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Channel round-up: Who’s gone where?
Moves of note this week include those made at Netskope, Illumio, Cegid and a well-earned retirement at Abzorb
The past few days have seen some senior appointments and the moment when one managed service provider (MSP) bid farewell to a channel veteran.
Netskope
The SASE specialist has named Stephan Mesguich as senior vice-president for EMEA and LatAm, managing Netskope’s channel teams in those regions. He comes with a CV that stretches back over three decades, with time spent at Palo Alto Networks, Tufin and Verdasys, plus Check Point Software Technologies.
“Organisations are facing a massive shift in security, infrastructure and operations as they grapple with increasingly sophisticated cyber threats and the adoption of cloud and AI [artificial intelligence],” said Raphaël Bousquet, executive vice-president for worldwide sales and channel at Netskope. “We are seeing growing demand for our Netskope One platform throughout EMEA and LatAm, and I am delighted to have Stephan join the team. He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience that will help us continue to deliver on our ambitious plans for these markets.”
Illumio
The zero-trust player has rolled out the red carpet to welcome Pete Wilson as director of channel sales for EMEA. Based in the UK, Wilson’s job will be to lead and scale Illumio’s channel and alliance operations in EMEA as it seeks to capitalise on growing demand for zero trust and microsegmentation. His CV includes spells at Okta, RSA and SailPoint.
Welcoming Wilson, Todd Palmer, senior vice-president of global partner sales and alliances at Illumio, said: “The channel is instrumental to everything that we do at Illumio and EMEA is one of our most important markets. Pete’s experience, vision and tenacity make him the ideal leader to steer us through our next phase of growth as we seek to strengthen and refine our partner ecosystem across EMEA.”
Cegid
The cloud management solution player has identified Bruno Vaffier as its chosen candidate to become chief operating officer. In his role, Vaffier will lead the customer experience and customer care teams, and will be responsible for the operating and financial performance of Cegid’s cross-functional professional services activities.
“My focus will be on ensuring our customers have the best end-to-end experience and satisfaction, on pushing AI adoption to improve internal efficiency, and on conducting major transformation projects to support Cegid’s business and financial performance. It is a privilege to join such a leader in the software space,” said Vaffier.
Abzorb
The managed services player is bidding farewell to industry veteran Mark Riddell, who is stepping down from his position as head of channel for a calmer life in retirement. His time at the firm has seen the channel grow from 23 to more than 200 partners. He also helped drive changes that made life for the channel easier.
Steve Beeby, managing director of Abzorb, thanked Riddell for his contribution to the business. “Mark was known for his exceptional sales and networking skills and his ability to effortlessly connect with all people. He will be deeply missed by his colleagues and the partners,” he said. “We will be sad to see him go, and I thank Mark for his dedication, hard work and commitment during his time at Abzorb. I wish him and his family all the very best for a long and healthy retirement in Italy.”
