PROFILE PETER WILLIAMS

Peter Williams is a sales support manager at network integration specialist Datarange. Datarange is IBM's biggest UK network reseller, boasting clients such as Lloyd's of London, Barclays, The Telegraph Group, BBC Worldwide and The Guardian. In his spare time, he tells Catherine Toole, he keeps snakes and sings.

"I have a boa constrictor, a Royal python, a Bosc monitor lizard and a pair of leopard Geckos. My wife bought me the the python three years ago as an anniversary present. None of them are dangerous: the snakes aren't venomous, they would simply squeeze the life out of you, but they only do it on prey they can eat, so probably nothing bigger than a rabbit.

The Bosc lizard will grow to about four feet long and you can buy a special harness and take it out for walks but I don't think I'll be doing that!

Keeping reptiles is becoming more and more popular but the reason I do it is because I find it very interesting watching how they operate. I suppose it's the equivalent of watching fish in a tank; it can be quite soothing. I always tell people at work that I keep reptiles so I can understand salespeople better, but I'm only kidding.

One of the other things I like to do is singing. About six years ago two old colleagues who were both at Sony asked me to set up a band with them. It started out as a five-piece and grew to a 12-piece. It was a kind of Commitments style band, R&B, blues, Motown and funk. I was the frontman. Three years ago we were doing a gig a week but then it started affecting my work, so I had to prioritise ... regardless of what people think, you earn a lot more in the computer industry than in music!

The band got a new frontman but I still sing with them occasionally.

One of the best experiences of my life was last year when we supported Jools Holland at a gig, in front of about 2,500 people. If I could do that every day, I would. But I do like my job very much. It's largely people-facing and I enjoy that, I tend to get along to as many corporate events as possible, I think it's very important. Twice a year we have a company day and I get involved in that trying to make it fun. I think that's the best way to do things. I suppose I like being a 'frontman' in many ways. I did some 'Am Dram' in the past, lots of bits and pieces.

I did the voice of the plant in Little Shop of Horrors - from off stage!

The best part was when I played Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar: on for five minutes, big number and then off. That's me: I'd always go for four minutes of complete intensity rather than two hours on stage in the chorus."

GREEN TO GO EUROPEAN

Internet media company, Yahoo! Inc has appointed Shelaine Green European marketing director. Green joined Yahoo in 1988 from Orange, where she was a 'segment' marketing manager, focusing on developing and implementing marketing plans for a key target customer group. Prior to that she developed pan-European promotions at Duracell and relaunched the children's club for Abbey National. She began her career as a graduate trainee for Kimberley Clark in 1986 and completed an MBA at INSEAD in Fountainebleau in 1994.

BORDEN TAKES THE SOFT OPTION

James Borden has joined Soft Option Technologies to strengthen its sales team as sales support engineer. He will take responsibility for all technical aspects of the company's customer sales service, as well as providing corporate customers with consultancy on IT systems integration.

Borden has five years IT industry experience and previously worked for software systems house Mass Consultants as a senior software engineer.

DE COURCY-BOWER ROWS OVER TO RETAIL LOGIC

Growth strategies, expansion into new markets, product initiatives and marketing programmes are four key areas of responsibility for Louise de Courcy-Bower, the newly appointed marketing manager at Retail Logic.

De Courcy-Bower is an IT industry veteran of 10 years, having been employed predominantly in the financial services and travel sectors. While employed by operators of computer reservation systems for the world's airlines, Galileo International, de Courcy-Bower implemented a global accounting interface between Galileo CRS and travel agent's systems. She also worked for Unisys, promoting insurance software.

Louise de Courcy-Bower lists her interests as boat rowing and late 19th century art history, which will no doubt go down well with key Retail Logic clients like Manchester United FC and HMV.

SOME FRESH INPUT

Input Software has appointed a new sales manager for the UK, Ireland and Benelux. Darren Sutherland will be responsible for the sales and marketing of Input's products, focusing on utilities and the insurance, manufacturing, transportation and retail industries.

Sutherland comes to the job from Cornerstone Imaging's Sydney, Australia, office and has seven year's IT experience, having joined Cornerstone from Filenet UK. He also previously worked for Mitsui as well as Headway UK.

Says Input managing director, Mark Lewis, on the appointment: "Darren has all the experience necessary to ensure all prospective customers understand the advantages they will gain from the product."

JARVIS HEADS FOR DRUID

UK management consultancy Druid has recruited Tony Jarvis as its new sales manager. He will take responsibility for vertical market sectors including process manufacturing, retail, financial services, communications and general commercial organisations.

Before joining Druid in May 1998, Jarvis spent two periods of around eight years each at ICL, where he carried out a variety of sales and sales management roles, working on projects for organisations including British Aerospace, GEC and GKN Westland Helicopters. In between his spells at ICL, Jarvis worked with a software house, providing solutions to the constructions industry.

TWO DIVE INTO THE CHANNEL AT CABLETRON

Cabletron Systems has announced the appointment of two European account managers for the Channel. Ross Green is to look after the Azlan account and Jan Bowker is to be responsible for Anixter. Green comes to Cabletron from Digital, where he has managed the Azlan UK account for the last three years. Jan Bowker was formerly Digital Networks Products' european sales compensation manager, where she designed and delivered a sales and compensation programme across all European territories.

CLITHEROE MAKES THE CONNECTION

IT services company, Connect Support Services, has just promoted Suzanne Clitheroe to head of customer service, after less than a year as service delivery manager. Her new role will encompass the management of staff development programmes as well as customer service management. Clitheroe began her career in 1989 with a job in the financial sector and then moved into IT as a branch co-ordinator for Computacenter. After a switch into account management, she remained at Computacenter for seven years before moving to Connect.

PRICE IN THE SADDLE AT RYDER

A new sales account manager for Ryder Systems this month, as the billing analysis specialist appoints Don Price, giving him special responsibility for telecos. Having worked as an account director and sales manager with BT for many years, Price has wide experience in the telecoms industry and will help telcos identify ways of optimising their billing services.

Rodford makes a reasoned choice John Rodford is the new UK sales director at Reasoning, the software transformation technology provider. Rodford joins Reasoning from Seer Technologies, where he headed up

channel sales through systems integrators in Europe. Earlier in his career Rodford was responsible for building sales channels for Sybase and between 1980 and 1988 he handled pre and post-sales software support and systems analysis at Abbey National Building Society.

A BOOST TO THE TEAM AT FLEETWAY

Fleetway Systems has boosted its management team with the appointment of a new business development manager, Steven Smith.

In this newly created position, Smith will oversee customer service, as well as advising customers on how to maximise productivity and profitability through the effective use of Fleetway's systems. A well-known figure in the dispatch industry, Smith set up Professional Couriers in 1982 and has since held senior operations positions with West 1, Chain Gang, Safe & Secure and other international courier companies. In his new role, Smith teams up for the second time with Fleetway general manager Nick Keates, who headed up Professional Couriers' international division in the 1980s.

PRINT EXPERT TO NIPSON

Patrick Goussard has been appointed international marketing director of Nipson Printing Systems, also joining the company's executive committee.

Goussard has over 12 years experience in the printer industry, having been marketing director for Oce/Siemens printing systems division and pricing marketing manager. He has served as a sales manager and salesman.

His new role will see him spearheading the campaign to increase worldwide awareness of Nipson.

DUNN ADDS STRENGTH TO FORTE TEAM

Distributed high-end specialist, Forte Software has announced the appointment of Tim Dunn as senior sales executive, as part of its on-going European expansion and recruitment programme. Dunn will focus on the retail market for Forte customers in the south of England.

With over a decade of sales experience, Dunn joins Forte from call centre and data warehousing specialists, Andata, where he spent two years as account director. He also spent an additional two years with Daly Court, an Uxbridge-based marketing database company, as business development manager. He was also sales manager for business modeling tools supplier, Right Information Systems, now owned by Cognos.

CAVANAGH REACHES FOR THE STARS

The world's leading provider of computer software programs for satellite earth station monitor, control and network management systems has announced the appointment of Raymond Cavanagh to the position of vice president of marketing and strategic alliances.

Making the announcement at a staff conference, company president, Paul Houle said, "The arrival of Ray Cavanagh at C-Grams was planned to coincide with the many changes taking place and the rapid expansion of this company.

Ray will be instrumental in guiding these events and will provide greater assurance that we will achieve the goals of our business plan."

Cavanagh is an industry veteran of over 20 years. Most recently he was director of sales and marketing at PictureTel, where he grew a fledgling division from US$15 million to US$40 million is two years.

PEEK INTO INTER-TEL

Tracey Peek is the new regional business manager for telecoms solutions provider, Inter-Tel Europe, covering the South of England.

Prior to joining Inter-Tel, Peek spent 10 years with some of the UK's leading suppliers of the PBX and key systems, including Dial-A-Phone, Plessy and most recently as a senior account manager with Panasonic.

GARDNER TO DIRECT REBUS SALES

Darren Gardner has been appointed sales director of Rebus Human Resource Services. After a 13-year career in IT with companies such as Cray and Philips, he has spent the last 10 years helping fuel the boom in oursourcing.

Gardner was formerly business development director at fellow Rebus company Sceptre Computer Services, which was amalgamated with the Uniservices division of Peterborough Software to form Rebus Human Resources in 1997.

STS SALES EXPANSION

Birmingham-based utility software products and services specialist STS has appointed a new account director to its international sales team. Trevor Roberts' appointment is to form part of a major programme of development at STS, aiming to capitalise on increasing international sales opportunities as ulitilities worldwide go through deregulation.