Margaret Totten

MD, Akari Solutions

What has been your business highlight of 2022?

Launching EnviroTrak, our sustainability product on Microsoft Teams. As a partner with purpose we aim to make sure everything we build, service or deploy has a strong end purpose and EnviroTrak has been a huge passion project for us, many months in the making and now being tested by some amazing enterprise-level customers!

If you were ruler of your own country, what law would you introduce first?

Mandatory enforceable fines for anyone littering. My biggest pet peeve is watching people throw trash away in the streets and the countryside.

Which channel or tech leader (outside of your own company) has impressed you most in 2022?

Mary Hunter. I've had the pleasure of working with Mary in WIT and not only is she amazing in her day-to-day role, she gives back to the partner community consistently. She is always there for those who need her and she is truly passionate in driving inclusion with not only females in tech but in every demographic.

If you had a warning label, what would it say?

"This person does not understand the words ‘You can't do that'."

What was your first job?

My first job was at 14 while in school, working in the Asda Red Balloon café

What was the last book you read, and was it any good?

Animal Farm.

Someone mentioned some lessons in it to me that are applicable in business, so I thought I'd give it a try. I'd refused to read it before as I had hated 1984. The book was ok, but the person was right: some separate summaries taught me more.

What's the most important lesson you've learned from another business leader or mentor?

Always be truthful with yourself. You can't overcome your weaknesses if you aren't aware of them, and my mother always taught me to take feedback with grace and implement what you can. You don't have to accept it all or change everything, but the only thing that grows while standing still is a tree.

Who would play you in a movie of your life?

No one wants to see a movie of my life - that would be entirely too confusing