Channel roundup: Who's gone where?

Another busy week in the channel with moves across all tiers. Finding someone with the magic ability to generate growth is the main reason for changes and the challenge facing the latest wave of industry movers.

Westcon-Comstor
The firm has established a channel development and alliances director role and chosen Michael Cox as the person to fill the position. He comes with plenty of experience at the likes of Arrow, Computacenter and Avnet. “Mike totally gets the channel and how to ensure the goals of our vendors are met through the right mix of partners. Customers now expect much more; they expect their UC provider, for example, to deliver security, to provide service, support and customised purchase options. For partners, having this capability and agility is essential for their future prosperity, and Mike’s role is pivotal in ensuring they have the right blend of technologies, initiatives and support from our vendors to enable this," said Antony Byford, Westcon UK&I managing director.

Talari
The SD-WAN specialist has brought on board former InfoVista and Riverbed sales leader Adrian Tate as vice president for EMEA. He will be charged with driving further growth in the region and will be making sure that the firm generates opportunities for channel partners. “As the market for SD-WANs accelerates and we are already seeing product and subscription services growth at Talari, in addition to significant channel uptake, Adrian is ideally poised to seize the opportunities in both our existing and new markets across Europe, the Middle East and Africa," said Talari CEO Patrick Sweeney.

GCI
Patrick De Smedt worked for Microsoft when the firm only employed 200 people and has an industry knowledge that made him appeal as a non-executive chairman. As a result chairman Wayne Martin will step down from the role but remain on the Board. Adrian Thirkill, CEO of GCI said: “We’re looking forward to working with Patrick as we begin an exciting new phase in GCI’s growth story. As one of Microsoft’s key UK partners Patrick’s experience aligns perfectly to what we need as a business.”

Mitel
The firm has appointed industry veteran David Silke as vice president of intenrational marketing, working across the EMEA and APAC markets. He was most recently employed in a global marketing role at Juniper Networks and has stints at Brocade and Nortel on his CV. “Demand for cloud-enabled communications and collaboration solutions is sky-rocketing as they can both increase productivity and reduce costs. Mitel is in an incredibly strong position to help its customers make the most of this opportunity. Marketing plays a key role in driving Mitel’s growth and will help secure the company’s long-term success,” he said.

Excelero
The block storage player has appointed Ute Gregorius as vice president of strategic sales in EMEA. He will be looking after channel initiatives to drive growth across the region. She joins the firm from HGST and prior to that was at SanDisk. "Ute brings a wealth of sales and management experience to our organisation and we are delighted to add her firepower behind our EMEA efforts," said Lior Gal, Excelero CEO and co-founder. "She is joining us at a pivotal time as we continue to grow and expand in EMEA."