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Channel roundup: Who’s gone where?
Some interesting moves at vendor and distribution level catch the eye this week
Another week has sailed by, and it’s been notable for a few appointments of interest to the channel. Changes on the partner front at Cisco and indications at distributor Westcon-Comstor that it is determined to support its people more are two of the highlights.
Cisco: The networking giant has named José Van Dijk as the lead of its EMEA partner sales and routes to market organisation. She is a Cisco veteran with 25 years under her belt, and most recently has been leading the global operations and partner performance team for the past four and a half years. “In José, we have the ideal person to take the EMEA Partner organisation forward,” said Oliver Tuszik, president of Cisco for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
“She is a change-maker who will bring further simplification and process improvements to the Partner organisation. José has fantastic relationships with partners across the region and will help improve their business profitably. Especially in cyber security, collaboration and managed services, we see tremendous opportunities for our partners.”
Westcon-Comstor: The distributor has announced its first chief people officer in a newly created role. Erna de Ruijter-Quist becomes a member of Westcon-Comstor’s executive leadership team, reporting to CEO David Grant with responsibility for all people-related matters.
“Technology is what we do, but people are the beating heart of our business and our most important asset,” said Grant. “We are delighted that Erna is joining Westcon-Comstor at such a pivotal point on our journey to becoming the world’s leading data-driven technology provider and specialist distributor of cyber security and networking solutions and services.”
Aliter: The investor focused on support businesses has welcomed Simon Fieldhouse to spearhead the growth and development of ITM Communications (ITM), its critical network infrastructure services business, in its £134m Aliter Capital II fund.
“I have been aware of Aliter for some time, and have been thoroughly impressed with their pedigree in B2B support and managed services,” he said. “Their recent investment in ITM and the critical network infrastructure services sector provides a solid platform to support further organic growth, alongside a strategic buy and build strategy, to create a UK leader in critical infrastructure services.”
Leading expansion
GFT: The firm has appointed Priya Lakshmi as its new chief revenue officer in the UK, and she is set to lead the company’s expansion and strategic initiatives. Joining from Amazon Web Services, where she held the role of senior manager for worldwide professional services, Lakshmi was responsible for the team that led large transformation deals across all geographies and industries.
“I am excited to have Priya join our leadership team,” said Carlton Hopper, UK managing director at GFT. “Cloud technology is no longer a nice-to-have for business, it’s become imperative to their growth. Priya brings a wealth of experience, having previously worked in senior leadership positions at several prominent technology and consulting firms. Her expertise in revenue strategy, sales and business development will be instrumental in achieving our ambitious growth targets.”
