Channel People on the Move: AT&T, Spectrum, Nextiva
Also featured are new hires and promotions at RapidScale, MicroCorp, AireSpring and Broadvoice.
February might have just 28 days, but there was no shortage of promotions and new hires in the telecom/IT channel. We managed to whittle a potentially giant list down to 17 for this gallery. Just about every type of provider is represented.
Take telco behemoths such as AT&T, for example, which named a new leader for its Partner Exchange program. Cable companies are represented here, as Spectrum named a new channel leader for its East region. You’ll also find a glut of new channel managers here from the likes of AireSpring and Broadvoice.
Want someone even higher on the food chain? How about a CEO at Axcient and a CTO at Nextiva?
Those are just a few of the people making key decisions at the channel level or from the C-suite that will trickle down and impact partners.
Scroll through our gallery below to get caught up on who moved where. And don’t forget — we have a page dedicated to people on the move, so you don’t have to wait for our gallery to pop up at the first of each month!
Missed last month’s “people” gallery? Click here to see who was on the move in January.
Follow executive editor @Craig_Galbraith on Twitter.
Spectrum's Marvin Rosado
Marvin Rosado is the new east region director for the Spectrum partner program. He comes to the cableco from Advantage Communications, where he was director of enterprise accounts.
Before Advantage, Rosado spent nearly 10 years at Level 3 as a senior sales engineer, a regional channel manager, and the last four years as Northeast channel sales director.
Marvin Rosado is the new east region director for the Spectrum partner program. He comes to the cableco from Advantage Communications, where he was director of enterprise accounts.
Before Advantage, Rosado spent nearly 10 years at Level 3 as a senior sales engineer, a regional channel manager, and the last four years as Northeast channel sales director.
AT&T's Sara Straley
AT&T promoted Sara Straley to lead its Partner Exchange channel program.
Straley's predecessor, Randall Porter, took a new job within the company as national VP of select accounts. Straley has worked with Partner Exchange since its inception several years ago. She's now tasked with running all of sales and marketing for the company's solution-based partner program.
Get to know Straley better.
AT&T promoted Sara Straley to lead its Partner Exchange channel program.
Straley's predecessor, Randall Porter, took a new job within the company as national VP of select accounts. Straley has worked with Partner Exchange since its inception several years ago. She's now tasked with running all of sales and marketing for the company's solution-based partner program.
Get to know Straley better.
Nextiva's Phil Steitz
Nextiva's first chief revenue officer brings 30 years of experience, including a 10-year run as American Express' first CTO, to his new job.
Phil Steitz's most recent position was chief technology officer at Pegasus Solutions, responsible for product development, engineering, architecture and overall tech strategy.
Learn more about Steitz's storied history in the biz.
Nextiva's first chief revenue officer brings 30 years of experience, including a 10-year run as American Express' first CTO, to his new job.
Phil Steitz's most recent position was chief technology officer at Pegasus Solutions, responsible for product development, engineering, architecture and overall tech strategy.
Learn more about Steitz's storied history in the biz.
Aryaka's Olen Scott
Olen Scott, well-known for his role leading EarthLink's channel from 2015-2017 – then briefly running Windstream's channel program after it bought EarthLink – is the new senior VP of worldwide channels at SD-WAN provider Aryaka. He replaces Claudio Perugini, who was channel chief for about a year.
Scott's most recent job was head of sales and business development at Purple Communications.
Here's where to learn more about Scott's new role.
Olen Scott, well-known for his role leading EarthLink's channel from 2015-2017 – then briefly running Windstream's channel program after it bought EarthLink – is the new senior VP of worldwide channels at SD-WAN provider Aryaka. He replaces Claudio Perugini, who was channel chief for about a year.
Scott's most recent job was head of sales and business development at Purple Communications.
Here's where to learn more about Scott's new role.
AireSpring's Tommy Rancel and Justin Walsh
AireSpring snatched up a pair of new regional channel managers to beef up its presence in the Northeast and Mountain regions.
Tommy Rancel (left), most recently a regional channel director at MegaPath, brings more than 15 years of telecom industry sales experience to his new job representing AireSpring's Northeast region. Justin Walsh, who is based in Colorado, comes from CenturyLink, where he was an inside sales manager.
This is where to get more information on these two gentlemen.
AireSpring snatched up a pair of new regional channel managers to beef up its presence in the Northeast and Mountain regions.
Tommy Rancel (left), most recently a regional channel director at MegaPath, brings more than 15 years of telecom industry sales experience to his new job representing AireSpring's Northeast region. Justin Walsh, who is based in Colorado, comes from CenturyLink, where he was an inside sales manager.
This is where to get more information on these two gentlemen.
MicroCorp's Andy Pipkin
Andy Pipkin is a seasoned cable sales professional, previously holding jobs at Altice USA and Time Warner Cable.
Now Pipkin is strategic partner manager for MicroCorp's Southwest region. Texas is also part of Pipkin's responsibility, part of what the master agent calls its "rapidly growing channel universe."
Based in San Antonio, learn more about Pipkin and his new job.
Andy Pipkin is a seasoned cable sales professional, previously holding jobs at Altice USA and Time Warner Cable.
Now Pipkin is strategic partner manager for MicroCorp's Southwest region. Texas is also part of Pipkin's responsibility, part of what the master agent calls its "rapidly growing channel universe."
Based in San Antonio, learn more about Pipkin and his new job.
VMware's Bill Swales
Bill Swales is the new VP of VMware's Americas partner organization.
Swales is an IT vet who most recently was group VP, North American channel chief and general manager at Oracle. Swales' new responsibilities are to develop and drive initiatives and alignment with VMware's Americas partners.
Read more about Swales' new job.
Bill Swales is the new VP of VMware's Americas partner organization.
Swales is an IT vet who most recently was group VP, North American channel chief and general manager at Oracle. Swales' new responsibilities are to develop and drive initiatives and alignment with VMware's Americas partners.
Read more about Swales' new job.
RapidScale's Jason Roberts
RapidScale, the managed cloud service provider, tapped Jason Roberts as its new partner experience manager. He's tasked with developing new partnerships, managing and leading existing partners and building a winning partner experience in the Midwest.
CDW was his most recent employer. There, he served in several capacities, including as a Fortinet and Trend Micro technical partner specialist. He also was a hybrid data center solution architect.
Get the full scoop on Roberts and his new job.
RapidScale, the managed cloud service provider, tapped Jason Roberts as its new partner experience manager. He's tasked with developing new partnerships, managing and leading existing partners and building a winning partner experience in the Midwest.
CDW was his most recent employer. There, he served in several capacities, including as a Fortinet and Trend Micro technical partner specialist. He also was a hybrid data center solution architect.
Get the full scoop on Roberts and his new job.
Broadvoice's Cathy Banks and Erald Lika
Broadvoice has a pair of new channel managers.
Cathy Banks (left) will cover five Midwestern states for the company. She comes to Broadvoice from Charter Business, where she was a channel sales manager. Before that, she was a district dealer manager at Windstream.
Erald Lika will handle several Mid-Atlantic and Northeast/New England states. His previous working environments include CloudInsyte and FatPipe Networks.
Get to know Banks and Lika.
Broadvoice has a pair of new channel managers.
Cathy Banks (left) will cover five Midwestern states for the company. She comes to Broadvoice from Charter Business, where she was a channel sales manager. Before that, she was a district dealer manager at Windstream.
Erald Lika will handle several Mid-Atlantic and Northeast/New England states. His previous working environments include CloudInsyte and FatPipe Networks.
Get to know Banks and Lika.
Commvault's Sanjay Mirchandani
Commvault, the data backup and recovery vendor, tapped Sanjay Mirchandani as its new president and CEO. He comes to Commvault from Puppet, and Oregon-based IT automation software company.
He also has held senior leadership positions at industry titans VMware, EMC and Microsoft. He says working with Commvault's partners will be an important part of the job, especially considering the company enhanced its partner program last year.
"As I start my new role here, I especially look forward to getting to know the partner communities and helping them to achieve their individual goals and celebrate shared growth," Mirchandani said.
Learn more about his background.
Commvault, the data backup and recovery vendor, tapped Sanjay Mirchandani as its new president and CEO. He comes to Commvault from Puppet, and Oregon-based IT automation software company.
He also has held senior leadership positions at industry titans VMware, EMC and Microsoft. He says working with Commvault's partners will be an important part of the job, especially considering the company enhanced its partner program last year.
"As I start my new role here, I especially look forward to getting to know the partner communities and helping them to achieve their individual goals and celebrate shared growth," Mirchandani said.
Learn more about his background.
D&H Distributing's Jason Bystrak
Jason Bystrak, who the channel knows from a 22-year run at Ingram Micro, is back in distribution at D&H Distributing, where he's the vice president for the company's newly created cloud business unit.
Bystrak most recently was VP, worldwide channels and distribution with Axcient, the recovery-as-a-service provider. At D&H, he's tasked with the strategy and execution of the company's cloud and managed services business.
Read more about what drew Bystrak to D&H.
Jason Bystrak, who the channel knows from a 22-year run at Ingram Micro, is back in distribution at D&H Distributing, where he's the vice president for the company's newly created cloud business unit.
Bystrak most recently was VP, worldwide channels and distribution with Axcient, the recovery-as-a-service provider. At D&H, he's tasked with the strategy and execution of the company's cloud and managed services business.
Read more about what drew Bystrak to D&H.
Axcient's David Bennett
David Bennett brings 25 years of channel experience at Webroot, Lenovo and other IT companies to his new role as chief executive officer at Axcient, the cloud migration and business availability vendor.
Bennett, who officially steps into his new role on March 4, was previously chief revenue officer at Webroot. He tells us he will bring the same fervor for success he had at Webroot to Axcient.
Read about Axcient's "commitment to the MSP space."
David Bennett brings 25 years of channel experience at Webroot, Lenovo and other IT companies to his new role as chief executive officer at Axcient, the cloud migration and business availability vendor.
Bennett, who officially steps into his new role on March 4, was previously chief revenue officer at Webroot. He tells us he will bring the same fervor for success he had at Webroot to Axcient.
Read about Axcient's "commitment to the MSP space."
Splunk's Aziz Benmalek
Splunk introduced its new channel chief, Aziz Benmalek, at its global partner summit. Benmalek spent 22 years at Microsoft, most recently as its VP of worldwide cloud and managed service providers.
"Splunk’s vision and continued innovation around the already recognized industry-leading machine data platform, coupled with the drive for continuous personal, professional and business growth, make it a very exciting company to join," said Benmalek.
Learn more about the new guy at the software provider.
Splunk introduced its new channel chief, Aziz Benmalek, at its global partner summit. Benmalek spent 22 years at Microsoft, most recently as its VP of worldwide cloud and managed service providers.
"Splunk’s vision and continued innovation around the already recognized industry-leading machine data platform, coupled with the drive for continuous personal, professional and business growth, make it a very exciting company to join," said Benmalek.
Learn more about the new guy at the software provider.
DataBank's William Pratt
William Pratt's previous experience includes jobs at DataPipe and Rackspace, the latter of which bought the former more than a year ago.
Now he takes over as VP of channel and managed services sales at DataBank, the provider of enterprise-class data center, connectivity and managed services. It's a newly created position that the company says bolsters its channel program and ensures that its suite is "optimized to complement the channel's offerings and meet end-user requirements."
This is where to learn more about Pratt.
William Pratt's previous experience includes jobs at DataPipe and Rackspace, the latter of which bought the former more than a year ago.
Now he takes over as VP of channel and managed services sales at DataBank, the provider of enterprise-class data center, connectivity and managed services. It's a newly created position that the company says bolsters its channel program and ensures that its suite is "optimized to complement the channel's offerings and meet end-user requirements."
This is where to learn more about Pratt.
Onapsis' Darren Gaeta
Onapsis, which offers ERP cybersecurity and compliance, named Darren Gaeta its VP of worldwide alliances and channels.
Gaeta, who last held a similar position at Anomali, will lead efforts to grow Onapsis' ERP security network with a four-pillar strategy of reaching alliances, channels, MSSPs and technology partners.
Don't know Gaeta or Onapsis? Find out more.
Onapsis, which offers ERP cybersecurity and compliance, named Darren Gaeta its VP of worldwide alliances and channels.
Gaeta, who last held a similar position at Anomali, will lead efforts to grow Onapsis' ERP security network with a four-pillar strategy of reaching alliances, channels, MSSPs and technology partners.
Don't know Gaeta or Onapsis? Find out more.
Great hire!! Olen is one of the best there is