Hot seat: Dylan Roberts, Leeds City Council

Dylan Roberts is head of ICT at Leeds City Council

If you were not in IT, what would you be doing?

I would be a leadership guru.

Which technology has had the biggest impact on your working life?

The obvious answer is email – from both a positive and a negative perspective. Email increases the craziness, speed and pace of everything I do.

Which technology would you most like to have invented?

One that has not yet been invented. We are almost there but not quite in creating a true knowledge aggregator. What I mean is a technology that links users to the knowledge they need. It would be something that first understands what you are searching for, and the context within which you are doing it. This would be based on a combined knowledge of you as an individual, and would enable you to search vast clouds of information. It would then provide the knowledge you need in its top three search results. Finally, it would also provide a connection to the people who have the knowledge you require, updated in real time.

What keeps you awake at night?

Organisational politics.

Is now a good time for people to enter the UK IT profession?

The answer depends on your perspective on life. The IT profession is absolutely core to the success of the knowledge economy, so in many ways the opportunities to maximise your potential are massive. But the flip side is that it can also be the busiest and most pressurised profession. And unfortunately, it can be one of the professions that receives the least amount of recognition.

How often do you check your BlackBerry?

I don't have a BlackBerry but I have a PDA that synchronises with my mail and calendar. If I do not have my laptop, I am on this all the time – I can't put it down.