7. Rob Rae, Pax8

The industry’s worst-kept secret is finally out. Rob Rae, longtime channel leader at Datto, has some new digs.

Rae made waves for joining cloud and services distributor Pax8 to head up community and partner ecosystems. It’s a move the company hopes will bring more MSPs into its fold given the strong following Rae created at Datto.

Rae arrived at Datto in 2013 to help build the backup provider’s channel in its pre-IPO days. His move to Pax8 is reminiscent of Datto’s pre-IPO hypergrowth in the mid-2010s. Will lightning strike twice?

Channel Futures first reported Rae’s plans to leave Datto as the company’s $6.2 billion takeover by Kaseya neared the finish line. At Pax8, he will have the freedom to work with partners and vendors as the company works out a corporate structure. He initially will have no direct reports but expects that to change.

Learn more about Rae’s background and his plans at Pax8.