John Hayes-Warren – Intec Micros

CEO’s name, bio and background:

John Hayes-Warren is CEO at Intec Micros.

John Hayes-Warren is a business and technology executive specialising in growth strategies to enable technology organisations to achieve profit and productivity objectives. Before this role, John held prominent commercial leadership and executive positions in global and UK organisations across various industries over a 32-year career, with experience at Agilitas, Logicalis, Claranet, Vodafone, Dell, VMware, and HP.

Why do you think awards like the Channel Awards matter?

The Channel Awards provide an essential reference point, highlighting the progress and innovation within the UK industry. Such awards matter because they set a standard of excellence, fostering a culture of improvement and accountability across the sector. For us, being shortlisted as a finalist reinforces our transformation and growth. They recognise not only the hard work of our team but also our commitment to empowering customers and partners with the right services and support to navigate a complex, evolving market.

What would winning this award mean to your company?

Winning this award would be an important milestone, affirming our journey from a product distributor to a fully integrated, technology partner. It would represent fantastic recognition for our people, whose dedication has driven our strategic shift, and for our partners, who trust us to support them with both technology and insight. This accolade would validate our approach, motivating us to continue investing in our capabilities and expanding the added-value services that underpin our customers’ success.

What would you say is your company’s proudest achievement over the past year?

Our proudest achievement this year has been the acceleration of our service offering alongside a significant expansion of our in-house capabilities. We’ve strategically developed a suite of services, from pre- and post-sales support to technical training, that allow us to add real value at every customer touchpoint. By empowering our partners with these tailored services, we are helping them make informed decisions and drive meaningful outcomes. This achievement has cemented our role as a trusted partner, marking a pivotal stage in our evolution.

What have been the biggest challenges of 2024 so far and how have you overcome them? How have your people helped with that?

One of the greatest challenges this year has been meeting the need for rapid, reliable support to accelerate time-to-value for our customers’ deployments. The market demands agility, and our team has been instrumental in meeting this challenge by refining our service and product offerings while strengthening our operational backbone. We have invested significantly in service innovation and process improvements, enabling us to help customers deploy solutions effectively and at speed. Our people’s expertise and adaptability have ensured that we remain not only resilient but also proactive, prepared for the next stage of our growth.

How do you think the channel has changed over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?

The channel has seen a shift towards a more customer experience (CX)-driven approach, with distributors playing a crucial role in providing comprehensive support beyond simple transactions. The growing emphasis on Edge, Cloud, and AI solutions has transformed expectations, requiring distributors to offer guidance and added value. However, to keep pace with the fast-evolving market, the channel still needs to focus on balancing in-house capabilities with ecosystem partnerships. This strategic lens - deciding what to build internally versus what to achieve through alliances - will be vital to delivering cohesive, relevant solutions for customers as innovation accelerates.

What do you see as the main opportunities for the channel in the coming year? How do you plan to capitalise on those opportunities?

In the coming year, we see substantial opportunities in deepening engagement with our customers and partners to accelerate time-to-value and drive end-user success. Demand is growing for tailored services that ensure efficient deployment and ongoing support. We plan to capitalise on this by expanding our services division, investing in expertise across key growth areas, and intensifying our consultative approach. Our goal is to challenge traditional methods, providing a blend of strategic insight, high-quality service, and technical expertise that empowers our customers to thrive in an increasingly complex environment.

The CRN Channel Awards take place in London on 14^th November. Click here to view the shortlist, and here to secure your place.