I feel many vendors see things only from their perspective and sometimes confuse messaging with whats good for the end customer or indeed themselves as a vendor .
Whilst we should focus on whats good for customers we also need to understand the differing drivers of a channel partner . Building long term , growing revenue is important and this requires thinking beyond shorter-term transactional business .
Central to my management philosophy is to ensure you have a team of highly capable people , all aligned and then let them do great things . Many talk about this but there ’ s a lot involved . Firstly , you need to understand the market opportunity and how best to align resources . This then drives an understanding of what is required in individual roles and team dynamics . This is where a partnership with HR is vital in recruiting , developing and motivating a team of high performing individuals , team performance if managed well is greater than the sum of its parts .
When you look back at your career , what has been the most memorable achievement ?
Actually I was very proud to have taken two very differing security VARs , that had been acquired by a large hosting business , transforming them into one with a clear
As organisations change the way they work , interact and trade so channel partners who can adapt and assist with what are often major operational changes regarding technical platforms and architecture are enjoying success . strategy and sense of purpose . Along the way I was promoted to chief operations officer of the group and was instrumental in the subsequent successful sale of the business .
What made you think of a career in technology ?
I received little careers advice as a young person and have been looking for ways to help young people understand the world of technology and what careers can be built in recent years . With little guidance at the time my thoughts ranged from becoming a pilot to an architect . Liking design and technical drawing , I had good results in both maths and physics , my maths teacher was very
pro engineering and suggested considering the rapidly growing market of electronics . Wanting to join the job market rather than spend more time in the education system I joined a large global organisation on a fouryear engineering apprenticeship .
What do you think will be the hot technology talking point of 2022 ?
On the wider scale the accelerated drive to a digital world and virtual working , in terms of cyber and risk , and ransomware .
What are your personal interests and where do you like to spend most of your time after work ?
Training and entering crossfit competitions , driving and maintaining two classic cars a VW Karmann Gia and a Jaguar E type . I also enjoy riding motorbikes and riding around the twisty country lanes in the UK and when travel is less restricted , I like touring Europe . •
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