Channel roundup: Who's gone where?

 Another busy few days with distributors and vendors looking to bring in expertise that will help support and deliver growth.

 Open Systems 
The security as a service player has appointed Jeff Brown as CEO at a moment when the firm is looking to expand. He comes with experience taking firms through IPOs and acquisitions and he will be tasked with delivering 'hyper growth' at the firm. “We were drawn by Jeff’s track record of leading in fast-paced and high-growth environments, as well as his proven ability and passion to inspire multicultural teams to create incredible customer value and grow revenues,” said Dr Bernd-Michael Rumpf, Open Systems’ Chairman of the Board. Brown replaces Martin Bosshardt, who has led the firm for the past 17 years, with plans to remain involved with the business.

QBS Distribution 
The channel player has made a double appointment with Paul Jackson and Ryan Fletcher joining the company to help enable reseller partners understand how to position the distributor’s range of software. Dave Stevinson, QBS Technology Group Managing Director, said that both had a strong track record, working for the likes of Konica Minolta Process Flows and Signma Software Distribution. “It is most pleasing to formally welcome both PJ and Ryan into the company. They both have a strong heritage in selling software through the channel and will be valuable additions for both our customers and the software publishers we represent," he said.

CloudJumper 
Richard Helms has become director of managed workspace with a brief to oversee the managed services division. “We are pleased to have Richard join the CloudJumper team as growth in the cloud services space continues at a rapid pace,” said JD Helms, president of CloudJumper. “With his highly technical background in data center management, he will provide mission critical intelligence for CloudJumper’s partner base of managed services providers.”

Salesforce 
The firm has given former BT chief executive Gavin Patterson the chance to make an impact as EMEA chairman. His main objective will be to help support and deliver growth in the region. “Gavin is a highly respected leader and innovator, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Salesforce as our EMEA Chairman,” said Salesforce co-CEOs Marc Benioff and Keith Block. “His extensive experience in digital communications, customer engagement and systems delivery makes him a powerful addition to our EMEA team as we head into the next phase of growth and customer success in the region.”

Colt Data Centre Services 
The data centre player has underlined its commitment to sustainability with the appointment of a global energy director. Norbert Szalay, has been given the chance to take on the role and comkes with more than two decades working in the energy world. “I’m looking forward to joining the Colt DCS team and driving its global energy and sustainability strategy as it rapidly expands its hyperscale data centre portfolio” said Norbert. “The team’s commitment to the highest standards of operations, sustainability alongside its global expansion plans was a key factor in my decision to join the company and I am keen to leverage my previous experience to support the business achieve its goals.”