public rewarding year. Creating a business from even know it.  is could have a signifi cant speaking. I love doing it and do it often, scratch is never easy; however, we have

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managed to achieve so much in a short Complete this sentence. The worst space of time. I’m excited for the future of J thing about our rivals is… they go PCM UK and our overall international bust and reappear in the channel every strategy. Having nearly 200 employees in few years with a similar company name the UK across fi ve locations is way and similar off ering. beyond what we anticipated originally. What makes you nervous? Other than We are continuing to take market share my wife, not a lot. and creating brand awareness in the UK If you could eat one type of food for and European market, which is yielding the rest of your life, what would it great return to our wider organisation in be? Chinese buff et – lots of choice and a supporting our international clients. good mixed diet. What’s the most extravagant Sum up the channel in three words business lunch you’ve ever had? I’m Dynamic, pioneering, exciting. not a huge fan of extravagant lunches or dinner parties. I prefer a good homely meal although to answer your question I DEREK JONES would say having lunch at the top of the Managing director, Synaxon UK Willis Tower in Chicago is pretty Which tech figurehead do you amazing, given the views! admire the most?  is can only be Bill Which global city best matches your Gates. Having been in the tech channel personality? Chicago, Chicago, from the mid 80s, I grew up with Chicago! Not only one of my most Microsoft, from MS-DOS through to favourite places in the world – the people Windows and now Offi ce 365. I guess and overall culture there is great – the that like so many of us, I owe my career winters may be brutal but the summers to Mr Gates. are by far the best and there’s always What’s the biggest challenge facing something going on around the city. the industry no-one is talking about LAWRENCE JONES MBE What would be your super-hero yet? People are talking about it but we Founder/chief executive, UKFast power? I would say that my ability to have not even scratched the surface Which tech figurehead do you react fast and also be able to blend easily around the ‘Internet of Everything’. admire the most? Sir Richard Branson. into any situation is one of my If you could invite three famous While some people would say he isn’t superpowers. I love to engage with people to dinner, who would they tech, if trying to get a spaceship to carry people and to understand challenges and be? Adolf Hitler (to ask why?), Sir passengers into orbit isn’t tech I don’t fi nd out ways to fi x them. Winston Churchill (to ask why?), and know what is. He remains humble, is a Complete this sentence. The worst Nelson Mandela (to referee). brilliant leader and a massive infl uence to thing about our rivals is… their ability How has 2017 been for you? so many entrepreneurs. to react quickly to market changes. Computing as a service is incredible. What’s the biggest challenge facing What makes you nervous? Digital We are on the crest of a wave – a year the industry no-one is talking about transformation and AI as we become of change. yet?  e companies who are taking more reliant on technology for everyday What’s the most extravagant advantage of it by not contributing to needs and how this will impact the business lunch you’ve ever had? In countries and communities. Avoiding tax millennials. South Korea as a guest of Samsung. and giving nothing back. If you could eat one type of food for Incredible people, fantastic organisation. If you could invite three famous the rest of your life, what would it Which global city best matches your people to dinner, who would they be? Avocado. It’s one of the only food personality? Las Vegas. Great fun, be? I’ve been lucky enough to meet the types that you can eat and survive on, maybe a tad fl amboyant at times, but people I’ve really wanted to meet, having all the good and bad fats, amino always focused on improving customer although I was disappointed never to acids and also nutrients to give a experience and always prepared to take meet Nelson Mandela. I quite enjoy just balanced diet. But it also goes with so a punt. having dinner with my family and many other foods. What would be your super-hero friends, so I’ll stick with them. Sum up the channel in three words power? Being able to predict (accurately) How has 2017 been for you? It’s been Fragmented, hyper-growth, present. the future. amazing. An exciting journey, new

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people, new buildings and developing the co-founders and co-owners of Kingston leadership team.  ere are so many Technology. Kingston is celebrating 30 exciting things happening. years in business this month and John What’s the most extravagant continues to inspire everyone who business lunch you’ve ever had? All meets him. of them because my chef, Ben, is What’s the biggest challenge facing amazing. I tend to avoid really posh the industry no-one is talking about restaurants. I love the Wild Food Café yet? We have many challenges ahead of when I’m in London. us, but looking at what has happened Which global city best matches your over the past 18 months that I don’t personality? Manchester, because it’s think anyone could have predicted, who always striving to improve and works knows what the next biggest challenge hard to stay in the game. It’s always will be. challenging the bigger players and thrives If you could invite three famous on that role. Warren Avis once said: “I people to dinner, who would they love being number two, because it makes be? Florence Nightingale, Emmeline us work harder.” Pankhurst and Margaret  atcher. What would be your super-hero How has 2017 been for you? It’s been power? I already have one. When the challenging for several reasons including phone rings I always seem to know who global shortages and channel it’s going to be! consolidation but it has also been Complete this sentence. The worst exciting – we have had new products, MICHAEL KEEGAN thing about our rivals is… they new partners, we have found many new Head of EMEIA product business continuously try to copy us. opportunities to expand our business, and chairman, UK & Ireland, What makes you nervous? Public and we have continued to grow in 2017. Fujitsu speaking straight after a long holiday What’s the most extravagant Which tech figurehead do you and high mountains with a drop on business lunch you’ve ever had? admire the most? Meg Whitman. both sides. Helicopter/Monaco/super yacht/Grand Meg has had an amazing career, not If you could eat one type of food for Prix/vintage champoo. least recently at eBay and then HP the rest of your life, what would it Which global city best matches where she has brought about be? Anything dairy free. your personality? Based on the transformational change. Sum up the channel in three words previous answer, Monaco! But actually, What’s the biggest challenge facing Really bloody complicated! London is really the city that best the industry no-one is talking about matches my personality and I love yet? Legacy.  ere is a lot of focus on living here. digitalisation, but there is still a large K What would be your super-hero number of really old systems out there power?  e power to heal. with a shrinking population of people Complete this sentence. The worst who understand how to keep them going. thing about our rivals is… they are all If you could invite three famous nice people, well respected and good at people to dinner, who would they their jobs! be? Ada Lovelace – being the fi rst What makes you nervous? Large scary computer programmer and fi rst female in wild animals such as cows and horses… the burgeoning IT industry, in a world if I’m running or walking across farmland dominated by men, must have been a real I go out of my way and sometimes climb challenge; General George S Patton – I fences (yesterday!) to avoid having to go have a passion for understanding the near them. lessons from the war to ensure we do not ANN KEEFE If you could eat one type of food repeat the same mistakes; John Lydon Regional director – UK & Ireland, for the rest of your life, what would – otherwise known as Jonny Rotten from Kingston Technology it be? Indian. the Sex Pistols.  e punk era changed the Which tech figurehead do you Sum up the channel in three words music scene forever and left an indelible admire the most? John Tu, one of the I love you! mark on me.

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How has 2017 been for you? A great manufacturers are not being honest with year, when we have been starting to see their partners in the need to change to the fruits of our labour over the past few annuity type services as they still need years and have returned the Fujitsu “book and bill” business.  eir behaviour product business in EMEIA to growth. is not changing for the better. What’s the most extravagant If you could invite three famous business lunch you’ve ever had? In people to dinner, who would they the days of high margins, our suppliers be? Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein used to buy us lavish lunches at Michelin- and Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Newton would starred restaurants. Now it is a sandwich be amazed by Einstein confi rming all at Costa, if at all! Newton’s work and they in turn would be Which global city best matches amazed by the power of the web invented your personality? Helsinki – dark by Berners-Lee! most of the year and full of badly How has 2017 been for you? All the dressed people… if my management businesses in which I am involved are team is anything to go by! doing well commercially. My golf What would be your super-hero handicap has gone the wrong way but power? Seeing the future – it would new friends and new wines were all make our forecast reviews a lot easier! discovered. Complete this sentence. The worst What’s the most extravagant thing about our rivals is… that business lunch you’ve ever had? customers buy from them. Flying to Sydney for lunch specifi cally What makes you nervous? When my designed for the four of us and fl ying wife is in a bad mood – I know that back within 24 hours was madness but somehow it will be my fault. great food and ridiculously expensive. yet? Recruitment. It’s becoming harder If you could eat one type of food for Which global city best matches your to fi nd great people. the rest of your life, what would it personality? Rome. It’s simply madness If you could invite three famous be? Curry and red wine – it may not be a but great wine, Italian women and food! people to dinner, who would they long life, but at least I would enjoy it. What would be your super-hero be? Jack Duckworth, George Best and Sum up the channel in three words power? Delboy as Batman! Sid Vicious. My best friends. Complete this sentence. The worst How has 2017 been for you? A thing about our rivals is… giving away fantastic year. Great growth and no signs their intellectual property free of charge of slowing down. from the onset. What’s the most extravagant What makes you nervous? Watching business lunch you’ve ever had? At Fellaini playing for United when he the British GP with Team Mercedes and shouldn’t be! Epson. If you could eat one type of food for Which global city best matches your the rest of your life, what would it personality? MADCHESTER. be? Italian. What would be your super-hero Sum up the channel in three words power? To make people disappear. Too inward looking. Complete this sentence. The worst TOM KELLY thing about our rivals is… they’re still Chairman, Agilitas around. Which tech figurehead do you JAMES KIGHT What makes you nervous? Flying in admire the most? Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Chief executive, Printerland small planes. Where would we be now with no Which tech figurehead do you If you could eat one type of food for internet? He has changed the face of the admire the most? Myself – a pioneer in the rest of your life, what would it world. e-commerce before the crowd arrived, be? Japanese, on the basis it’s meant to What’s the biggest challenge facing and not a bit cocky! add years to your life. the industry no-one is talking about What’s the biggest challenge facing Sum up the channel in three words yet?  e majority of the large old-style the industry no-one is talking about Dynamic, consistent, boring.

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which have been overhyped, in many cases by interested parties. If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they be? Emil Zatopek for revolutionising middle-distance running while making good friends of all his major rivals, even as he succeeded. I’m sure that he would be a hoot; Isambard Kingdom Brunel, a giant of British engineering and an idol that I would love to meet; Elizabeth Garret Anderson, a pioneering physician, political activist and suff ragette, who in the 19th century forced the British Medical Register to accept women doctors. She must have some fascinating stories to tell. How has 2017 been for you? A lot busier than I expected or planned. IAN KILPATRICK Nuvias’ growth has exceeded KELVIN KIRBY EVP cyber security, Nuvias expectations, and cyber security growth Chief executive, Technology Which tech figurehead do you has been a signifi cant component of that. Associates admire the most? Bill Hewlett,  e group’s cyber security team and I Which tech figurehead do you co-founder of HP. He had a continual have been extremely busy launching admire the most? I have several but the desire to inspire and deliver excellence, products across multiple countries. two that stand out for me are Elon Musk, with a belief that excellence would deliver What’s the most extravagant who is a superb visionary and innovator success. Alongside Dave Packard, he also business lunch you’ve ever had? and Bill Gates. Bill’s vision and his fashioned the “HP Way”, as a structure for  anks to a great vendor incentive, it was original company, Microsoft, are the mutual respect, teamwork, achievement sitting on a yacht in Monaco harbour, on reason I’m where I am today. and integrity, to inspire and build a a bright sunny day, with the Formula 1 What’s the biggest challenge facing profi table business. I am still motivated track six feet away. I was having a great the industry no-one is talking about by his principles, albeit with diff erent lunch and listening to Felipe Massa yet? For me the biggest challenge is in goals for business achievement. describe qualifying just before he headed the sales process – as a society we have What’s the biggest challenge facing off for the race. moved from face-to-face selling to online, the industry no-one is talking about Which global city best matches your impersonal selling. Some 78 per cent of yet? Squirrel syndrome.  e biggest personality? Glasgow. It’s sociable, but people transacting an online sale have short-term existential threats that the certainly not laid back. already made up their mind to buy when majority of businesses, including the What would be your super-hero they go online to make the purchase. channel, face are cyber security threats. power? Time travel. I could do with We’ve lost the art of the face-to-face And there is minimal discussion of how turning the clock back a bit. I’m too selling process, and maybe that’s gone squirrel syndrome, the ability to be easily young to be an industry veteran! forever. I think the purchaser’s sales distracted by the latest bright and shiny Complete this sentence. The worst experience will be determined largely by item, coupled with the squirrel’s thing about our rivals is… that too the after sales process in the future – that legendary inability to make a decision (as many of them, who I respected, have care and after-sales support that buyers witnessed by the amount of squirrel been acquired and dismantled. get after the purchase, rather that in the roadkill) aff ects business capability. Time What makes you nervous? Politicians. run up to making the purchase decision. after time, I see good solid businesses, If you could eat one type of food for For many companies that means a shift in with good management, failing to take the rest of your life, what would it emphasis we haven’t yet seen most appropriate strategic or even tactical be?  ai food. I love cooking it and I love companies make yet, and a change in decisions to protect their business, eating it. skillsets that will need to be addressed. because they have been distracted by Sum up the channel in three words If you could invite three famous bright and shiny cyber security threats, Exciting, challenging, appreciative. people to dinner, who would they

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be? Albert Einstein, because he has there is a worst thing about our rivals. yet?  e true cost of cloud, not just always fascinated me; Abraham Lincoln, Genuinely, if they are rivals, they’re at the fi nancial. because he always had an answer for top of their game (as are we) and will If you could invite three famous everything, and kept a remarkably cool really know their stuff . Secretly I people to dinner, who would they air about him; and then it would have sometimes admire what they do – but be? Adolf Hitler (I would only have two to be Cleopatra, because of her style don’t tell them that, obviously! And for for dinner after he walked in the door); and leadership. the rest of those who “think” they might Michael Jackson (before the surgery); How has 2017 been for you? be our competition, they really aren’t and my grandma (I would just like Interesting, a few challenges (as always). because they don’t have the same skillset, another chat). We’ve seen more and more competition quality of service or track record that we How has 2017 been for you? in the services space, especially in have, so they just can’t compete on the Challenging. training.  e advent of free training from same level. Customer satisfaction and What’s the most extravagant Microsoft has impacted our ability to sell value are our primary motivators in this business lunch you’ve ever had? post deployment training services into business. Working with customers that Nobu, the best sushi in the world, and we our customers much more than we tell me (us) what a fantastic job we’re don’t do it often enough. thought it would.  e uncertainty over doing for them is what makes me get up Which global city best matches your Brexit remains and an election this year in the mornings. It’s a high that you can’t personality? Las Vegas. Anything you didn’t do much to help that situation. get any other way! want any time you want it. However, this has been a good year. I What makes you nervous? A visit What would be your super-hero have won several awards personally from my mother-in-law! power? Teleportation. It takes too long including CEO of the Year (again), and If you could eat one type of food for to get to Vegas! the company has also picked up a string the rest of your life, what would it Complete this sentence. The worst of awards, and business remains good, be? Chicken – I could honestly live on thing about our rivals is… their staff even in a very challenging environment. chicken! don’t work for us yet! What’s the most extravagant Sum up the channel in three words What makes you nervous? People. You business lunch you’ve ever had? Ah Fun, unpredictable, community. never know what they are going to do. – I can remember it now, even though it If you could eat one type of food for was about 16 years ago.  e Swallow the rest of your life, what would it hotel in Birmingham. I was invited for L be? Fruit. Better than chocolate. lunch (with my wife) by a business Sum up the channel in three words colleague. He’d just won two major @#!%ing hard work! contracts and we were involved. It took us the entire afternoon and we had a diff erent wine with each of the seven courses! So glad I wasn’t paying! Which global city best matches your personality? London or New York. I’m very cosmopolitan.  is business has enabled me to have friends all over the world – I believe I have strong energy and stamina, so staying up all night (if I JONATHAN LASSMAN have to) isn’t a problem, even now. Managing director, Epaton Although I will suff er for it a couple of (NoTape) LOAY LAWRENCE days later! Oh and Paris for when I’m Which tech figurehead do you Commercial & communications feeling “romantic”! admire the most? It’s a name you may director, Vohkus What would be your super-hero not be familiar with but Jeff Prince (the Which tech figurehead do you power? Being psychic! I don’t think I founder of Foundry Networks) is top of admire the most?  ere has to be a need to explain that do I? Or should you my list. Basically he has done it start to variety of people; here are some of them. have seen that one coming? fi nish by being the nicest most humble  e team at NASA that got Apollo 11 to Complete this sentence. The worst guy you could ever meet. the moon and back; Sir James Hamilton thing about our rivals is…  is may What’s the biggest challenge facing who was a key fi gure in the development sound like a get out, but I don’t believe the industry no-one is talking about of Concorde; Bill Gates from Microsoft;

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Richard Noble for  rust SSC and now for his recent challenge Bloodhound; and Steve Jobs for changing the way we communicate. What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry no-one is talking about yet?  e acknowledgment that the industry is moving to an annuity revenue platform as opposed to an outright purchase. If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they be? David Bowie, George Orwell and What’s the biggest challenge facing RICHARD LOCKEY Michael Foot. the industry no-one is talking about UK country manager, Crayon How has 2017 been for you? It has yet? I think some of the vendor partners Which tech figurehead do you been a growth period for Vohkus, and we have all relied on for many years may admire the most? Elon Musk. He changing challenges. not even exist in fi ve years.  is will drives new business models and has a What is the most extravagant cause all of us to re-evaluate the core of very ‘genuine’ approach to business… business lunch you have ever had? what we do. albeit a very ambitious approach. Obviously not memorable as I cannot If you could invite three famous What’s the biggest challenge facing remember. Fine dining is not a passion of people to dinner, who would they the industry no-one is talking about mine; it is mainly good company that be? Margaret  atcher, Muhammad Ali yet? I think the biggest challenge is going make the lunch. and Martin Hellawell! to be a shortage of skills. While the topic Which global city best matches How has 2017 been for you? Great has been discussed, the speed of your personality? Bilbao (only because actually. I think it fair to say that things evolution and lack of professional and I’ve been there recently). It boasts have turned out much better than we structured qualifi cations in many exceptional food, great wine, fantastic expected they might at the beginning of instances is frightening and I don’t think museum (Guggenheim), and great golf the year. the full implications have hit home yet. courses nearby. What’s the most extravagant If you could invite three famous What would be your super-hero business lunch you’ve ever had? people to dinner, who would they power? Time travel, as it would make Recently I ordered additional chicken be? George Best, James Dean and Sir forecasting easier. nuggets on top of my Big Mac meal… Winston Churchill. Complete this sentence. The worst Which global city best matches your How has 2017 been for you? Very thing about our rivals is… I like them. personality? I’m known to like the positive and great to have a clear vision What makes you nervous? Family and occasional trip to Las Vegas, so let’s go ahead.  e team has uncovered some knowing that they are both safe and with that. very good opportunities and we have a cared for. What would be your super-hero strong presence in the market. If you could eat one type of food for power? I think being invisible would What’s the most extravagant the rest of your life, what would it bring some obvious benefi ts to a father of business lunch you’ve ever had? I be? Lebanese due to the variety of two young girls. wouldn’t class myself as an extravagant textures and tastes. Complete this sentence. The worst type of guy.  e most extravagant Sum up the channel in three words thing about our rivals is… they keep lunches I have had in my career have Diverse, challenging, unpredictable. trying to steal our customers! probably been in Rules or Scott’s – both What makes you nervous? My in London. My colleagues would say that children, for all sorts of reasons. extravagant for me is lunch at Vicarage DAN LAWS If you could eat one type of food for Road (home of Watford FC) in the Managing director, CDW UK the rest of your life, what would it corporate box – although more often Which tech figurehead do you be? Roast chicken. I’m pretty sure I have than not, I would leave disappointed with admire the most? Bill Gates. His chicken, in one form or another, every the outcome. philanthropic work is without equal and day! Which global city best matches your he still manages to stay connected and Sum up the channel in three words personality? New York. Energetic and relevant within Microsoft. Innovative, robust, reliable. enthusiastic – it always has lots of

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diff erent things to explore and do to keep How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has Italian because I could eat bread and me occupied. been a year of massive growth for us as a pasta every day. What would be your super-hero company, which means my year has been Sum up the channel in three words power?  e ability to see into the future. challenging and chaotic, but in such an Collaboration meets innovation. Complete this sentence. The worst inspiring way. thing about our rivals is… when they What’s the most extravagant claim to be customer centric but are not. business lunch you’ve ever had? It What makes you nervous? Knowing was actually with a journalist. It was early that there are so many organisations who on in my career, when I was trying to still ignore software consumption and establish myself in the UK market and don’t realise the consequences. It’s a connecting with as many journalists and similar feeling I get when I watch my kids analysts as possible. One journalist playing – they have no fear! agreed to meet with me over lunch and If you could eat one type of food for suggested he pick the location. Naïvely, I the rest of your life, what would it agreed. Since I didn’t know the local be? I’m afraid it would be a curry. restaurant scene, I had no cause to MARTIN LULHAM Sum up the channel in three words correct his choice of a Michelin-starred Managing director, M-Tech Systems A crowded market. restaurant and turned up with more than Which tech figurehead do you a surprised look on my face. He later admire the most? Satya Nadella for his explained that he used introduction bold attitude to changing the company. meetings as a way to cross restaurants off What’s the biggest challenge facing his bucket list. Let’s just say, when people the industry no-one is talking mention paying for PR, there is nothing about yet? Traditional IP routing in that comes to mind faster than that meal! an IoT world. Which global city best matches your If you could invite three famous personality? London. As a transplant people to dinner, who would they from the US, I am drawn to this city. It be? Neil Armstrong, Bill Shankly and off ers such a great dichotomy between Tyrion Lannister! the old and the new. I am able to maintain How has 2017 been for you? VERA LOFTIS a footing in both camps, and I think that Challenging. Cuts in education have Managing director, Bluewolf is very much me. I am a Gemini, so I catalysed us into new verticals and new Which tech figurehead do you blame it on that, but I always feel like I am products. Result: a good year! admire the most? Elon Musk. I think operating between two worlds: American What’s the most extravagant he is one of the great innovators of our born, but English made. I embody an business lunch you’ve ever had? time, yet he still maintains a commitment entrepreneurial sense of start-up in one of Abu Dhabi Grand Prix; off the scale! to his employees and to the general the world’s largest organisations. I feel Which global city best matches your public through his philanthropy. both young and so old at the same time. I personality? Dubai: cutting edge with a What’s the biggest challenge facing am an optimist-realist. sprinkling of craziness. the industry no-one is talking about What would be your super-hero What would be your super-hero yet? Innovating our vision of the power? I am in sales, so it would be the power? Flying – then I wouldn’t need workforce.  ere is a lot of talk about AI power to read people’s minds. a drone. and streamlining jobs when it comes to Complete this sentence. The worst Complete this sentence. The worst tech, but the truth is we will always need thing about our rivals is… they don’t thing about our rivals is… that they are people. Companies need to start thinking even realise we’re eating their lunch! pretty convinced we can’t all go for a beer! about the ‘new employee’ as much as What makes you nervous? Idleness. I What makes you nervous? Big cloud they think about their digital roadmap. think in this age of multitasking, with infrastructure purchasing decisions while If you could invite three famous the pressure to be productive, the idea on a spiral staircase. people to dinner, who would they of doing nothing actually makes me If you could eat one type of food for be? As a lover of literature – and quite anxious. the rest of your life, what would it champagne – it would have to be If you could eat one type of food for be? Curry… is it lunchtime yet?! Dorothy Parker, Ernest Hemmingway the rest of your life, what would it Sum up the channel in three words and F Scott Fitzgerald. be? Carbs. I think I was meant to be Enjoying the GDPR.

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If you could eat one type of food for was not the absence of fear, but the the rest of your life, what would it triumph over it”; and Margaret  atcher. be? My grandma’s rice pudding… an Whatever you think about her politics, Irish classic. her focus and determination were Sum up the channel in three words admirable.  e fi rst woman to lead a Innovative, collaborative, disruptive. major political party in the UK would be a quite remarkable dinner guest. How has 2017 been for you? Exciting M so far! After spending 10 years in international roles, it’s great to be back in the UK – especially at such a pivotal time. As Industry 4.0 emerges, our customers are looking to transform how their teams collaborate, engage with their customers, and continually optimise their SHAUN LYNN operations. Chief executive, Agilitas What’s the most extravagant Which tech figurehead do you business lunch you’ve ever had? admire the most? Elon Musk. A true Actually, I can’t even think of one – I innovator not afraid of disruption. think in virtually all sectors, tech What’s the biggest challenge facing included, extravagant business lunches the industry no-one is talking aren’t quite as commonplace as they used about yet? Relevance, the ability to add to be. value and be a constant in the eyes of Which global city best matches your customer. JOE MACRI your personality? Sydney, of course! If you could invite three famous Vice president, UK Commercial It’s my home town – I couldn’t pick people to dinner, who would they Partner, Microsoft anywhere else. be? Simon Sinek, Malcolm Gladwell and Which tech figurehead do you What would be your super-hero Edith Cavell. admire the most? I know you’d expect power? I had to consult my youngest How has 2017 been for you? me to say Satya Nadella – but it’s true, daughter (who is 11) on this as I have Booming! 2017 has been epic with a because of his relentless focus on our little imagination when it comes to number of landmark achievements for culture, customers and partners. creative fi ction. She says fl ying. Given the the folks at Agilitas. What’s the biggest challenge facing million-plus miles I must have fl own with What’s the most extravagant the industry no-one is talking about BA over the years, I think it’s a pretty business lunch you’ve ever had? I’m yet? Everyone is (quite rightly) focused smart choice! hoping it’s yet to come with plenty of on their customers and how their own Complete this sentence. The worst Amarone and cohibas. industries are being continually disrupted thing about our rivals is… I try to Which global city best matches your and transformed. However, with the avoid knocking the competition! We all personality? Istanbul. Traditional, platform shift to the intelligent cloud and drive each other on at the end of the day. classic and yet innovative. intelligent edge, the partner ecosystem is What makes you nervous? When What would be your super-hero also being disrupted by the new business people I meet act as if they know power? Multiplicity. Imagine what could models that are emerging. everything there is to know. Whereas I be accomplished with fi ve of me! If you could invite three famous keep fi nding out how much more I have Complete this sentence. The people to dinner, who would they to learn! worst thing about our rivals is… be? My new leadership team recently If you could eat one type of food for their self-interest before the customer’s asked me this question! Allow me to the rest of your life, what would it interests. answer with a couple of my favourite be? Italian – but only if it was being What makes you nervous? Apart from quotes as well. Neil Armstrong, who said cooked by my mother. answering random questions and trying (besides that other quote!): “Every human Sum up the channel in three words to appear normal? Predictability makes has a fi nite number of heartbeats. I don’t Capable, diverse, critically important. me nervous as you need to know where intend to waste any of mine”; Nelson OK, that’s four, but I think it’s justifi ed in the edge is. Mandela, who taught us that “Courage this instance.

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WHICH CITY REFLECTS MOST PERSONALITIES? 1 in 4 Towering over the rest, London was by far the city that our A-Listers felt most refl ected their personalities, with 28 of them saying it was their kind of city.

American cities came 13 quite high New York up the personality San 7 charts too… Las Vegas 8 Francisco Best of the rest Sydney (7), Barcelona (4), Hong Kong (4), Paris (4), Boston (3), Manchester (3), Austin (2), Cape Town (2), Dubai (2), Dublin (2), Rome (2), Tel Aviv (2), Tokyo (2), Bilbao (1), Bolton (1), Brighton (1), Cardiff (1), Chicago (1), Glasgow (1), Gothenburg (1), Helsinki (1), Istanbul (1)

the UK. It will become more relevant What’s the most extravagant over the next two or three years as business lunch you’ve ever had? We distributors will eventually want the are a hardware distributor – we do not business back. have extravagant business lunches! If you could invite three famous Which global city best matches your people to dinner, who would they personality? Good question! Not a city be? I don’t really have three but if I but a town. I am proud of my roots and could invite three to dinner it would be feel I probably match up with my home Margaret  atcher for a good debate; town quite well. I am hardworking and Ricky Hatton as I loved watching him fairly straight, also glum and miserable fi ght; and John McGinley, who was some of the time! RICH MARSDEN my hero as a Bolton Wanderers fan What would be your super-hero Managing director, VIP Computer growing up. power? An invisibility cloak, then you Centre How has 2017 been for you? It has will know what people really think! Which tech figurehead do you been a really strong year, even with the Complete this sentence. The worst admire the most? Jeff Bezos. How can challenges that Brexit has brought.  e thing about our rivals is… they are you not admire such desire and drive to changes in the market have meant VIP still here. be successful, from humble beginnings to has been successful in what I would say is What makes you nervous? My being a daily part of most lives. Like or a pretty fl at year. I don’t think 2017 has two-year-old son and an airport – I have loathe his business model, the success of been a great year for the IT industry, as found that mix nerve-wracking. it cannot be questioned. we are fi nding with the big If you could eat one type of food for What’s the biggest challenge facing administration announcements we are the rest of your life, what would it the industry no-one is talking about seeing, but VIP has been able to continue be? Indian cuisine. I love a good curry. yet? Hybrid models. Resellers wanting to to grow due to our focus on delivering Sum up the channel in three words do the job of distributors is a big issue in our three-year growth plan. Challenging, addictive, rewarding.

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If you could eat one type of food for surprised I didn’t go for Kylie, but the rest of your life, what would it obviously I had dinner with her last year. be? Sushi. How has 2017 been for you? Sum up the channel in three words Interesting, exciting and challenging in Changing, challenging, advancing. equal measures. Another year of escalating change, new technology and vendors coming to the fore with diff ering customer challenges has meant new solutions and adaptation of existing solutions that Computacenter bring to market. I love the changing landscape, and the new off erings and opportunities that come with it. What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had? Contrary to popular belief, I’m a really ROBERT MAY cheap date. I’ve had a few extravagant Managing director, ramsac dinners but not many lunches; I’m Which tech figurehead do you generally good with a sandwich at admire the most? Satya Nadella. I think lunchtime. Strangely, the more expensive he’s done a great job in reinvigorating lunches always seemed to involve the Microsoft, internally, externally and same person (you know who you are!). strategically. Which global city best matches your What’s the biggest challenge facing BILL MCGLOIN personality? After some thought I’m the industry no-one is talking about Chief technologist, Computacenter going for San Francisco. It’s quite chilled yet? My experience is that too many Which tech figurehead do you and laid back on the outside with a channel partners aren’t ready for GDPR. admire the most? I’ll avoid the obvious million things going on under the surface.  ere’s no excuse for this; I accept that Computacenter response (sorry Mike). (And with the potential for an compliance is never easy, but the new I’ve been lucky enough to meet most of earthquake). single set of rules is benefi cial to everyone the leaders of the current major What would be your super-hero in the long run. organisations and all are impressive. At a power? Defi nitely teleportation, to cut If you could invite three famous push I’d go for Michael Dell for bringing down on the time sitting at airports and people to dinner, who would they two major companies together, while on trains. be? Sir Winston Churchill, Bill Gates and being knowledgeable and approachable, Complete this sentence. The worst Tommy Cooper. but mostly for following me on Twitter. thing about our rivals is… they win How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has What’s the biggest challenge facing occasionally. And their taste in socks. been an excellent year. It’s been exciting, the industry no-one is talking about What makes you nervous? I hate stretching and full of opportunity. yet? While we are talking about IoT & being late for anything, and running late What’s the most extravagant AI, I think people underestimate the makes me tense. Generally I like the business lunch you’ve ever had? impact it will have, both in terms of data nervous energy before speaking in front A long afternoon lunch at  e Ivy. being created, new ways to use this data of a large audience and the nerves (or is it Which global city best matches your and the impact on people. anticipation) that come watching Celtic personality? New York City. If you could invite three famous take on Barcelona in the Champions What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they League. We’re OK this year as we only power?  e ability to read minds – it be? I’ll go for humour, glamour and cool. have PSG, Bayern and Anderlecht. would be extremely useful. So Sir Billy Connolly, Marilyn Monroe If you could eat one type of food for Complete this sentence. The worst and Steve McQueen.  en I’d have Cindy the rest of your life, what would it thing about our rivals is… a failure to Crawford as Maitre d’, Einstein as my be? Probably fresh fruit, although I compete with truth. sommelier, Paul Newman and Robin could defi nitely live on Italian food What makes you nervous? Nothing Williams as waiters, Frank Sinatra quite happily. really, although being late for anything singing, and Gordon Ramsay in the Sum up the channel in three words makes me very anxious. kitchen abusing everyone. People may be Innovative, competitive, partners.

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child but if it was a serious consideration, What would be your super-hero mind reading would be useful! power? Batman. I always wanted a Complete this sentence. The worst secluded mansion and a car that nobody thing about our rivals is… You would else has. need to ask me that one in person. Complete this sentence. The worst What makes you nervous?  e last 20 thing about our rivals is… that some minutes of a Welsh rugby match usually. of their ideas are better than ours. More recently we can also add Welsh What makes you nervous?  at 30 football to that list. seconds before getting on stage to do a If you could eat one type of food for talk or presentation. the rest of your life, what would it If you could eat one type of food for BRYN MORGAN be? Cheese, probably. the rest of your life, what would it Client partner, Dimension Data Sum up the channel in three words be? Fruit. I can never get enough of it! Which tech figurehead do you Changeable, diverse, modernising. Sum up the channel in three words admire the most? From the past, Alan Fast, furious fun! Turing, as so much we do today is because of his work. From the present, Elon Musk, by a country mile as he just keeps innovating and testing the limits of what we see as normal. What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry no-one is talking about yet? Battery power seems to be a major area where things are not advancing as fast as everywhere else. I feel there should be a major step change in this area some PHYLIP MORGAN time soon, but if there isn’t, it may hold Managing director, Network Group back innovation in other areas. Which tech figurehead do you If you could invite three famous admire the most? Elon Musk. I love his people to dinner, who would they passion for progress and desire to change be? Alan Turing, Jimi Hendrix and our reliance on fossil fuels. SAMANTHA MUDD Leonid Rogozov. What’s the biggest challenge facing Managing director, Phoenix How has 2017 been for you? It’s been the industry no-one is talking about Software a good year personally and professionally. yet? Cyber security.  e channel is mad Which tech figurehead do you I have a great family and work for a great about it but the message is still not admire the most? Sheryl Sandberg, company with fantastic people so cannot getting through to grassroots business. Facebook COO and author of Lean In. ask for much more. If you could invite three famous She is just a lean, mean, fi ghting machine What’s the most extravagant people to dinner, who would they who ‘gets what matters in life’, in my business lunch you’ve ever had? I be? Jesus, Charles Darwin and Galileo. opinion. don’t really do extravagant lunches but I  at would make for interesting dinner What’s the biggest challenge facing remember many years ago having conversation. the industry no-one is talking about breakfast at Simpsons in the Strand and How has 2017 been for you? Toughest yet? Women at board level; there are not how much of an extravagance it felt. year in my 30 years in business, to be enough female chief executives! Not More recently I had a really nice visit to honest.  e pace of change and enough Sheryl Sandbergs in IT, or Sam the top fl oor of Smiths of Smithfi eld. disruption is just relentless. Mudds – come on girls, where are you? Which global city best matches your What’s the most extravagant Put yourselves forward more, and have a personality? I recently visited Ljubljana business lunch you’ve ever had? seat at the table. in Slovenia which was a fantastic place Dinner at the Ritz. Over-priced and I did If you could invite three famous – unpretentious, relaxed and really good not know what tools to use. people to dinner, who would they value for money. Which global city best matches your be? Warren Buff ett (I am a secret Buff ett What would be your super-hero personality? Caerdydd (Cardiff of groupie), Nelson Mandela and power? Flying was always a dream as a course!) Christopher Columbus.

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How has 2017 been for you? Pretty most natural thing in business. It’s good all round on all aspects (health, healthy, stimulating and keeps us all happiness and job satisfaction) and the hungry. future is looking great for Phoenix and all What makes you nervous? I’m an its staff . Bring on 2018! Aston Villa fan, so it’s 90 minutes from What’s the most extravagant 3pm on a Saturday until 4.45pm. business lunch you’ve ever had? I If you could eat one type of food for don’t have them. I live in Yorkshire and I the rest of your life, what would it am married to a Yorkshireman (hence my be? Fish. I love Dover sole. I would eat it surname Mudd), and unless someone every day if I could. else is paying, I don’t do extravagance. Sum up the channel in three words Which global city best matches your Opportunity is everywhere. personality? Speightstown in Barbados. OK, so it’s not a city, but it’s the local area telecoms, IT and cloud solutions in order we hang out in once a year when we visit to help UK businesses digitally transform family.  e vibe is positive, and people is what we are focused on doing. are all happy and great to be around. If you could invite three famous  at’s what I hope people get about my people to dinner, who would they personality – especially when I have had be? Sir Winston Churchill – strong a Pina Colada or two. leadership in the most diffi cult What would be your super-hero circumstances; Rudyard Kipling – “If you power? Starting life all over again at the can talk with crowds and keep your age of 21 and redoing it one more time virtue, or walk with kings nor lose the – just the same way, but with a bit more common touch.”  ose words resonate NEIL MURPHY wisdom under my belt. with me and infl uence my third choice; Chief entertainments offi cer, Bytes Complete this sentence. The worst Keith Muller, my late grandad – he Technology Group thing about our rivals is… nothing. I taught me the value of hard work and Which tech figurehead do you love competition. integrity. admire the most? Knight Rider’s KITT What makes you nervous? Being at How has 2017 been for you? In a – AI today is impressive but in the 1980s? sea for too long. God didn’t make my word: full-on. We have successfully With VoIP? RFID and all pre-Wi-fi ? body to cope with seasickness the way he integrated our latest transformational Unbelievable! did other people. acquisition, Alternative Networks, and What’s the biggest challenge facing If you could eat one type of food for remain in organic growth in this the industry no-one is talking about the rest of your life, what would it converged world of IT, communications yet? CRN Fight Club. be? Pina Colada – with lots of fruit and cloud services. If you could invite three famous hanging off the side of the glass. What’s the most extravagant people to dinner, who would they Sum up the channel in three words business lunch you’ve ever had? I’m be? Henry VIII because he loves his food; Frenetic, cloud obsessive. from Birmingham – my working day has Churchill because he likes a drink; never been about fl ashy restaurants and Einstein so he can split the bill accurately. extravagant lunches. For me, it’s about How has 2017 been for you? Lovely, NEIL MULLER quality conversation, and I’m very how about you? Chief executive, Daisy Group fortunate that our industry is full of very What’s the most extravagant Which tech figurehead do you interesting people. business lunch you’ve ever had? I admire the most? I admire many tech Which global city best matches your once got invited to lunch with Sir Richard and business leaders but, for me, business personality? New York – it never sleeps. Branson on Necker Island – eight other has always been a team sport. Success is What would be your super-hero guests included a US president, two always about the team that is behind it, power?  e ability to cure all terminal ex-heads of state, a major rock band lead not the individual. illnesses. Who wouldn’t want to do that? singer, a leading a-list Hollywood star and What’s the biggest challenge facing Complete this sentence. The worst Barry from the Cillit Bang adverts. I had the industry no-one is talking about thing about our rivals is… Not my the fi sh – it was OK. yet? I’m not sure about ‘talking’, I think style, I’m afraid. I have huge respect for Which global city best matches your the trick is ‘doing’. Delivering converged all our rivals. Professional rivalry is the personality? Probably Norwich.

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What would be your super-hero What’s the most extravagant If you could invite three famous power? Knowing what the worst thing is business lunch you’ve ever had? I people to dinner, who would about our rivals. have been fortunate that the IT channel they be? Henry VIII, Princess Diana Complete this sentence. The worst has allowed me some terrifi c culinary and Jesus. thing about our rivals is… I can’t think experiences. Lunch overlooking the port How has 2017 been for you? Top of a single thing to say. in Monte Carlo in 2003 is defi nitely up notch. What makes you nervous? Answering there, but the Nando’s with extra wedges What’s the most extravagant questions that may uncover a in Slough back in 1995 probably just business lunch you’ve ever had? vulnerability in my otherwise pips it. Flying to a Chateau in France for an impenetrable character. Which global city best matches your eight-course lunch. If you could eat one type of food for personality? Hong Kong – mainly for Which global city best matches the rest of your life, what would it the great array of street food and your personality? Barcelona – it has be? Curry – the excellent taste easily restaurants, which resonates very well a bit of everything. outweighs the comical fl atulence. with me. What would be your super-hero Sum up the channel in three words What would be your super-hero power? To twitch my nose and be any Dover, water, Calais. power? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have place I wanted. the power of healing. Complete this sentence. The worst Complete this sentence. The worst thing about our rivals is… they help N thing about our rivals is… many of the us improve and retain our competitive industry characters and good guys are edge. And then, when we fi nd a really checking out. A chance for the next good one, we buy them! generation to take up the reigns. What makes you nervous? Birds. What makes you nervous? Answering If you could eat one type of food for the CRN A-List questions! the rest of your life, what would it If you could eat one type of food for be? Sandwiches. the rest of your life, what would it Sum up the channel in three words be? Defi nitely  ai food.  ere’s a good Incestuous, idiosyncratic, invaluable. chance I may be addicted. Sum up the channel in three words Full of opportunity. JAMES NAPP Managing director, Bechtle Which tech figurehead do you admire the most? Vin Murria – highly driven, fearless, hugely successful, a little bit bonkers (in a good way!) and a do-er. What’s the biggest challenge facing the industry no-one is talking about yet? Too many donuts and cookies from vendors and a sedentary lifestyle. We all PONTUS NOREN need to get out and exercise more and Chief executive, Cloudreach replace sugar with stevia. Anyone for Which tech figurehead do you tennis? admire the most? Andrew Grove of If you could invite three famous MANDI NICHOLSON Intel – he has been one of the most people to dinner, who would they Sales operations director, Bytes infl uential leaders in the tech industry be? History has never been my strong Software Services and, although we rarely see what he and point, but for a lively dinner, I’ll go with Which tech figurehead do you Intel did (as it is hidden inside a device), Brian Clough, Steve Jobs and Henry VIII. admire the most? John Logie Baird – it has literally powered the industry ever Apologies for the lack of diversity. life without TV? since. Andrew in particular provided a How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has What’s the biggest challenge facing rare combination of engineering and been very good to me… so far. Health, the industry no-one is talking about business/sales leadership, which is what I family and work. yet? It’s a secret. aspire to.

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What’s the biggest challenge facing Complete this sentence. The worst How has 2017 been for you? Exciting the industry no-one is talking about thing about our rivals is… they are so seeing cloud reach the tipping point.  e yet?  e digital divide which is building easily beaten! journey continues to be challenging, fun up in society between those who are in What makes you nervous? Not much. and enlightening. and those outside.  is is not only I get more disappointed especially when I What’s the most extravagant causing issues on an individual level, I see people not achieving their true business lunch you’ve ever had? think we are seeing a big gulf building up potential. Life is short and pushing Foley’s in London. A variety of innovative between the knowledge industry and yourself to achieve what you are able to dishes pushed me out of my comfort more traditional industries in terms of achieve is one thing that makes people zone – amazing food and great company compensation for those who work in it. feel satisfi ed.  is is what I teach my kids with one of our partners. If you could invite three famous too – push yourself, make the most of Which global city best matches your people to dinner, who would they your opportunity and whether or not you personality? London. Multi-cultural, be? Hannibal for his tactical mastermind, “win”, you’ll feel good about having tried diverse and alive. Sir Winston Churchill for his leadership your damned hardest. What would be your super-hero in adversity and Queen Elizabeth I for If you could eat one type of food power? Flying, to better maximise my her entrepreneurship. for the rest of your life, what would time and arrive in multiple places at once. How has 2017 been for you? Fantastic it be? I’m a real foodie and love many It would be wonderful to experience – best year ever perhaps (apart from types of food. I think  ai food is fl ying all over the world, seeing incredible when I got married/the kids were born). probably what could last the longest. landscapes and visiting new continents. We sold a majority stake to Blackstone in Italian food gets close but I like the Complete this sentence. The worst February and the learning curve since spiciness of  ai food. thing about our rivals is… they have then in terms of being a chief executive in Sum up the channel in three words good people and some of them I class a Blackstone-backed company has been Informative, well-known, UK-focused. as friends. phenomenal. Our industry is going What makes you nervous? My wife through incredible change and we are smiling at me when I come home from both in the eye of the storm and the O work! storm itself. It’s a lot of fun! If you could eat one type of food for What’s the most extravagant the rest of your life, what would it business lunch you’ve ever had? be? Sushi. Business lunches are so 1980s. I just don’t Sum up the channel in three words have time for a big lunch. We did have an Opportunity, evolution, partnership. extravagant business dinner after the Blackstone deal closed, which involved some pretty serious bottles of Bordeaux. I can’t get enough of fi ne French wine. Which global city best matches your personality? London, no doubt – it blends phenomenal history all the way APAY OBANG-OYWAY back to the Romans with a modern, Director cloud & software, UK&I, diverse and international setting where Ingram Micro Cloud everyone can thrive from entrepreneurs Which tech figurehead do you to bankers to artists to engineers. It’s a admire the most? Elon Musk for his fabulous place and nothing compares. I disruptive approach to business, KIERAN O’CONNOR am Swedish by origin but feel more like a innovation and breaking boundaries. Sales director, Total Computers world citizen. No-one in London cares What’s the biggest challenge facing Which tech figurehead do you about where you are from. We are all the industry no-one is talking about admire the most? Tech, but on another here to get on with life and make the yet? Societal adoption of Blockchain. level – Elon Musk. most of it – I love that feeling. If you could invite three famous What is the biggest challenge facing What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they the industry no one is talking about power? Mind reading. Too often, people be? Nelson Mandela,  omas Edison yet? Migration from cloud. don’t speak their mind so it would be (father of communication), and Martin If you could invite three famous helpful to know what they are thinking! Luther King. people to dinner, who would they

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be? Milligan, Cleese and Everett. and the hunger for commissions that will where I lived for eight years. Blue sky, How has 2017 been for you?  e drive the industry in the early days is not proximity to the sea, great food, a party business has fl own this year, so has quite the same. city that is always optimistic. been amazing, with so much change If you could invite three famous What would be your super-hero and progress. people to dinner, who would they power? Time travel; both backwards What is the most extravagant be? Rosa Parks, activist in the civil rights and forwards in time. Imagine going business lunch you’ve ever had? I’ve movement who would not stand to give a back in time to see your favourite band had a whole chicken (extra hot) at white person her seat on a bus. Her play in their heyday. Better yet, Nando’s before at HP’s expense. famous quote: “I have learned over the preventing your rival from being born, Which global city best matches your years that when one’s mind is made up, acquiring future technology, or getting personality? Dublin. this diminishes fear; knowing what must winning Lottery numbers. Time travel is What would be your super-hero be done does away with fear”; Neil one of the greatest fantasies of all, power? Invisibility. We don’t need to go Armstrong, astronaut and the fi rst person opening the entire span of world history into the reason why. to walk on the moon who spoke the as your playground. Complete this sentence. The worst famous words: “ at’s one small step for Complete this sentence. The worst thing about our rivals is… made-up man and one giant leap for mankind”; and thing about our rivals is… that they deal registrations. Marilyn Monroe, a famous actress and are all very good at what they do. What makes you nervous? Slow model. All Marilyn ever wanted was to be What makes you nervous? Every year internet connection. herself, to be allowed the freedom to be on holiday in France I go with my two If you could eat one type of food for more than just the blonde bombshell. boys to Les Gorges D’Heric, where they the rest of your life, what would it How has 2017 been for you? 2017 jump off rock ledges 40ft down into the be? Mango. I can’t get enough of it. has been a good year. We’ve brought rock pools. Every year I bottle it and go Sum up the channel in three words Hammer, Medium and MTR and TOS down to the 20ft ledge.  ey are really Consolidating, evolving, enjoyable. in Ireland into the Exertis fold. A huge not impressed by me. highlight of the year was our “Plug into If you could eat one type of food for Exertis” event at Twickenham in April the rest of your life, what would it attended by 950 resellers. We’ve moved be?  ai curries; green or red. into a new offi ce in Technology House Sum up the channel in three words and opened our new warehouse at Never, ever dull. Burnley, upgraded our Harlow offi ces to accommodate the Computers Unlimited Team from Harlow and signifi cantly P expanded our offi ces and presence in the UAE. Personally, I enjoyed a great trip to GERRY O’KEEFFE New Zealand for the Lions Tour, with 10 Group managing director, Exertis mates, and seeing the Lions win at UK, Ireland & MEA Wellington was a huge highlight. Which tech figurehead do you What’s the most extravagant admire the most? Bill Gates, co- business lunch you’ve ever had? founder of Microsoft, which became the Having worked in distribution for the world’s largest PC software company. He last 20 years in Crewe, Basingstoke founded “ e Giving Pledge” and will and Burnley, extravagant lunches are leave half of his wealth to charity. few and far between. However, I’ve NICK PAUL What’s the biggest challenge facing always enjoyed the Acer and Samsung Sales director, Cisilion the industry no-one is talking about Christmas events, times when I always Which tech figurehead do you yet? I think the biggest challenge the block out the afternoon or the admire the most? Elon Musk – he’s industry is facing is attracting new following mornings. constantly pushing the boundaries of dynamic talent that sees mainstream IT Which global city best matches your what’s possible and takes the phase “think as a way to them building their fortunes. personality? I love Dublin, London and big” to another level. Generally, I feel the average age of the Manchester where I’ve lived over the What’s the biggest challenge facing distribution/reseller community is ageing years, but closest to my heart is Sydney the industry no-one is talking about

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WHAT WOULD BE YOUR SUPER-HERO POWER?

Teleportation featured highly, with 14 people dreaming of this fantasy feat. And the ability to travel through time was another power on 1 in 5 the wishlist, with 12 A-Listers want to have the nominating this clever trick. ability to fl y

Our hard-working A-Listers want to get around Best of the rest a bit quicker, judging by their most popular Seeing into the future (9), Mindreading (9), Invisibility (7), choice of super-hero power. Some 23 want to Healing (6), Slowing time (3), Super speed (3), Making people smile (2), Photographic memory (2), Batman (2), be able to fl y while the next two choices also Spiderman (1), Magic (1), Making people tell the truth (1), centred on moving around quickly… Iron Man (1), Omnipotence (1), Weather control (1)

yet? With many vendors building their so many new technologies and services thinking, although I have never bought own clouds from which to off er their emerging there’s more players than ever. I anything he has created “yet”. services, it’s vital the channel adapts to see this as an opportunity for us to help What’s the biggest challenge facing add value in new ways.  is may be guide our clients through change. the industry no-one is talking about through app development to customise What makes you nervous? Chelsea’s yet? UK workforce productivity decline and diff erentiate its off erings for clients. recent transfer window activity. and how technology is a key cause of If you could invite three famous If you could eat one type of food for the issue. people to dinner, who would they the rest of your life, what would it If you could invite three famous be? Muhammad Ali, Sir Winston be? Chinese. people to dinner, who would they Churchill and Hugh Hefner. Sum up the channel in three words be? Sir Winston Churchill, Oliver Reed How has 2017 been for you? Busy and Ever-changing, fast-paced, competitive. and George Best. I’m not sure there challenging, but very rewarding.  ere’s would be much eating done but the been lots of change, mainly due to our drinks cabinet will be empty. ambitious growth plans, which we’re How has 2017 been for you? It has beginning to see the fruits of. been a very exciting year for Managed What’s the most extravagant 24/7. We have won two of our largest business lunch you’ve ever had? contracts to date and had to make some Probably one at SushiSamba. It’s at the very decisive people decisions. I will look top of our offi ces and fantastic for lunch back on 2017 as one of our defi ning years and entertaining, meaning we’re regulars where I personally learned a lot in a very in there. short space of time. Which global city best matches your What’s the most extravagant personality? New York. business lunch you’ve ever had? I What would be your super-hero JOHN PEPPER really don’t do extravagant business power?  e ability to predict the future. Chief executive/founder, lunches, much like golf – one day I hope Complete this sentence. The worst Managed 24/7 to have enough time in the day. thing about our rivals is… there’s so Which tech figurehead do you Which global city best matches your many of them.  e landscape is admire the most? Elon Musk – he is personality? San Jose – tech, innovation becoming ever more complex and with not afraid to take risks and push human and hard work.

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What would be your super-hero over the last 12 months and some strong people to dinner, who would they power? To fl y, Captain Underpants style. future business leaders already emerging be? William Tutte, cryptographer at Complete this sentence. The worst from these. Bletchley and researcher of graph theory thing about our rivals is… they are all Which global city best matches your which contributed to the evolution of the pretty good. personality? New York. It’s multi- internet, so we all owe him. Also, Frank What makes you nervous? My cultural and never stops. Sinatra and James Dean – both for mother-in-law. What makes you nervous? Like most obvious reasons! If you could eat one type of food for the uncertainty caused by Brexit and the How has 2017 been for you? the rest of your life, what would it resulting forex variance leads to some Excellent, busy, challenging, successful, be? Steak. Always steak. challenges. We will defi nitely sleep easier exhausting. Sum up the channel in three words once we better understand how Brexit What’s the most extravagant Ever-changing landscape. will unfold. business lunch you’ve ever had? If you could eat one type of food for Copenhagen, 1989 celebrating the sale of the rest of your life, what would it Peter Norton Computing to Symantec be? Pizza is my original love but steak with partners and execs. goes better with Scotch so… Which global city best matches your Sum up the channel in three words personality? I’m not a city girl – give Dynamic, exciting, evolving. me a country pub with a fi re and a dog any time! What would be your super-hero R power? Batman – check out those wheels! Complete this sentence. The worst ALEX PHILLIPS thing about our rivals is… they are Director of strategy, Northamber not industry specifi c so it’s just noise, What’s the biggest challenge facing whereas we are the only IT industry the industry no-one is talking about social platform that facilitates business yet? Consolidation.  e number of partnerships. UK-only VADs who have the What makes you nervous? Politicians infrastructure to be able to truly support – both world and local. And lack of UK resellers with proactive sales, respect for our planet. marketing, technical, credit and logistics If you could eat one type of food for continues to dwindle quickly.  e role of JACQUI RAND (right) the rest of your life, what would it distributors like us, however, in providing Co-founder/director, Channeliser be? Starters – plenty of variety. fl exibility and scalability to development Which tech figurehead do you Sum up the channel in three words brands and local resellers is higher than admire the most? Neil Holloway Innovative, careful, brokers. ever. While this is positive for (senior VP Microsoft and UK managing Northamber as it leaves us in a stronger director for more than 14 years) for his position in the market as there are no unique mix of industry and technical other disties who can provide our understanding, coupled with patience, benefi ts and fl exibility, it leads to us empathy, grit, enthusiasm and generosity having to say no to a lot of vendors who of spirit and with his time to help others. approach us. (We met at Bath Uni so I have known How has 2017 been for you? 2017 him a very long time!) has been good. We have made What’s the biggest challenge facing signifi cant progress in growing our VAD the industry no-one is talking about business around three strong pillars of yet? Principles in many IT companies are network infrastructure solutions, my age – we all need to embrace social, RAFI RAZZAK audiovisual and document management. partner-to-partner and other new Chairman, Centerprise We have been extremely proud to see business practices and bring in International the progression and growth from our millennials to positions of responsibility. Which tech figurehead do you new graduate scheme with three intakes If you could invite three famous admire the most? Andrew Grove. His

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achievement in building the Intel create innovative organisations and to luxury events, lunch at the Shard, the Corporation considering his background. completely change his industry. Although most expensive seats at the Grand Prix His views about how to cope with change it might sound crazy, the rocket to New and so on. However, for me extravagance as expressed in his book the 10x rule. York from London in 25 minutes will is not the amount of money spent but the What’s the biggest challenge facing probably be reality sooner than we think. time I allocate, so maybe extending a the industry no-one is talking about I can’t wait! lunch by ordering a glass of wine with a yet? Would the cloud reduce our industry What’s the biggest challenge facing business acquaintance or an old colleague to a small number of large players? the industry no-one is talking about that is a real treat I allow myself from If you could invite three famous yet?  ere are a good deal of acquisition time to time which is sometimes more people to dinner, who would they and consolidation in this industry and as expensive than luxury venue. be? Sir Winston Churchill, Indira a result of this lines can become blurred Which global city best matches your Gandhi and Genghis Khan. with regard product specifi cs and personality? Manchester – ever positive How has 2017 been for you? Excellent. vendor ‘fi t’.  is can lead to confusion for and always bounces back! What’s the most extravagant end users and the channel. A challenge is What would be your super-hero business lunch you’ve ever had? not an impossible task, so better power?  e ability to teleport – it would  e Fat Duck. education and engagement and clear massively help productivity. Which global city best matches your direction as to how a product and Complete this sentence. The worst personality? London. vendor solves problems is one of the thing about our rivals is… arrogance What would be your super-hero ways we can address this. Distology – every day should be a school day, it’s power? Flying. strives to provide due diligence to the how we evolve. Complete this sentence. The worst channel on new tech and look for What makes you nervous? Apart from thing about our rivals is… they exist. collaboration in tech where possible in my son driving, the world not moving on What makes you nervous? Quiet order to make it easier to interpret and ignorance to issues that we need to people. where new tech ‘fi ts’ in the market. address such as healthy eating and waste. If you could eat one type of food for If you could invite three famous If you could eat one type of food for the rest of your life, what would it people to dinner, who would they the rest of your life, what would it be? Broad beans. be? Henry VIII – I think there was a lot be? Sweet potato fries – bit healthy, bit Sum up the channel in three words more to this leader than just six wives naughty. Exciting, changing, lots of jungle drums. and beheadings.  e power he wielded Sum up the channel in three words has got to be slightly admired; William Experts, trusted, (sometimes) under- Shakespeare – a genius. We are still valued. fascinated by his works and ability to provoke emotion; Margaret  atcher – not because of her political persuasion but being one of the fi rst women who did probably one of the most diffi cult jobs in the world and never quit. All three are recognised for making big changes – I don’t remember anyone who just ‘did a good job’. How has 2017 been for you? Exciting. Our team is growing very quickly but HAYLEY ROBERTS retaining our hard-working culture. We CHRISTOPHER ROCHE Owner/managing director, are evolving into a better business on a Managing director, Celerity Distology daily basis. It has also been a big learning Which tech figurehead do you Which tech figurehead do you curve (as every year is) due to working admire the most?  e fi gureheads at admire the most? Elon Musk. A daring closely with our vendors and helping the top of the new tech companies are a creative, visionary leader with resolve and mould them into excellent channel- diff erent breed to those that have come imagination who ignites passion and has friendly companies. before, in that they are more interested in shown persistence and conviction to What’s the most extravagant changing the world for a large number of overcome whatever diffi culties and business lunch you’ve ever had? In people than making money. From this for setbacks he has faced and the courage to our industry, there are invitations galore the products that are making the most

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seismic shifts in an industry (Tesla, Complete this sentence. The worst power? A power to enable Arsenal to Hyperloop, Space X) – Elon Musk. thing about our rivals is… they and score lots of goals and win the Premier What’s the biggest challenge facing their off erings are all beginning to look a League. the industry no-one is talking about bit like each other, which can encourage a Complete this sentence. The worst yet? I think in the coming years there will race to the bottom mentality, resulting in thing about our rivals is… most of be a skills shortage in the more little to no diversity in off erings and very their vendors don’t realise how good traditional and fundamental disciplines little value actually added to customers. CMS Distribution is. and practices in IT.  ere is fantastic What makes you nervous? My wife What makes you nervous? Not much; young talent coming through and doing and daughter shopping together. maybe a black run on the slopes. some wonderful sexy new things with If you could eat one type of food for If you could eat one type of food for IoT and so on. However, the lights need the rest of your life, what would it the rest of your life, what would it to be kept on, and the fundamental skills be? Fish or any type of seafood. be? Soda bread. that have been in abundance over the last Sum up the channel in three words Sum up the channel in three words couple of decades seem to be in decline Constantly changing beast. Full of opportunity! or going out of fashion. If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they S be?  omas Moore, Martin Luther King and John Lydon. How has 2017 been for you? Excellent, for Celerity – 2017 has been a year of sustained growth on all fronts. Infrastructure solution sales have grown in number and revenue both in existing and new logos. Our MSP/CSP business is growing, becoming stronger and has a NEIL SAWYER wider portfolio of solutions to meet the UK&I channel director, HP growing demands of customers. Our Which tech figurehead do you security practice has grown and we have admire the most? Elon Musk. He a body of unique Celerity generated IP FRANK SALMON shows what can be done without around detection, neutralisation and Chief executive, CMS Distribution bureaucracy. remediation of cyber threats. We are Which tech figurehead do you What’s the biggest challenge facing looking to expand this capability in 2018 admire the most? Probably Tim Cook, the industry no-one is talking about with the addition of a cyber forensics for the innovation and user experience yet?  e concept of an omni-channel in practice into our portfolio. Apple has brought to the market. B2B and learning from the adaptations in What’s the most extravagant What’s the biggest challenge facing consumer retail. business lunch you’ve ever had? the industry no-one is talking about If you could invite three famous Probably best and safest to say that I can’t yet? GDPR. Lots of the wrong people are people to dinner, who would they remember. In the 1990s there were some talking about it. be? Oprah Winfrey, Sir Winston very long and boozy lunches with If you could invite three famous Churchill and Bill Clinton. customers and vendors (with no people to dinner, who would they How has 2017 been for you? Great intention whatsoever of going back to our be? Nelson Mandela, John F Kennedy fun – I experienced and learned lots of desks) which were great fun, but don’t and Elvis Presley. new things. I met many new partners and happen any more. Shame really. How has 2017 been for you? It’s been HP evangelists. And the channel never Which global city best matches your good, very busy with lots of opportunities stands still. personality? New York. Fast-paced, for growth. What’s the most extravagant gritty in parts, great fun, honest, down to What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had? Bow earth and always good for a drink or two! business lunch you’ve ever had? Wine Vaults, Club Sandwich and Diet What would be your super-hero Dinner in the Savoy kitchen. Coke. You can’t beat it. power? Teleportation – so I no longer Which global city best matches your Which global city best matches your have to spend hours travelling on personality? San Francisco. personality? London. Respectful, motorways! What would be your super-hero forward looking and friendly!

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What would be your super-hero continues to go from strength to strength widely regarded as having done a great job power? To fl y.  at would be awesome. and many are now saying Azure will over the last few years as chief executive. Complete this sentence. The worst overtake Amazon in the near future. He’s a big charity donor and someone that thing about our rivals is… that they Combined with Offi ce 365, Dynamics just seems to put people fi rst, which I are our rivals! We all tend to know one 365 and a hybrid deployment model it is always try to do at ANS. another, given the way people move emerging as the clear end-to-end leader What’s the biggest challenge facing around the industry these days. in the cloud world. the industry no-one is talking about What makes you nervous?  e fear of What’s the most extravagant yet? Digital skills shortage. People are letting people down. business lunch you’ve ever had? An talking but I don’t see much action yet. If you could eat one type of food for exquisite lunch on the beach in Cannes. If you could invite three famous the rest of your life, what would it Which global city best matches your people to dinner, who would they be? Cheetos. personality? London. Innovative, open be? Waylon Jennings, Nelson Mandela Sum up the channel in three words and fast-paced. and Steve McQueen. Now that’s a party Competitive, loyal, fun. What would be your super-hero right there. power?  e ability to see into the future. How has 2017 been for you? Who wouldn’t want to know what’s Awesome. Business has been great, family around the next corner! life is great, my friends are all happy and Complete this sentence. The worst well. What more can I possibly ask for? thing about our rivals is… espousing What’s the most extravagant FUD – compete on the merits of your business lunch you’ve ever had? It’s own platforms rather than creating fear not extravagant in the traditional sense and unknowing about ours. but I have been known to eat more than What makes you nervous?  e 15 large slices of pizza when we order increasing sophistication of cyber Dominos in for the team at lunch. criminals and the threat they pose to Which global city best matches DAN SCARFE us all. your personality? Barcelona, I would UK founder, New Signature If you could eat one type of food for say. Exuberant, passionate, loads going Which tech figurehead do you the rest of your life, what would it on and culturally vibrant.  ere is no admire the most? Satya Nadella. He be? Sushi. better place. has brought a completely diff erent style Sum up the channel in three words What would be your super-hero of leadership to Microsoft, emphasising Adaptive, inventive, yet in fl ux. power? My son and daughter asked me empathy and intellectual curiosity. No this the other day and I said invincibility, tech leader has ever created so much but then thinking about it I’m not sure if equity value in such a short space of time that would mean I’d live forever, which I in the history of our industry. He has wouldn’t want to do. proven once and for all that culture eats Complete this sentence. The worst strategy for breakfast. thing about our rivals is… It’s the best What’s the biggest challenge facing and the worst… they like to watch what the industry no-one is talking about we do and let us take the courageous yet? In the Microsoft world, the growth steps and then mimic what succeeds. of the new CSP licensing programme will Best because it gives us time to streak lead to even greater channel confl ict. ahead and keeps us on our toes; worst Solutions providers and integrators are because we must work overtime to now able to compete directly with constantly keep ahead. licensing service providers to provide PAUL SHANNON What makes you nervous? Being end-to-end cloud solutions to customers. Chief executive, ANS Group mediocre, which drives me to work If you could invite three famous Which tech figurehead do you admire harder and harder to do, and be, my best people to dinner, who would they the most? Satya Nadella at Microsoft. at all times, no matter what it takes and be? Alan Turing, Ada Lovelace and He’s a born technical guy that has grown how many hours are required. Joseph Chamberlain. through the ranks to become the chief If you could eat one type of food for How has 2017 been for you? executive. He’s driven and pushed the the rest of your life, what would it Incredible.  e Microsoft Cloud company hard into newer territory and is be? Fish.  e variety is amazing and I’ve

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struggled to fi nd anything that tastes and passionate – I always wear my heart tenacity; and Lord Nelson – strategy better than prawns, sea bass, john dory on my sleeve. and tactics. and so on. What would be your super-hero How has 2017 been for you? A Sum up the channel in three words power? To be invisible. Imagine you whirlwind of change – new company, Creative, essential, challenging. could always be two steps ahead of the new partner programme, new team and competition, plus I’m a little nosey so new opportunities. would be great to get that insight into What’s the most extravagant other people’s lives. business lunch you’ve ever had? I Complete this sentence. The worst once had a lunch with a company where thing about our rivals is… Rivals keep the executive didn’t like the size of the you on your toes and make sure you bubbles in the champagne and kept deliver 100 per cent every day. Without a sending them back until the bubbles met rival, where’s the competition? his stringent criteria.  ey have to be What makes you nervous? Heights. uniform, apparently. As I get older this fear gets worse. I’m yet Which global city best matches your to fi nd a sat nav that can avoid the personality? I love Austin – hard ALICIA SHEPHERD highest bridges in the UK. Tamar Bridge working, tech savvy, entrepreneurial and Head of sales, Terra Computer was most defi nitely the worst yet. great fun when you let your hair down. Which tech figurehead do you If you could eat one type of food for What would be your super-hero admire the most? Jeff Bezos, visionary, the rest of your life, what would it power? I want to be like Sabrina off not scared to push forward and lead the be? Kabanos. Bewitched – wiggle my nose and the way rather than follow. Love Amazon or Sum up the channel in three words house is tidy. hate Amazon, you cannot deny it is a Competitive, great people (in most What makes you nervous? Wasps. I forward-thinking company with cases), fast-paced. hate them.  ey have no point or astounding growth. purpose and they sting for fun. What’s the biggest challenge facing If you could eat one type of food for the industry no-one is talking about the rest of your life, what would it yet? Recruitment for experienced be? Chocolate. people. I know of too many good people Sum up the channel in three words who are not working as they are over Never ever dull. qualifi ed. I think people are aware of this but are choosing to ignore it and this will result in an industry with a gap in knowledge and experience. If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they SARAH SHIELDS be? JFK, Nelson Mandela and Margaret Vice president and general  atcher – three great leaders who all manager, Dell UK and Ireland, faced crisis and challenges and prevailed Channel in their own unique way. Which tech figurehead do you How has 2017 been for you? 2017 admire the most? It goes without really has been a game of two halves; the saying – it has to be Michael Dell! His JANE SILK second half is playing out much better vision and understanding of our industry Managing director, Sigma Software than the fi rst half. is second to none. What he has achieved Distribution What’s the most extravagant with Dell Technologies will shape our Which tech figurehead do you business lunch you’ve ever had? It industry – from the edge to the core to admire the most? I really can’t name just involved Wagu beef, very expensive red the cloud. one, there are many talented people that I wine and a good selection of spirits and If you could invite three famous have worked with over the years that have cigars – the receipt is framed in the FD’s people to dinner, who would they positively infl uenced the industry. offi ce still. be? Sir Winston Churchill, for his one What’s the biggest challenge facing Which global city best matches your liners and leadership skills; Margaret the industry no-one is talking about personality? Rome. It’s cosmopolitan  atcher – the Iron Lady and her sheer yet? How we re-skill our workforce as

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some of people’s roles are impacted by the advent of machine and artifi cial learning. If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they be? Martin Luther King, Charles Darwin and Audrey Hepburn. How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has been a good year for Sigma so far, with new ERP and CRM systems being successfully implemented; these are helping to drive our business forwards at a greater pace than ever before. What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had? An amazing Cantonese restaurant in London be? Muhammad Ali, Robin Williams and Gates was famous for his “Idea Weeks”, back in the 1990s when advertising Albert Einstein. where he focused on ideas and exploring agencies’ budgets had no boundaries. How has 2017 been for you? A great new concepts, which often came to be Which global city best matches your year. A new venture, two acquisitions and leveraged at Microsoft. Second, his second personality? Paris. still six weeks left. career – tackling big problems with What would be your super-hero What’s the most extravagant philanthropy only possible with his level of power? To be able to fl y so that I could business lunch you’ve ever had? wealth – is an inspiring concept. avoid hanging around in airports. Team lunch 2012. It’s always a good one What’s the biggest challenge facing Complete this sentence. The worst when you have to give up your tables the industry no-one is talking about thing about our rivals is… that most because dinner bookings are arriving. yet? Roughly 33 per cent of all solution of them aren’t lucky enough to work at a Which global city best matches your providers were founded 25 years ago or great company and live in Devon. personality? Boston.  e right mix of more. If we assume most of these What makes you nervous? Horses – business and pleasure. founders didn’t start out at age 20, we they’re just a bit too large and at times What would be your super-hero have a large number of industry unpredictable. power? Time travel: endless power and professionals who are considering their If you could eat one type of food for possibilities. exit strategies from the business. Are we the rest of your life, what would it Complete this sentence. The worst ready? What does this mean for the be? Watermelon because it successfully thing about our rivals is… they industry as a whole as those who have led answers the need for both food and drink underestimate the power of these businesses start to exit? while still managing to be tasty. collaboration. No one has all the answers. If you could invite three famous Sum up the channel in three words What makes you nervous?  e job people to dinner, who would they Exciting, challenging, fun. market 30 years from now. be?  omas Jeff erson. Jeff erson was a If you could eat one type of food for visionary in terms communication, the rest of your life, what would it politics, and business. He was a GRAHAME SMEE be?  ai. Flavour, spice and variety. renaissance man in the truest sense, from Group managing director, Sum up the channel in three words horticulture to architecture, and 4SEC Group Dynamic, resilient, endangered. advocated for freedom and tolerance; Sir Which tech figurehead do you Winston Churchill. Churchill was a man admire the most? Elon Musk. Vision of incredible words, incredible resolve, and practicality are an unusual DAVE SOBEL and his perspective would be invaluable combination. Senior director of partner on leadership, on overcoming odds, and What’s the biggest challenge facing community, SolarWinds MSP politics; and George Carlin. An inspired the industry no-one is talking about Which tech figurehead do you writer, social commentator and comic, yet? Neuro-morphic computing; what admire the most? I’ve always had his insights into people would be happens when IT and biology mix? incredibly high regards for Bill Gates. fascinating. Plus, that dinner would need If you could invite three famous Most people focus on his success with a bit of humour to keep it going with the people to dinner, who would they Microsoft, but for me it’s two factors. First, other two.

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How has 2017 been for you? Rockstar! and mac and cheese – but with the If you could eat one type of food for I think it’s all about attitude. If you decide squeeze Velveeta cheese. the rest of your life, what would it things are going to be good, they Sum up the channel in three words be? Indian. generally are. Inspiring cooperative community. Sum up the channel in three words What’s the most extravagant Exciting, challenging, competitive. business lunch you’ve ever had? My business lunches have been tame, but some dinners have been amazing.  e one I always think of was one of the times I was the guest, being hosted by a vendor.  e wine was decadent and several bottles later, for a small group, the tab had to have been outrageous for this New York City restaurant known for its high-end wine. It’s a good thing the colleague and I both enjoy great wines. Which global city best matches your personality? I’d like to think I STEVE SOPER DAVE STEVINSON refl ect my home city, Washington DC. Managing director, Beta Managing director, GNR Technology It’s a city with a global view, connected Distribution Which tech figurehead do you to everywhere, where people try and Which tech figurehead do you admire admire the most? Elon Musk. I am so do good work to help others, with a bit the most? Steve Jobs. His innovative impressed with the clarity of his of Southern charm and an appreciation ideas and passion broke the mould. long-term vision and he also has an for doing business with people over a What’s the biggest challenge facing incredible ability to execute. I would go as good drink. the industry no-one is talking about far to say he is a genius. What would be your super-hero yet? I’m not sure that no one is talking What’s the biggest challenge facing power? Shapeshifting. It’s clearly the about it, but Brexit is without doubt the the industry no-one is talking about most versatile way to solve problems, biggest challenge currently. yet?  e biggest challenge facing the allows creativity and seems like an awful If you could invite three famous industry is synonymous to the fi rst rule lot of fun. I could probably pack a lot people to dinner, who would they of fi ght club. lighter with this one too! be? Sir Ian Botham, Sir Alex Ferguson If you could invite three famous Complete this sentence. The worst and Steve Jobs. people to dinner, who would they thing about our rivals is… when How has 2017 been for you? 2017 has be? I would invite Michel de Montagne, they don’t push us enough with been a mixed picture. We have added Geoff rey Moore and Brian Johnston. challenging ideas. three regional specialist sales offi ces,  ree individuals that in their own way What makes you nervous? I don’t get which have expanded our customer reach have made a positive input to my life. I nervous a lot, but surprisingly it’s when I and expertise. However, trading would imagine I would enjoy their go into a room and don’t know anyone at conditions are nonetheless diffi cult. company immensely. all. For a community person, that would What’s the most extravagant How has 2017 been for you? A be unusual, so I try and channel that to business lunch you’ve ever had? I particularly challenging and expensive push myself out of my comfort zone. I often get the pleasure of dining with year where I have learned an awful lot loathe being in a situation where I’m out many clients and vendors.  e most about myself and others. of place, and it makes me quite nervous. extravagant lunch to date would have to What’s the most extravagant If you could eat one type of food be Cecconi. business lunch you’ve ever had? I for the rest of your life, what would Which global city best matches your still have fl ashbacks of the bill from it be? Anything my wife cooks, which I personality? London. Bolshoi in Moscow where I had a say is a type of food. She’s an amazing What would be your super-hero particularly heavy lunching session with chef, and takes time to plan our meals power? Time travel. my Russian distributor. every night, with an amazing eye for Complete this sentence. The worst Which global city best matches your food choices, particularly for her thing about our rivals is… they are as personality? San Francisco, I would husband who can eat like a 12-year-old. focused as we are on being successful! guess – I really love the entrepreneurial Left to my own devices, it will be steak What makes you nervous? Flying. spirit, friendliness and positive attitude.

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What would be your super-hero What’s the most extravagant yet? Two-fold – for the industry overall, power? Time shifting, without a doubt. business lunch you’ve ever had? My the idea that to many, “disruptors” are Complete this sentence. The worst role doesn’t really involve extravagant only disrupting the world through the thing about our rivals is… an business lunches. I did once go to Paris to lens of “privileged” US west coast young opportunity for us to improve, meet some people for a business lunch, men, with no thoughts of the wider What makes you nervous? It would so if you count the travel, that could be impact of their technology and the way have to be FOMO. taken as extravagant! they behave. If you could eat one type of food for Which global city best matches your On a more technical level, the the rest of your life, what would it personality? Anywhere in Europe. potential security threats of using AI and be? Defi nitely fruit. My favourite food. What would be your super-hero machine learning, while we storm Sum up the channel in three words power?  e power to teleport my forward in this fi eld, not sure if enough Effi cient, eff ective, structured. family and myself to anywhere in the thought is going into ensuring the world, on a whim. security of the information these systems Complete this sentence. The worst base their learning on is strong enough. If thing about our rivals is… I couldn’t you can poison the source, you can get possibly comment. the answer you want! What makes you nervous? Not much. If you could invite three famous I’m cautious about lots of things, though. people to dinner, who would they If you could eat one type of food be? Will Smith. He’s always good for an for the rest of your life, what would anecdote, so should keep the party it be? As a student I mostly subsisted on buzzing along if we struggle for baked potatoes and plain yoghurt. If conversation; Neil Armstrong.  e fi rst push came to shove I’d be happy enough man on the moon – that’s an experience with that. that any dinner party would like to hear Sum up the channel in three words about; and Jack the Ripper. Probably with NICKY STEWART Bright, bold, incisive. some Hannibal Lector-like security Commercial director, UKCloud – wheel the perpetrator in, fi nd out who Which tech figurehead do you and what that was about and then send admire the most? Baroness Lane-Fox them back. Come on, we all want to of Soho, for architecting the concepts and know who Jack was, don’t we? principles which led to the establishment How has 2017 been for you? Another of GDS, which in turn made the UK good and interesting year.  e focus for government a world leader in digital business on data has opened many transformation. Her speeches in the fascinating areas and presents a number House of Lords are also remarkable for of interesting challenges to address.  is their eloquence and insight. continual change and gaining of new What’s the biggest challenge facing experience keeps me on my toes and as the industry no-one is talking about fascinated in my role as ever. yet? Regulation can never keep pace It’s also been great fun working within with technology. Industry needs to fi nd a PAUL STRINGFELLOW the IT community, which has allowed me way to ensure technology serves the Technical director, Gardner to meet a range of new community wider interests of society, rather than Systems members and engage in a diff erent range serving the sole interests of a few global Which tech figurehead do you of events and visit some new cities. and unaccountable companies. admire the most? Very impressed What’s the most extravagant If you could invite three famous currently by people who have taken business lunch you’ve ever had? I people to dinner, who would they established businesses and driven a don’t know I’ve ever had one! I ate in a be? Dorothy Parker, Frida Khalo and dramatic shift in the type of business they few Michelin-starred places with Samuel Pepys. are so they remain relevant. Satya Nadella well-known chefs.  e restaurant at the How has 2017 been for you? Very is the obvious one, but also impressed by top of the Gherkin is nice, with fi ne busy. Much of 2017 has been taken up George Kurian at NetApp. views! But I’m not sure of anything too with preparing UKCloud for GDPR, and What’s the biggest challenge facing extravagant! I’m not an extravagant lunch keeping abreast of the emerging thinking. the industry no-one is talking about type of guy! Although I did have a

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ludicrously sized chilli dog in New this has changed over the last several Orleans this year.  at was extravagant! years. You’re much better just using your Which global city best matches your favoured recruitment partner on an personality? Liverpool, of course. exclusive or retained basis as this is the What would be your super-hero only way to guarantee you’ll be hiring the power? It probably has to be the ability ‘best accessed candidate’. to fl y. Aeroplane travel is one on my least If you could invite three famous favourite things, so avoiding that can only people to dinner, who would they be a plus. be? Eddie Hearn,  ierry Henry and Complete this sentence. The worst Tony Robbins. thing about our rivals is… when they How has 2017 been for you? Great. lack professionalism, be it trading on Our best year and 30 per cent-plus uncertainty, or trying to buy business by growth! I’m very proud of the team. cutting all of the profi t from a deal to win What’s the most extravagant it from a competitor that had put in the business lunch you’ve ever had? hard yards.  ere’s been too many, but probably at If you could invite three famous What makes you nervous? See Olives, Las Vegas – we bled their ‘cloudy people to dinner, who would they super-hero power! bay’ dry! be? Jesus Christ, Albert Einstein and If you could eat one type of food Which global city best matches your William Wilberforce. Because for the rest of your life, what would personality? Las Vegas. Or Neverland perseverance, sacrifi ce and determination it be? What a choice! In reality, some – forever young! are all important lessons to learn, not kind of pasta dish – I can always do one What would be your super-hero only in business but in life and I think of them! power? Transportation. I’m a big believer each of these individuals would have Sum up the channel in three words that business is always best done face to interesting, and maybe even contrasting, Dynamic, demanding, precarious! face so would love to be able to get in front takes on those topics. of more of our clients and candidates. How has 2017 been for you? Pretty Complete this sentence. The worst good… so far. thing about our rivals is… they just What’s the most extravagant can’t compete. business lunch you’ve ever had? What makes you nervous? Having to A charity St George’s Day lunch for 12 organise myself. guests.  ey always have an auction! If you could eat one type of food for For me, the most amazing auction item the rest of your life, what would it was a signed Spurs shirt and a private be? Curry. If only the Beaconsfi eld curry chef to come and cook a meal for 10 in houses did a loyalty card… our home. Sum up the channel in three words Which global city best matches your Incestuous, diverse, inspiring. personality? Melbourne, for its MARC SUMNER sunshine, sports and outdoor events. Managing director, Robertson What would be your super-hero Sumner BOB SWALLOW power? Superman’s mode of travel! But Which tech figurehead do you Managing director, Logicalis UK defi nitely not his dress sense. admire the most? Gary Vaynerchuk. I Which tech figurehead do you Complete this sentence. The worst just love his raw honesty and social admire the most? Satya Nadella, chief thing about our rivals is… that too media videos. executive of Microsoft, for his vision and many sell on price alone. What’s the biggest challenge facing execution in transitioning Microsoft’s What makes you nervous?  e the industry no-one is talking about focus from Windows to Azure and almost unknown, such as the outcome of Brexit. yet? Everyone’s talking about the talent doubling the share price in the process. If you could eat one type of food for crisis. However, no-one is talking about What’s the biggest challenge facing the rest of your life, what would it how to solve this – apart from my team the industry no-one is talking about be? Italian, specifi cally spaghetti of course!  e myth of ‘the more yet?  e limited pool of skilled resources bolognese and pizza! recruiters working a job the better’ is still in rapidly growing technologies such as Sum up the channel in three words widely believed in the channel; however, IoT, AI and machine learning. Competitive, challenging, exciting.

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What makes you nervous? Not very What’s the most extravagant T much! Jetskiing was harder than I thought! business lunch you’ve ever had? As a If you could eat one type of food for reward to my senior team I took them off the rest of your life, what would it in a very impressive chauff eur-driven be? Red wine! vehicle to have lunch 150ft in the air on a Sum up the channel in three words platform raised by a crane, although we Vital, energising, friendly. ended up having more fun singing in the vehicle on the journey home. Which global city best matches your personality? I’m a fun-loving, fairly sociable person so with my Irish roots it has to be Dublin. What would be your super-hero power? My daughter helped me with ALEX TATHAM this and we agreed it should be the ability Managing director, Westcoast to fl y and if I could have a second it Which tech figurehead do you would be incredible strength. I’m not sure admire the most? Elon Musk. He is either skills would help me in the IT Tony Stark (Iron Man) and while he sells industry though. batteries, he will change the world. Complete this sentence. The worst What’s the biggest challenge facing thing about our rivals is… they keep the industry no-one is talking about PAUL TOMLINSON trying to poach my awesome team! yet?  ere are no challenges, only Managing director, Mirus What makes you nervous? I’m sure opportunities and hence the only thing Which tech figurehead do you like lots of people it’s public speaking. that is holding us back is the limit of our admire the most? Lawrence Jones from Once I get going I really enjoy it, imagination (oh, and some skills UKFast. We’ve never met but he has a particularly if it’s about my business or a shortages!). great-looking business with a similar subject I feel strongly about, but I hate If you could invite three famous focus to supporting his people that we try those 10 minutes before I start. people to dinner, who would they and create within Mirus. If you could eat one type of food for be? Grace Kelly, Sir Isaac Newton and What’s the biggest challenge facing the rest of your life, what would it Charles Darwin. the industry no-one is talking about be? I’ll eat pretty much anything, but it’d How has 2017 been for you? yet?  e ever-increasing desire of have to be curry. Unfortunately, since Outstanding. Westcoast goes from shareholders in owner-managed IT turning 40 my wife has tried to restrict strength to strength and grows in so businesses who want to cash in.  is my intake to keep my waistline in check many diff erent directions.  is could create a signifi cant shake up in our so I don’t enjoy as many as I’d like to. gravitational pull brings new things for industry over the coming years with Sum up the channel in three words me to do every day. What a great some larger MSPs driving ahead and Supportive, vast, developing. company in a great industry. others failing from poorly thought-out What’s the most extravagant acquisitions. business lunch you’ve ever had? If you could invite three famous ANDY TRISH Joe Hemani bought me a fried egg people to dinner, who would they Chief executive, NCI Technologies sandwich once. be? Oliver Reed – he would bring the Which tech figurehead do you Which global city best matches booze; Robin Williams – he’d keep us all admire the most? Charles Babbage will your personality? London. It’s loud, laughing; and Elvis Presley – he’d just be remain in history as the father of posh in places, multi-faceted – and quite Elvis. What more do you need to say? computing. His battle to gain funding for simply fantastic! How has 2017 been for you? It’s been his ideas against all political issues and What would be your super-hero another great year for us. We’ve clashes of personality meant he couldn’t power? I would like to be in two places increased our recurring revenue achieve his goal in his lifetime but his at once – I would get more done! signifi cantly and also acquired a work has created what is today our IT Complete this sentence. The worst managed print business. We’ve also industry, my career, and the source of thing about our rivals is… they aren’t managed to grow the group to more advancements in all our hardware. Westcoast. than 100 employees. What’s the biggest challenge facing

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understand what people need and only focus on what they want to sell. Jealousy V in our industry is rife, especially in the US where companies are less likely to create ideas themselves and more likely to try and jump on the bandwagon of other people’s ideas. What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had? Being fl own to Los Angeles for dinner and fl ying back the next day.  e two-hour dinner was extremely worthwhile to both parties though I can’t JAMES VICKERAGE reveal the content of the discussions. President, ScanSource Imago the industry no-one is talking about Which global city best matches your Which tech figurehead do you yet?  e risk to our civilisation lies in personality?  is is diffi cult but I would admire the most? Predictable answer, technology and the security of such. probably say Mumbai.  ere are many I know, but it has to be Steve Jobs. He Ransomware is now a common thing but parts to Mumbai that remain understood the critical importance of that is only small fry compared with undeveloped either because of fi nance great marketing and world-class countries hacking countries. Secrets issues or having time to work on them, product launches. stolen, leaders of countries manipulated, but the areas they do have focus on are What’s the biggest challenge facing bribery and corruption. We as an spectacular. My life will always remain the industry no-one is talking about industry need to stop looking at the unfulfi lled.  ere is always something I yet? What happens if and when people low-cost options and instead provide the want to do, to achieve, to create. Always stop believing that technology is cool? software and fi rmware that keeps our people I want to help achieve their goals.  e consumer IT boom continues to data safe, or at least informs us that it is Mumbai has many good people who stimulate our industry, but all bubbles being stolen. want the same for their people. It is a burst in the end. If you could invite three famous friendly place that is striving to lead. If you could invite three famous people to dinner, who would they What would be your super-hero people to dinner, who would they be? Charles Babbage to ask how in the power? Mine would be “power be? George Orwell,  omas Cromwell world he thought of the idea for the fi rst mimicry”; the ability to mimic other and Boudicca – although they may not computer and then printer without people’s superpowers.  is way it doesn’t fi nd much in common! having any previous data to go from; Ada matter what my rivals had as their sole How has 2017 been for you? A very Lovelace to ask how she created the fi rst superpower, as I would eventually have steep learning curve, but I’m very happy recognised algorithm to be processed by them all. with the way things are going. a machine – Charles Babbage’s machine; Complete this sentence. The worst What’s the most extravagant and Alan Turing, to ask how he felt about thing about our rivals is… they smell. business lunch you’ve ever had? I am being the man who was responsible for What makes you nervous? Having too young to have experienced such reducing World War II by many months seen many things in my life and having extravagances. Aren’t such events a thing – if not years – then being treated had to adjust, there are very few things of the past? abysmally by our country. that faze me. I would probably say sudden Which global city best matches your How has 2017 been for you? shocks such as someone jumping out at personality? Well I love great food and Personally I have really enjoyed 2017. I you makes me the most nervous. wine (not during a business lunch). I’m have created personal projects that have If you could eat one type of food for passionate and an avid sports fan. So I really kept me occupied in my spare time the rest of your life, what would it guess it has to be Paris! and can see them going through well into be? Roast dinners. I love them, the type What would be your super-hero 2018. Business-wise, again, we are you get at home that are stacked with power? Travel back in time at will. I can striving forward in the solutions we off er roast potatoes and gravy – not the be quite sentimental and would love the to customers and customer satisfaction restaurant type that just don’t have the chance to experience certain things again. remains very high. I do get frustrated same taste. Complete this sentence. The worst sometimes with some global vendors Sum up the channel in three words thing about our rivals is… sometimes whose marketing departments don’t Exciting, challenging, confused. they are quicker off the mark than I

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WHICH FOOD GOES DOWN A TREAT?

Other means of sustenance also featured 19 heavily, including a perhaps surprising one: love curry

11 9 6 5 Italian Fruit Thai Fish Ruby, ruby, ruby, ruby! At the end of a hard day, there’s nothing more satisfying than Best of the rest a curry for 16% of our A-Listers who said Sushi (5), Mexican (3), Vegetables (3), Chinese/Peking style (3), Cheese (3), Chocolate (3), Sunday roast (3), Tapas (2), that Indian cuisine would be the choice of Potatoes (2), Bread and butter (2), Cake (2), Lasagne (2), food to eat for the rest of their lives. Meat (2), Chicken (2), Steak (2), Avocado (2)

would like. However, it’s a marathon, not What’s the biggest challenge facing a sprint. the industry no-one is talking about What makes you nervous? I had the yet?  e unknown. unexpected pleasure of delivering my If you could invite three famous second child. Not many things make me people to dinner, who would they nervous after that experience! be? Henry VIII, Sir Winston Churchill If you could eat one type of food for and Prince. the rest of your life, what would it How has 2017 been for you? Excellent be? Tex-Mex every time. – for obvious reasons! Sum up the channel in three words What’s the most extravagant Never more important. business lunch you’ve ever had? At the Fat Duck – I ordered 24 oysters when I thought they were mussels.  e vendor W said it was the most expensive starter DAVID WATTS they have ever had to buy anyone. Acting managing director, Which global city best matches your Tech Data UK&I personality? New York – the city that Which tech figurehead do you never sleeps! admire the most? Steve Jobs, for dogged What would be your super-hero determination and fantastic creativity. power? To fl y, so I wouldn’t have to fl y What’s the biggest challenge facing between countries any more. the industry no-one is talking about Complete this sentence.  e worst yet?  e issue is that everyone is talking thing about our rivals is… the prices they about everything – the real challenge is quote on their products. to stop talking and to deliver. What makes you nervous? Flying! If you could invite three famous JAMES WARD If you could eat one type of food for people to dinner, who would they Managing director, Hammer the rest of your life, what would it be? Sir Winston Churchill, Gandhi and Which tech figurehead do you be? Fast food. Nelson Mandela – then I would just sit admire the most? Steve Luczo at Sum up the channel in three words back and listen to their conversations. Seagate, who is also a snowboarder Storage, servers, networking (it’s How has 2017 been for you? With and surfer. Hammer’s DNA). distribution’s largest integration

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happening and delivering outstanding the very nature of success gone on to sound way to sell – and they also think growth, we have had a busy and become mainstream – I’m not a fan of those prospects/partners don’t tell us challenging period, but it has been fun all mainstream. So, who amazes me? I met a when they do it. Wrong! It completely the way. software developer some years ago who goes against our way of doing business, What’s the most extravagant sat in front of me and talked about his which is to champion integrity. business lunch you’ve ever had? A latest (incredible) project while I could What makes you nervous?  e fi rst pasty from the Cornish Pasty stand at see that his brain was fl oating another 20 fi ve seconds of presenting to a crowd. Waterloo – an indulgence never to be ideas while he was talking to me – these And animals – all animals make me repeated. are the types of tech people I admire. nervous. Which global city best matches your What’s the biggest challenge facing If you could eat one type of food for personality? London as it is colourful, the industry no-one is talking about the rest of your life, what would it vibrant and totally British. yet?  e change required by people and be? Rare roast beef sandwiches in thick, What would be your super-hero society to accept the technology changes white farmhouse bread with lashings of power? I want to be able to fl y – it would that are coming. Even with those we can horseradish, with pickles, chips and be fantastic fun. imagine and aren’t ready for, we fail to coleslaw on the side. Yum! Complete this sentence. The worst discuss the human implication to quality Sum up the channel in three words I thing about our rivals is… they keep of life, social economics, personal can’t do three words! Respected, on competing with us. interaction and simply being. What will intelligent hub of economic and What makes you nervous? Answering become of us and our behaviours when technology progressives. questionnaires. those that haven’t yet been deemed If you could eat one type of food for plausible start to take place? the rest of your life, what would it If you could invite three famous be? Easy answer – curry. people to dinner, who would they Sum up the channel in three words be? Queen Victoria, Bob Hoskins and Great place to work – oh! Sorry, that is Alan Turing – challenge, fun and four words. intelligence. How has 2017 been for you? Progressive! Repositioning a business is no mean feat and the previous two years took every ounce of eff ort to turn the ship, but this year the engines are back up and running and we are stoking up for full steam ahead in 2018. What’s the most extravagant business lunch you’ve ever had? I don’t generally do extravagant lunches for business so I’d have to go with the ANGELA WHITTY outcome of an incentive.  e Armani Managing director, partner, restaurant in the Burj Khalifa. Cisco UKI Which global city best matches your Which tech figurehead do you personality? Dubai, because it’s admire the most? Steve Jobs. While a constantly developing and changing. As it relatively late adopter of the smartphone progresses, it learns. by many people’s standards, I am now What would be your super-hero not sure what I would do without my LORRIN WHITE power? Assuming that I can already iPhone. I can run almost every part of my Managing director, Bamboo fl y because I am a super-hero, I would life from it – often doing my supermarket Technology Group like to have the ability to bend minds shopping standing on the 8.34am from Which tech figurehead do you and thoughts! Reading to Paddington. It serves as both admire the most? I don’t really have Complete this sentence. The worst my alarm clock and my calendar. one.  is is largely because the most thing about our rivals is… they appear However, all too often I have to fi ght to notable ones are those who have in the to believe that trying to professionally stop myself and my two teenage sons past disrupted technology but then by discredit us to prospects/partners is a from becoming far too often distracted

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by the constant pinging for your up in midnight fi nish because it was just attention. It’s a blessing and a curse! too much fun can’t be beaten… or done Y What’s the biggest challenge facing too often! the industry no-one is talking about Which global city best matches yet? An issue that’s quite close to my your personality? As I get older, I heart is supporting people in the later would say San Francisco. Old-world stages of their careers as they move culture with lots to see and do, but towards retirement. After a career closes early enough for you to get a lifetime in such a fast-moving industry, decent nights’ sleep. making the transition to a slower pace of What would be your super-hero life can be tricky and needs great support. power? Telepathy would be the one for If you could invite three famous me. I would love to know what people are people to dinner, who would they really thinking when they quote a bit of ANTONY YOUNG be? My fi rst choice would be Margaret corporate policy that you can tell they Co-founder, IQBlade  atcher – I would love to hear her story don’t agree with. Which tech figurehead do you admire of her aspirations for herself as she was Complete this sentence. The worst the most? Alan Simpson at Datel and growing up. Love her or not, being the thing about our rivals is… that they Mike Kontowtt at Bell Micro. Both were fi rst lady PM was quite an achievement. sometimes win because they have a great at building and motivating people Maybe another strange choice and would better day in the offi ce! and then trusting them to deliver certainly make for interesting What makes you nervous?  a t ’ s a excellence for their clients. conversation would be Amy Winehouse. tough one as lots of things make me What’s the biggest challenge facing I would love to know if she had her time nervous, but I try very hard not to show the industry no-one is talking about again what would she change. A sad it! To name a few would be: Am I doing a yet?  e amount of time wasted in story, but it would be interesting to good job? We all get insecure sometimes pointless meetings and con-calls. It kills understand her background and what and that would be another use for the creativity and productivity in management. makes such a talented individual telepathy – knowing what people think… How has 2017 been for you? self-destruct in such a major way. My or not!; What next career wise? And what Professionally 2017 has been superb. We fi nal choice would be Princess Diana. will I do when I retire? It’s not that launched IQBlade, won some signifi cant What I loved about her was her clear love imminent, but I am closer to that than clients and then closed a major funding and devotion for her two sons in an the start of my career; As I get older, round. Personally, I packed in quite a lot, institution that in the past had parented fl ying makes me a bit anxious, so I have which included meeting some inspiring at a distance. How proud would she be to pretend the plane is just a big bus; para athletes and putting out the starting today if she could see what fi ne men her Letting my kids go! How much freedom blocks for Usain Bolt at the Athletics two boys have become. As a mother of do I let them have and when? When they World Championships. two sons, nothing makes me happier to are out late I can’t settle until I know they What’s the most extravagant see them grow and develop. are OK. I had to let my oldest son who is business lunch you’ve ever had? It How has 2017 been for you? Busy 16 go to Reading Festival with his friends was either watching Hippos fl oating down – balancing work and family. Tense and this summer. He camped there for three the Zambezi towards Victoria Falls or exciting – awaiting GCSE results in the nights! I can’t lie, I was delighted when he playing Elephant Polo before having lunch summer for my children. Rewarding and came home a day early. on the maharaja’s lawn in Rajasthan. fulfi lling – still think I have the best job at If you could eat one type of food Which global city best matches your Cisco and two amazing kids that I love for the rest of your life, what would personality? Tel Aviv: a “city that never spending time with. it be? Toast! One thing you can never stops”. It also has some great bars, which What’s the most extravagant have enough of! It can be sweet or is quite handy. business lunch you’ve ever had? savoury… who doesn’t love toast and What would be your super-hero Personally, I am not extravagant business Marmite?  e smell of hot toast is just power? Spinning plates. lunch person. I have it drummed into the best. Early morning breakfast or If you could eat one type of food for me by my dad that I should always dinner substitute at the end of a long day the rest of your life, what would it spend company money like it’s my own! when cooking isn’t an option! Or if not be? Meat – I haven’t found one that I  at said, an impromptu lunch catching toast and a good curry! didn’t like yet. up with friends and colleagues over a Sum up the channel in three words Sum up the channel in three words bite to eat and a glass of wine that ends Best job ever! Chaotic, passionate, evolving.

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4SEC Group CMS Distribution Kite Distribution ScanSource Imago Grahame Smee 54 Frank Salmon 51 Mark Hatton 27 James Vickerage 59 Computacenter Servium Lenovo AAG IT Services Bill McGloin 41 Paul Barlow 5 Comstor Neil Berville 6 SHI UK Alexa Greaves 21 Logicalis UK Academia Clive Hailstone 23 Darren Brodrick 7 Mike Bacon 4 Crayon Bob Swallow 57 Sigma Software Distribution Richard Lockey 37 Jane Silk 53 Agilitas Maintel Tom Kelly 34 Custodian 360 Simms International Helen Hall 24 Rufus Grig 22 Andrew Henderson 29 Shaun Lynn 39 Managed 24/7 Aindale BMS Softcat Daisy Group John Pepper 48 Colin Brown 8 Wayne Cockerill 11 Memset ANS Group Neil Muller 44 Martin Hellawell 27 Dell Kate Craig-Wood 13 SolarWinds MSP Paul Shannon 52 Metaphor IT AVR International Sarah Shields 53 Dave Sobel 54 Dimension Data Richard Callis 9 Solutionpath Helen Hall 24 Microsoft Bryn Morgan 42 Howard Hall 24 Distology Laura Bouchard 7 Stone Group Bamboo Technology Group Hayley Roberts 50 Joe Macri 39 Simon Harbridge 25 Lorrin White 61 DTP Group Millgate Synaxon UK Bechtle Howard Hall 24 Chris Calvert 10 Derek Jones 32 James Napp 45 Mirus Bell Integration e92plus Paul Tomlinson 58 Target Components Alastair Bell 5 M-Tech Systems Paul Cubbage 14 Beta Distribution Mukesh Gupta 23 EACS Martin Lulham 38 Tech Data UK&I Steve Soper 55 David Watts 60 Blue Cube Security Stuart Dickinson 18 Natilik Epaton (NoTape) Technology Associates Gary Haycock-West 27 Mike Danson 14 Kelvin Kirby 35 Bluewolf Jonathan Lassman 36 NCI Technologies European Electronique Terra Computer Vera Loftis 38 Andy Trish 58 Alicia Shepherd 53 Bytes Software Services Yolanta Gill 21 Network Group Exclusive Group Mandi Nicholson 45 Phylip Morgan 42 Trilogy Technologies Bytes Technology Group Barrie Desmond 16 New Signature Exertis Edel Creely 13 Neil Murphy 44 Dan Scarfe 52 Total Computers Gerry O’Keeff e 47 Northamber Kieran O’Connor 46 Alex Phillips 49 Trustmarque Technology CA Technologies FMXA NTT Security Solutions Louise Ashbrook 3 Alisha Dattani 15 CAE Technology Services Kai Grunwitz 22 Andrew Carr 10 Fujitsu Nuvias Justin Harling 26 Michael Keegan 33 UKCloud Capita Networking Solutions Ian Kilpatrick 35 Nicky Stewart 56 Béatrice Butsana-Sita 9 Gardner Systems OCSL UKFast CCS Media Paul Stringfellow 56 Martin Hess 30 Lawrence Jones MBE 32 James Hardy 25 GNR Technology Ultima Business Solutions CDW UK PCM UK Dave Stevinson 55 Scott Dodds 19 Dan Laws 37 Donavan Hutchinson 31 Utilize Celerity Phoenix Software Hammer Guy Hocking 30 Christopher Roche 50 James Ward 60 Samantha Mudd 42 Utopia Computers Centerprise International Printerland Herjavec Group Craig Hume 31 Jon Atherton 4 Robert Herjavec 29 James Kight 34 Rafi Razzak 49 Hewlett Packard Enterprise Pure Technology Group VIP Computer Centre Channeliser Mark Armstrong 3 Cliff Fox 20 Rich Marsden 40 Jacqui Rand 49 HP Vodafone Chess ICT Neil Sawyer 51 QuantiQ Helen Freestone 20 Steve Cox 11 Stuart Fenton 19 Vohkus Circle IT Ignite Business Loay Lawrence 36 Roger Harry 26 Communications ramsac Cisco Guy Hocking 30 Robert May 41 Wallace Hind Selection Angela Whitty 61 Ingram Micro Cloud RedPixie Zoe Chatley 11 Cisilion Apay Obang-Oyway 46 Mitchell Feldman 19 Westcoast Nick Paul 47 Insight UK Robertson Sumner Joe Hemani 28 Clipsham IT Emma de Sousa 16 Marc Sumner 57 Alex Tatham 58 Kay Bruen 9 IQBlade Worldwide Technology Cloud Distribution Antony Young 62 Samsung Electronics Ben Boswell 6 Adam Davison 15 Mark Ash 3 Cloudreach Kingston Technology Sapphire XMA Pontus Noren 45 Ann Keefe 33 Annabel Berry 5 Lee Hemani 29

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