In this edition of Meet the Team, we’re introducing our SMB Business Development Manager, Clifford The! Clifford’s path into IT was a natural progression, shaped by years of curiosity, hands‑on exploration and a level of determination that tends to carry him the distance, both professionally and personally.
“I studied IT in Australia and graduated from the University of Technology. I’ve been doing this about 18 years. I started working in distribution selling CCTV and surveillance… then I moved to Lenovo for about six years, and then I ended up with Dicker Data.”
As his career evolved, so did the scope of his work. Today, Clifford plays a key role in helping partners navigate a rapidly shifting technology landscape.
“Day to day, I work closely with our business partners, helping them uncover opportunities, build pipelines, enable their teams, and find the right solutions for their customers. My role is to champion the value Dicker Data brings to the table, guiding partners through our ecosystem and supporting cross-sell and upsell conversations across end-user compute, data centre, networking, cloud and Microsoft. I’m their go-to point of contact.”
With such strong partner focus, Clifford has formed a clear perspective on the current SMB landscape and the challenges many partners still face.
“I see the SMB market continuing to evolve, with many businesses now focused on rebuilding strong foundations and investing in their teams. Keeping things simple and prioritising training sets them up for long-term success. SMBs are incredibly agile and quick to engage, and that responsiveness is helping many of them win larger customers. In a lot of ways, it mirrors Dicker Data, we’ve grown significantly, but we’ve kept that same agility and ability to move fast.”
Looking ahead, Clifford believes one opportunity will dominate 2026.
“AI is becoming a major opportunity for every organisation, including SMBs. That’s why we introduced our AI practice, to help partners build AI capability to take AI solutions from concept to deployment while bridging the skills gap. Even large enterprises are still on their journey, which means there’s a real opening for SMBs to step in and innovate. With our partnership across 365Mesh, partners can go beyond Copilot and GenAI to create practical AI solutions and applications that solve real customer challenges. That’s a powerful differentiator.”
To any SMB wondering where to begin, his advice is simple and direct.
“Engage with Dicker Data early, we’re here to help you move faster with access to technical expertise, resources and go-to-market support. Our agility is one of our biggest strengths, and the earlier we collaborate, the more value we can bring to your customer engagements.”
Clifford is passionate about helping partners grow in meaningful, sustainable ways.
“I love introducing partners to technologies and vendors that can boost their profitability, it’s a win-win. I’m also a big believer in highlighting niche vendors, where partners can stand out without competing in crowded spaces. Being different and unique is a real advantage. While some SMBs focus on a single pillar, Dicker Data’s strength is that we can support solutions across the full tech stack. I’m always here to help partners tap into new areas through cross-sell and upsell opportunities.”
What drives him every day is the people around him and the culture that keeps him motivated.
“Everyone at Dicker Data is incredibly supportive, and the culture here is genuinely something special. I report to Sandeep Sharma, who’s an outstanding leader, and the entire team, from our internal account managers and order desk specialists to accounts, product teams and the warehouse, always has my back. When I’m out on the road helping customers, I know there’s a strong team behind me keeping everything running smoothly.”
Even in his personal philosophy, Clifford stays grounded in the same simplicity he promotes in business.
“For me, try to make it simple. My motto is: do what you have to do. That’s it, keep it simple.”
And when he’s not working with partners or solving customer challenges, Clifford is out chasing new goals, quite literally.
“I’ve done two marathons in the last two years in Sydney. My bucket list is to do the Tokyo Marathon, I love Japan and I love Tokyo. I’ve done some running over there while on holiday and I think it’ll be a pretty good marathon experience.”
Clifford might run marathons, but SMBs don’t have to, partnering with Dicker Data helps them reach the finish line faster! Get in touch with Clifford here: Clifford.the@dickerdata.com.au
Want to meet more of our Dicker Data team? Read more here.