Romolo Tavani - stock.adobe.com
Nolan gets the chance to run Westcon-Comstor UK&I
Long-term staffer has worked through the ranks to get to the pinnacle of the UK organisation at distributor Westcon-Comstor UK&I
Westcon-Comstor is shuffling its senior UK management team, ushering in a fresh managing director as part of the changes.
The distributor’s existing UK boss Anthony Byford is moving into a role as vice-president in a newly formed clouded collaboration business division, leaving a UK and Ireland managing director vacancy that is being filled by John Nolan.
Nolan is a veteran at the distie, with a career that spans more than 17 years (see box), with spells in various parts of the business.
“I’ve witnessed major shifts in technology adoption and the impacts on the channel during my 17-year tenure at Westcon-Comstor. The single constant throughout this time has been the difference an experienced distributor like Westcon can make when helping partners navigate those market shifts while maintaining high service levels,” he said.
“Today, the role of a distributor is even more critical, as we help our partners identify growth opportunities, expand their skills, and ultimately build revenues for success. The beauty of distribution is when you build close relationships with your partners and get to watch our enablement make real, positive impact in that partner’s business.
“We have a unique view of the market, and I look forward to utilising that to help our UK and Ireland partner community. I’m certain that the next five years is set to bring about even more success,” he added.
Nolan was seen as an ideal choice given his extensive experience with the company, its vendors and partners. His promotion was also seen as evidence that the business rewarded those that worked hard to develop their skills.
“John has been part of our UK&I team since 2005, working his way up the ladder in impressive fashion,” said David Grant, CEO of Westcon-Comstor. “He’s been a great support to Antony and they’ve worked brilliantly together, growing the Westcon UK&I business over 50% in the past four years.
“I have complete confidence in John, his understanding of the market and ability to act accordingly is second to none. I’m very optimistic about the outlook for the UK&I in his hands. It’s a very competitive and demanding market, but John is absolutely the right leader to continue to drive our success,” he added.
Nolan’s track record
Nolan joined the distributor in 2005 as a key account manager and then made the decision to move from Dublin to take up an internal account manager position in the London office. As his career at the firm developed, he moved into a client-facing account director role and became key account leader.
Nolan continued to rise up through the ranks and became sales director of the Avaya team and then group sales director for Westcon UK&I, where he worked closely with Byford. The past five years were spent in that position before he got the call to take the reigns and become UK&I managing director.
