Michael Fleisher accepts a cup of lemon and honey tea for his over-worked throat. Assorted Gartner vice presidents, local management and a throng of cloyingly attentive waiters bustle into the smoking lounge of the boutique hotel where we meet.

But it is early, and nobody smokes. Fleisher, young and short, combines fashionable geeky glasses with a neat business suit. He spends more than half his time travelling the world, and the last decade building Gartner into a respected global leader in technology research and consulting with over $900 million in revenues. He is quick to pick up the interrupted discussion before his voice conks out completely.