Avnet Technology Solutions (ATS) is turning to an old pro to generate new growth at the organization, naming Jeff Bawol as president. It’s an intriguing move. Here’s why.

Unlike some classic distributors, ATS has successfully diversified into integrated hardware and software solutions — especially around HP, IBM and Sun offerings.

However, the economy and other factors may be hindering ATS’s growth. ATS’s parent, Avnet, announced weak financial results in April, blaming some of the problems on weak server sales.

Following those weak results, The VAR Guy wondered if growing interest in virtualization software slowed Avnet’s hardware sales. And he has also speculated whether the latest Windows Server upgrade has caused businesses to slow their server deployments as they evaluate the new operating system.

Regardless, Avnet needs to push ATS forward. That’s where Bawol enters the picture. Avnet tapped Bawol, a long-time company veteran, in 2003 to launch and grow ATS’s Enterprise Software and Storage (ESS) group. Smart move. Avnet says the group has grown an average of 42 percent annually over the past three years.

That type of growth rate won’t be possible in ATS, since the organization generates a hefty $6 billion in annual sales within the broader Avnet (which generates nearly $16 billion in annual sales).

But having a growth-focused executive — who also is an Avnet veteran — could help to energize ATS.

The VAR Guy hopes to catch up with Bawol in the days ahead for his perspective.