Whilst KIOXIA is relatively new, we have been partnered with the SSD Manufacturer since they were known as Toshiba Memory, so we thought it was time we got to know a bit more about the leading worldwide supplier of flash memory, SSD’s and software solutions.
We sat down and had a chat with James Clive, our Pan-European Distribution Manager at KIOXIA, and asked him to spill the beans on everything KIOXIA and we also got to find out a little bit more about James and what brought him to the Storage industry in the first place!
Interested in finding out more? Check out our Interview below.
Get to know James:
Introduction to James – Name, Job role & where you are based? James Clive, Pan-European Distribution Manager, B2B SSD. I am UK home office based near Helmsley, North Yorkshire.
When you were younger, what did you want to be when you grew up? Computers were barely invented in my school days, so a career in IT Sales certainly wasn’t top of the list. I wanted to be a farmer.
What are your passions outside of work? I discovered exercise later on in life – two of my main passions are now running and cycling. I also love international travel, never getting bored of exploring new places and sampling local food and wine.
Knowing what you do now, what advice would you give yourself 3 years ago? Covid will come, and go. Make the most of time in lockdown with your family. Before you know it, you’ll be back in trains, planes and hotels, rushing from meeting to meeting.
If you could have dinner with 3 people dead or alive, who would they be? Stephen Fry – one of the most witty, charming, intelligent, fantastic storytellers. Marilyn Monroe – Iconically beautiful. I’d also like to ask her what really happened on the 4th August 1962. My Father – he passed away in 2007 at the age of 63. He was extremely funny and I would give anything to enjoy one more night of his company.
Who are your favourite sports team? Chelsea – I spent the first few years of my life growing up in between the 2 gates of Stamford Bridge.
Has anyone ever said you look like a celebrity, if so who? Jason Statham and Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards. I know which one I prefer……
Get to know James & Kioxia
How did you get into the storage industry? After graduating from University I worked for Experian, a pioneer in the world of data. This is where I first saw the power of data and the need for ever increasing data storage. In 1998 I moved to London and got a Sales Job with LaCie (now a part of Seagate). My Kioxia journey (indirectly) started in 2004 at Fujitsu, selling HDD’s to the UK channel. My very first customer meeting was with Hammer in Wade Road, Basingstoke. A baptism of fire! I moved to Toshiba when they acquired Fujitsu’s HDD business in 2009. In 2019 Kioxia was spun out of Toshiba and I jumped at the opportunity to help create a B2B SSD Distribution Channel from scratch.
What has surprised you most in the last 2 years of the SSD market? No matter what is happening in world – a global pandemic, geopolitical instability, economic uncertainty, the need for SSD based storage just keeps growing, and growing.
Who are KIOXIA and what is your mission? KIOXIA are the inventor of NAND flash and a leading global vendor of embedded memory and SSD. Over 30% of Global NAND demand comes from our Japanese Fab’s. KIOXIA’s mission is to “uplift the world with ‘memory’” When we say “memory”, we mean much more than simply recorded data. To us, it represents the comprehensive collection of emotions, experiences and ideas beyond digital information gathering.
What makes KIOXIA the best placed SSD manufacturer for customers to partner with? KIOXIA offer a wide range of vertically integrated, high performance, extremely reliable SSD’s. We pride ourselves in our customer orientated approach and have a friendly team who are always very happy to speak to new and existing customers, no matter how big, or small.
Where can we find KIOXIA? You can find regular updates from us on Facebook and LinkedIn. Our EMEA HQ is in Germany and we have regional offices in France, UK, Sweden, Spain and Israel.
Where can I buy KIOXIA SSD? Exertis Enterprise!
Where do you see KIOXIA in 5 years time? Bigger and stronger! We have achieved a lot in the 3 years since we launched the KIOXIA brand and intend to build on this momentum. Our culture of innovation will continue – KIOXIA will develop more cutting-edge technologies and products. SSD’s in new form factors and interfaces with increased capacities will be launched. Keep your eyes open for new technologies from KIOXIA like XL-Flash, a brand new Storage Class Memory solution, engineered to bring higher performance and lower cost for data centres, enterprise servers and storage systems.
If you’re interested in finding out more, contact our specialists today disk@exertisenterprise.com
