GTDC Appoints New Vice Chairman

The Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) has appointed Synnex CEO Kevin Murai as its latest vice chairman. Murai will help drive the strategic direction and initiatives of the GTDC while retaining his role within Synnex.

The news came in a press release from the GTDC, which said that Murai’s 25 years of experience within the channel—and his reputation with vendors and solution providers—will be a major boon to the organization. Murai has served as president and CEO of Synnex since 2008 and also held several senior management positions with Ingram Micro, culminating in his role as company COO.

“I’m honored to serve as vice chairman of the GTDC,” Murai said in a prepared statement. “The role of technology distributors is evolving and diversifying faster than ever, connecting and serving all points in the channel in ways that are remarkably dynamic and instrumental to overall industry success. I’m excited to contribute to the GTDC’s growth and expanding influence as we continue to innovate and strengthen partnerships worldwide.”

The GTDC, which pegs itself as "the world’s largest alliance of technology distributors," represents more than $130 billion in global sales and includes distributors such as Arrow Electronics (ARW), Ingram Micro (IM) and Tech Data (TECD).

“Kevin’s comprehensive knowledge and experience in the technology distribution industry will be of tremendous value to the GTDC and its members,” said Tim Curran, the GTDC’s CEO, in the press release. “He’s long been an advocate for the channel, highly regarded by the vendor community as well as solution providers and peers across the world. He joins our leadership team at an ideal time as distributors continue to build on their momentum and services expertise at the center of today’s global IT supply chain.”

With Murai’s appointment as vice chairman, the organization seems to be looking to extend its already far-reaching network even further by tapping into Murai’s relationships with the partner community and his experience as a leader within the channel. Watch this space as Murai's impact is felt on the GTDC.