Meet the Chiefs: Mike Dalton, Unitrends
This week in Meet the Chiefs, we sat down with Mike Dalton, senior vice president of Worldwide Channels and International Field Operations at backup and disaster recovery solutions vendor Unitrends. As channel chief, Dalton is responsible for expanding the company's partner program and international sales strategy.
![Meet the Chiefs: Mike Dalton, Unitrends Meet the Chiefs: Mike Dalton, Unitrends](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/bltdd44e4f7110a13cb/652472068fd57ceadd69d1bf/Mike_Dalton_Unitrends_-_High_Res_0.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Dalton: My first job was as a waiter in a restaurant called the Boulevard on Lord Street in Southport, which is on the northwest coast of England. It was a great part-time job while I was still in school. Working as a waiter is something I would certainly recommend to anyone interested in getting into sales, as it teaches you all about customer service. Also, when your income is governed by your tips, you soon learn to sell the extras.
The VAR Guy says: Being a good waiter means you need to know how to hustle, which sounds like the perfect way to train for a career in sales. Plus you can occasionally sneak a few free French fries, which is a bonus all in itself.
Dalton: An Aston Martin DB5 – it’s a British icon. I used to have a model of the James Bond version when I was about 6 years old. I wish I still had it; even those are worth a few quid these days.
The VAR Guy says: If you had one of these you would absolutely need to spring for the famous ejector seat, just in case you happened to pick up a double agent during your travels.
Dalton: Spain, on the Costa Calida. There are lots of great golf courses and the roads are very quiet—perfect for cycling.
The VAR Guy says: Costa Calida means "Warm coast" and is named for its micro-climate and less-than-average precipitation. The area is known for its golf courses, including the El Valle course, which hosted the PGA European Seniors Tour in 2011.
Dalton: I recently read, “The Girl On The Train” by Paula Hawkins. It’s a psychological thriller about a girl who commutes from Buckinghamshire in to London. It’s a great book and would recommend it, especially if, like me, you commute to London.
The VAR Guy says: "The Girl on the Train" is the debut novel by author Paula Hawkins, and tells the story of Rachel, a woman who witnesses a crime while riding a commuter train to work and becomes entangled in a mystery. Critics have compared it to the best-selling "Gone Girl" for its twisting and turning narrative.
Dalton: I took up cycling about 18 months ago and just bought myself a new bike, a Norco Valance. I wanted something that was comfortable and could take panniers as I am planning some longer rides during the summer months.
The VAR Guy says: That's a very cool splurge item, and a great way to keep in shape all at the same time.
Dalton: Currently I am really enjoying, "Fortitude." I love thrillers and this one is superb. Some of the scenes are a bit disturbing, so it’s not one to watch if you’re a bit squeamish.
The VAR Guy says: "Fortitude" is a murder mystery series set in a fictional town in the Arctic Circle and stars Richard Dormer as a local sheriff and Sofie Grabol as the governor.
Dalton: I wanted to be a doctor, but a trip to watch an operation at our local hospital put me off. I am full of admiration for the medical profession. The things that they can achieve these days are simply remarkable.
The VAR Guy says: If watching "ER" and "Scrubs" taught us anything, it's that doctors do some amazing things, but it's not a job for the faint of heart.
Dalton: This is a tough question, as I don’t really have an all-time favorite and I don’t really like watching movies twice! One film that I am happy to watch again is "The Breakfast Club." I like the way the attitudes of five totally different people change as they get to know each other and understand that there is more to people than just what you see in the surface; a life lesson for us all. It also has one of my favorite Simple Minds songs at the end.
The VAR Guy says: The VAR Guy likes to think of himself as a John Bender type, when in reality he was much more like Brian Johnson in high school.
Dalton: This is a tough question, as I don’t really have an all-time favorite and I don’t really like watching movies twice! One film that I am happy to watch again is "The Breakfast Club." I like the way the attitudes of five totally different people change as they get to know each other and understand that there is more to people than just what you see in the surface; a life lesson for us all. It also has one of my favorite Simple Minds songs at the end.
The VAR Guy says: The VAR Guy likes to think of himself as a John Bender type, when in reality he was much more like Brian Johnson in high school.
This week in Meet the Chiefs, we sat down with Mike Dalton, senior vice president of Worldwide Channels and International Field Operations at backup and disaster recovery solutions vendor Unitrends. As channel chief, Dalton is responsible for expanding the company's partner program and international sales strategy.
Prior to his time at Unitrends, Dalton was the managing director at Topline Business Development, responsible for helping technology companies such as Rackspace and Symantec recruit channel partners and build country-specific channel programs. He also spent 10 years at McAfee in various executive sales, channel and business development roles.
What is Meet the Chiefs?
Meet the Chiefs shines the spotlight on the channel’s head honchos and offers an opportunity to learn a little bit about the person beyond his or her company profile. Click on each photo to learn more about the channel chief you’re viewing.
Want to be included in an upcoming Meet the Chiefs? Send an email to The VAR Guy Associate Editor Michael Cusanelli at [email protected] for more information. He’s really good at answering emails on time, we promise.
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