Technology Reseller v35

technologyreseller.co.uk 43 PEOPLE Introducing... Andrea Horton, Head of Marketing, Nuvias been exciting, emotional and a lot of hard work, but the personal and professional investment made by the team at Nuvias has seen us achieve consistent results and many successes, and I take a lot of pride in being part of this story.” Andrea has worked in IT and technology marketing since leaving university, gaining experience across a broad range of solutions areas, including PCs, printers, servers, storage, virtualisation, software, security, DevOps and Unified Communications. “I fell into IT marketing when I was at university, completing a placement year with Onyx Internet in the North East. I always wanted to join the police but felt I should get some experience in the workplace and develop my life skills before making that move. That’s when I first developed a passion for IT. Looking back, I feel extremely lucky and grateful to have had the opportunities that I did at Onyx, as it has shaped an extremely fulfilling career so far and taken me on a very different path.” Andrea’s desire to do something in life that makes a difference has seen her volunteer with Help for Heroes since 2009, devoting many hours of her time to fundraising and helping out at events. She is also a keen rugby fan and met her partner in the bar at Leicester Tigers. They enjoy nothing more than a day out at Welford Road or Twickers, and can’t wait for the day when live sport welcomes fans through the gates again. Andrea Horton, Head of Marketing, has been with specialist IT distributor Nuvias since it was formed in 2015, with Rigby Private Equity’s acquisitions of WickHill and Zycko, where Andrea was EMEA Group Marketing Manager. Over the last five years, the newly formed distribution business has been on an accelerated transformational journey that Andrea says, at times, has felt like a rollercoaster ride. “The past few years have HOME OR OFFICE? Home. In recent years, it has been my main place of work and I think I would struggle if I had to work in an office every day. That said, I do enjoy going to the office to connect with colleagues and have missed doing so greatly over the last nine months. TOWN OR COUNTRY? I am a Towny at heart – I love the convenience, variety and excitement of living in a large town near a big city. However, I have recently purchased a house to renovate and, while it is in a town (even though it feels more like a village to me!), it is surrounded by beautiful countryside. I think this could be the start of my escape to the country. SAND OR SNOW? This is a tough one… 10 years ago it would have been snow all the way. Nothing quite beats the fun and exhilaration of skiing, but nowadays I appreciate the rest and relaxation of a hot, quiet, sandy beach. My favourite so far has to be Whitehaven Beach in Australia. WALK OR RUN? Walk, or preferably drive the car. I am certainly not made for running, and my personal trainer told me it’s bad for you, so I’m with him! I have been doing my daily walk during lockdown and will try to keep that up as it’s good for my mind as well as my body. NIGHT OWL OR NESTER? Night-owl for sure. I’m not a big sleeper and definitely don’t need more than 8 hours. I value my personal time and don’t like to waste it sleeping; there is always something better to do. I get just enough to keep me healthy. CAT OR DOG? 100% dogs. I am an animal lover and don’t mind cats, but the relationship that humans and dogs have is wonderful. Through supporting Help for Heroes, I’ve had the honour of seeing first-hand the ways that dogs help people to live independent lives and can even save lives as medical assistance dogs. They are truly man’s best friend. I’ll be building a room for my future best-friend in the new house! CAR OR BIKE? Car. I have invested (others might say wasted) a lot of money buying cars that took my fancy over the years. I’ve always been led by my heart, not my head – and usually to my Dad’s disapproval! That said, I come from a biker family and getting my motorbike licence is on my bucket list. I want a hot pink Kawasaki Ninja…even if I don’t get round to riding it ‘til I’m 60! PAPER OR SCREEN? Definitely paper. I spend enough time glued to some sort of device, so for me reading is a welcome break from technology. You can’t beat the feeling and smell of a book; it’s just something you can’t replicate with a kindle. SPOTIFY, CD, LP OR CASSETTE? I love music and have very varied tastes. From 80s and 90s to rock and dance, I like it all in one place, so Apple Music is the only way forward for me. Also, being able to keep up to date with new releases means I can have conversations with my step-boys without looking completely out of touch. NEW OR RECYCLED? I’d like to say recycled, but in reality it’s new. I am becoming more aware of environmental issues and, because so much of what we buy is wasteful or can’t be recycled, I have changed some of my buying decisions. I now buy more second- hand clothes and am happy to spend a bit more money on something if it is eco-friendly. Q & A