Stephanie Himoff was appointed managing director of AltaVista UK in August 2000 and, since then, her aim has been to make altavista.co.uk the search engine of choice for UK internet users. French by birth, she has lived in France, the US and the UK and is bilingual in French and English.

Ms Himoff joined AltaVista UK in March 2000 as head of business development, having moved to the UK in 1997 to head busines development in the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) region for CMP Media, a leading US-based, high-tech publisher (later acquired by United News and Media). Prior to this she was in San Francisco, where she spent two years as marketing manager for NetGuide Live, CMP Media's search guide to the internet.

Ms Himoff enjoys travelling and is a keen skier and tennis player.

www.ecircle.com
This site provides a great way to stay in touch with friends and family. My husband and I have created ecircles for our family members, many of whom live overseas. We all share pictures and communicate online. I find these ecircles especially useful for making announcements or sending greetings on special occasions.

www.speedchain.com
The real action in business-to-business (B2B) is in supply chain management. The e-commerce companies most likely to succeed are those that have invested in their back end. Speedchain is a value-added Application Service Provider (ASP) that helps businesses improve their supply-chain management. This is my husband's company, so I may be slightly biased, but I genuinely believe they have a great strategy.

www.ticketmaster.co.uk
A convenient way to find out what's going on in London and get tickets for theatre, concerts and sports events. My busy schedule means that I don't have time to buy tickets in person. I also subscribe to the e-mail ticket alert service, which informs me of the dates and times when tickets for specific events are going on sale.

www.cnet.com
I read CNET.com on a daily basis. It's a great way for me to keep on top of the main news and market moves in the online industry, as well as track the performance of companies that I am interested in. I particularly like the fact that I can get an overview of UK news as well as global coverage.

www.forrester.com
Forrester reports cover a wide range of industries and regions, so I find this site a great information resource for keeping up-to-date with current issues and events. I find reports focusing on future trends to be extremely useful for business planning.

www.chateauonline.co.uk
A wonderful wine site that is also a good place to find gifts, because it enables you to send wine to any destination in Europe. Wine experts and sommeliers offer excellent advice on the site, which has often helped me to find exactly the right wine to accompany a special meal.

www.redherring.com
A good way to stay connected with what's happening in Silicon Valley. I find this site a reliable source of information on Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) and venture capital investment.

www.amazon.com
I often use Amazon for buying gifts to send to friends and family who live overseas. I am impressed with the speed and simplicity of the ordering process, as well as the regular communications you receive about the status of your order. It makes the process very personal and trustworthy.

www.kelkoo.com
We have actually partnered with this company in the UK. I think it is a great tool for comparing product prices, and making sure that you are getting the best possible online deal.