Exclusive Networks adds more muscle to executive team

Exclusive Networks has already used the first few months of this year to strengthen its executive team and has continued with the appointment of a head of professional services.

The distributor has already welcomed on board four new senior vice-presidents to bolster the business internationally, with Gerard Allison, svp of Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), Barrie Desmond, svp marketing & communications, Brad Gray, svp Asia-Pacific (APAC) and Scott Lewis, svp Americas.

Those appointments were made back in January and now Nigel Gilhepsy joins has come on board as global head of professional services and consulting.

Gilhepsy joins Exclusive from Optiv, where he was head of professional, advisory and managed services (EMEA), and his CV, stretching over more than two decades, includes time in similar positions at Juniper Networks, Palo Alto Networks and Equinix.

“Technology consumption is changing to become more output-oriented and critical to the success of technology projects as complexity increases, speed of innovation accelerates and the skills gap widens even further,” said Andy Travers, evp worldwide sales and marketing at Exclusive Networks. “As a result, the evolution to managed services and an increase in the provision of professional services is key to addressing those trends and filling the gaps. A ‘services first’ approach for us and our partners creates more value and is the oxygen for sustainable growth.”

Travers said Gilhepsy was the ideal candidate because he had already performed similar roles for hardware and software vendors in his career and had a deep understanding of the needs of channel partners.

“His key objective is to innovate strategically and work with partners and our existing services teams around the world to refine and harmonise a universal set of service choices that can be propositioned simply and consumed easily – helping partners be different, create value and grow fast,” he added.

Gilhepsy agreed that his first major task would be to look into the opportunity to bring together the existing professional services the channel player offered across its international business.

“There is certainly scope for strategic services innovation and harmonisation on a global basis and it’s a challenge I relish,” he said. “Close ties with our vendor and reseller partners will be very important to ensuring the relevance and value of our services portfolio in helping partners transition to a ‘services first’ mindset and business model, and true value creation.”

Exclusive Networks has talked about the moves to strengthen its executive team as part of a wider ambition to make a difference in the decade ahead.

Speaking at the time of the four svp appointments back in January, CEO Olivier Breittmayer talked about getting the executive team in place to support the business during what is set to be a few years of digital disruption.

“Their arrival coincides with an exciting period of ongoing business transformation and innovation as we continue to scale up and optimise many of our operational processes for renewed growth in disruptive service offerings, product portfolios and business models,” he said.