Geoff Greenlaw

VP, EMEA and LATAM channel sales, Pure Storage

What's the most surprising lesson 2024 has taught you so far?

The meteoric rise of AI. Very few people could have foreseen how impactful it would be for the technology sector this year.

If you could have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be and why?

Robin Williams, the actor whose films touched the lives of everyone in the Western world, would absolutely be welcome at my dinner. His incredible stand-up comedy routines, along with the innumerable classic films he was part of, would make him a very special guest to listen to for hours and hours.

Which tech or channel figurehead has impressed you the most this year, and why?

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA for his vision and his passion to make Artificial Intelligence commonplace in every part of everyone’s lives for the future.

What technology trend do you think is being overhyped, and why?

With AI being such an important part of customers’ data infrastructure strategies, I feel that cloud repatriation is now a huge topic of concern as many customers need to maintain sovereignty of their data in their own country now, and the costs of bringing this data back on-premise are proving very challenging, and much more expensive than anticipated.

If you were stranded on a deserted island but could have one piece of tech with you, what would it be?

My iPhone, which has become a device that can control every part of your day-to-day life - from your diary, to social media, to finances, to travel. The iPhone has been one of the most life-changing devices in the 21st century.

What's your go-to productivity hack that keeps you on track during a busy day?

I always write down the top three things I need to accomplish on any given day - irrespective of what is in my diary. Then, at midday every day, I review where I am on those three things and make it a priority to complete them within the next hour if they have not already been resolved.

If you had the time to learn one new skill, what would it be?

I would love to learn Spanish, as it is one of the most commonly spoken languages across the world, and across many countries within my region.