On the distribution march

What do you think will be the next big thing in the industry?

I think it's already here in its infancy - virtualisation. I think that technology has got a long way to run and a lot more to offer from a business productivity and cost perspective. Most of the major vendors are really jumping on that bandwagon.

What are some of the opportunities you see for virtualisation?

Green IT is certainly getting a lot of press and exposure for obvious reasons, but I think the whole disaster recovery, availability and cost reductions argument, through to the power savings, real estate savings and tin savings required to run business productivity platforms, are big areas.

What's the focus for Ingram Micro this year?

This year we're really trying to work on improving our service levels to the channel. We've got a number of initiatives and projects on the board to try to address how we're dealing with both resellers and vendors and become a better company to do business with. It is always difficult as a big company, but at the end of the day the aim is to try and do as much as we can and show some leadership in thought and execution.

What do you do when you're not at work?

I mainly spend time with family - my wife and three boys who are all teenagers - or on the side of the rugby field. I'm a rugby tragic and I'm either watching my boys play or watching the Waratahs or Wallabies. I like to have a hit of golf but that's mostly restricted to corporate games. One of my other big hobbies is my well stocked wine cellar - I like to collect and drink good wines.

Do you like gadgets?

I wouldn't say I'm a huge gadget man; I like them when they're practical. I think my Blackberry is fantastic - I don't bother taking my notebook on business trips now because it's just too clunky and most of the work can be done on the Blackberry, which is great.

What did you want to be when you were younger?

I wanted to be a farmer and go back on the family property, but I was the eldest of six kids and my father was too young so I couldn't do that. Then I decided I wanted to be a doctor, but didn't get high enough marks, which is how I ended up in the army.

What's your biggest ambition?

From a personal point of view it is to watch the family grow up and be healthy and to have body and mind long enough to be able to enjoy their families as well. From a business point of view it's probably the same: Having some involvement and watching the people around me grow and take on the mantle of being the next managers and leaders of business, both in Ingram and in the channel, is what gives me joy and a kick.