2019 a List 2019
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A-LIST 2019 A-LIST A LIST 2019 MEET SOME OF THE MOVERS AND SHAKERS THAT MAKE UP THE CHANNEL ELITE Sponsored by SUPPORTING THE RISING STARS OF THE CHANNEL #CHANNELSTARS @AgilitasIT A-LIST 2019 Welcome to the CRN A-List 2019 CONTENTS From the reseller boss who once played biggest hitters the opportunity to showcase trombone on the White House lawn, to their playful side. Being that CRN is a serious A 4 the distribution MD who owns more than and sober business publication, we have also B 5 100 pairs of shoes, the UK’s top IT channel thrown in some more solemn, industry- executives possess many surprising hidden related questions for good measure. C 14 talents and hobbies. From Westcoast founder Joe Hemani and D 18 It is precisely such gems that CRN’s Softcat CEO Graeme Watt, to BT Business E 22 annual A-List is designed to unearth, and Direct boss Helen Slinger, no one was too F 23 respondents told us they found this year’s set proud to take on our tricky questions this of 11 questions particularly exacting. year, and we hope you enjoy reading their G 26 Matt Riley will be a familiar face to most thoughtful responses. H 31 people reading this supplement, but how A big thank-you – and congratulations – J 42 many will be aware that the Daisy chairman to everyone who made the cut. K 44 can walk on his hands like a gymnast? Or Doug Woodburn, editor L 46 that Bell Integration boss Alastair Bell likes to relax by diving cave systems in Mexico? M 49 This year’s CRN A-List sees 138 top N 58 executives in the channel grilled on a variety O 59 of topics, ranging from who they would P 60 have play them in a film of their life, to their guiltiest pleasure. R 62 We also asked them what their first act S 64 would be if they were made Prime Minister, T 72 with answers ranging from cancelling Brexit W 75 and re-introducing national service to “eliminating” middle-lane drivers. Y 78 A fixture in the CRN calendar since 2005, Company index 80 the CRN A-List aims to give the channel’s Incisive Media, New London House, 172 Drury Lane, London WC2B 5QR Tel: (020) 7484 9700 Editor Doug Woodburn (020) 7484 9817 Content editor Tom Wright 9797 Reporter Marian McHugh 9883 Channelnomics.eu Content editor Josh Budd 9854 Multimedia editor Nima Green 9781 Production editor Amy Micklewright Production executive Hyrie Mehmet 9779 Commercial director Matt Dalton 9896 Head of global sales Nina Patel Global account director Jessica Feldman 9839 Account manager Jessica Richards 9923 Group publishing director Alan Loader Managing director, Incisive Media 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. © 2018 Incisive Media Ltd Printed by Stephens & George Print Group. ISSN 1744-3156. Printed on paper from sustainable sources in Scandinavia. For custom editorial reprints contact Wrights Reprints at +1 877 652 5295 (international toll-free) Email: [email protected] CRN is distributed free to individuals who meet the publisher’s terms. Paid subscriptions UK £120, Europe $150, Rest of World £280 All images and icons are from www.istockphoto.com, unless stated ChannelWeb.co.uk 1 30 Years Connecting Technology To Customers cmsdistribution.com @CMSDistribution CMS Distribution A-LIST 2019 In great company Agilitas is proud to be supporting the CRN A-List 2019, a prestigious selection of leaders in the UK channel. This is a well-deserved recognition of the most influential leaders in our industry, which we are thrilled to be involved with. Now, more than ever, it is critical that channel businesses continue to collaborate and find new ways to work together. The CRN A-List is a fantastic opportunity to keep doing this, stimulating discussion across all our business leaders on the key themes that are affecting our industry. For this reason, we are delighted to be hosting this first-of-its-kind A-List dinner at the Shard, London in December, where select members of the A-List will gather to debate the theme of ‘Taking Innovation to New Heights’. It will come as no surprise to channel leaders that the topics up for discussion at the dinner include channel businesses’ approaches to new technologies such as the cloud, whether companies are building their own intellectual property, what trends companies are embracing to stay ahead of competitors, and how companies are implementing globalisation. In a natural next step when exploring the future of the channel, we are seeing the themes of Globalisation, Relevance and Transformation increasingly becoming topics of conversation. In the course of our groundbreaking research into what the global channel will look like in 2020, we predicted that these themes would have unparalleled effects on the future accretive channel partners to deliver this. Otherwise, they will of our industry. In fact, we are already seeing many channel fail to remain relevant for customers that increasingly want companies adopting these themes in their strategies; many of innovative, tailored solutions that meet their ultimate Agilitas’ channel partners have leveraged the insights that have business objectives. come out of our research to enhance their own service strategies. Market-leading companies recognise the need to remain relevant and customer-centric in today’s world; many have Let’s get together undergone, or are currently undergoing, a transformational Collaboration with other channel businesses is the ideal way to shift to align with their customer requirements. quickly bolster a channel provider’s portfolio of services, while Here at Agilitas, we are adopting the themes of increasing wallet share, margin and loyalty from the customer. Globalisation, Relevance and Transformation in our market Our recent research revealed that more than a quarter of a approach and strategy, increasingly collaborating with our channel business’s revenue is generated through the utilisation channel partners to make sure that together we are adapting to of skills from other companies. the changing channel landscape. Internally, we are continually Furthermore, the exact needs and desires of the customer working with the Agilitas team to analyse how we can further must be taken into account; out-of-the-box solutions are foster innovation and collaboration to ensure our strategic simply no longer sufficient for today’s customers. We are goals are not only met but exceeded. increasingly finding that relevance is a top priority for channel Finally, I would like to congratulate all those channel leaders businesses going forward – delivering outcome-based solutions who made this year’s CRN A-List. I am looking forward to for customers, rather than standard, off-the-shelf solutions that exploring these topics further and collaborating with my fellow are not targeted for their business needs. channel leaders at the A-List dinner in December, where we Collaboration is key to achieving this; if a customer’s current will all share our insights into the current state of the channel, channel partner(s) cannot directly offer a service that the and debate the best practices required for future success. customer requires, they must work together with other value Shaun Lynn, CEO of Agilitas ChannelWeb.co.uk 3 A-LIST 2019 A IoT – very few partners are investing or this year, and growing our overall share educating themselves in IoT. It will be of the channel in UKI. Personal: a day’s massive, especially when 5G comes in helicopter trip and boat ride to the next year. Grand Canyon with my two sons. What is your most treasured Who would play you in the film possession? My dog Ginny. of your life? Crikey, no idea… Robert What do your family think you De Niro? do all day? Day in and day out, my Which tech firm (other than your family think all I do is sit in back-to-back own!) do you most admire? Square webex meetings, listening to people – let’s get rid of cash altogether. from all over the world talking. Or What is your guiltiest pleasure? better yet, they see my business trips Whiskey with a slab of dark chocolate. to HQ in Mountain View, California as What is the most irritating tech regular holidays. buzzphrase of 2018? ‘Double-click’. Who has been your mentor in What would be your first act if business? I have had the pleasure of you were made Prime Minister? working with some highly experienced, Ban smoking, full stop, everywhere. knowledgeable people over the years What’s the biggest untapped but I can’t think of a bigger supporter opportunity facing the channel? ZOE ABBOTTS of European channels than Pat Dunne. Software defined, private, cloud, Global channel operations Pat has been a fantastic mentor and delivered as a service. director, Symantec colleague for me, helping translate What is your most treasured Tell us something most people theory into practice in the execution of possession? My iPhone AirPods. won’t know about you I am a international channel programmes. What do your family think you do qualified vet nurse (RVN) and when all day? Talk on my mobile. I can, I volunteer at the local animal Who has been your mentor in hospital charity. business? I don’t have one mentor; What has been your highlight of you can learn so much from everyone 2018 so far? Trekking the Inca Trail to you work with.