Rick Reid is retiring after a stellar 42-plus-year career as hands-down the most influential executive the Canadian Channel has ever seen. And, so for the first time in 20 years Tech Data Canada will have a new leader in 2018.
Tara Fine, channel chief for VMware Canada, who worked closely with Reid to develop a strategic vendor alliance for Tech Data while at Dell Canada, presented Reid with the CDN Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2017 CDN Top 100 Gala.
The University of Waterloo graduate turned the Canadian operation of Tech Data into a market leader, creating and maintaining numerous successful vendor partnerships and solution provider alliances.
Reid was instrumental in the development of the TechSelect community, and was the first to change the narrative suggesting that broadline distributors could not add value with the investment in a multimillion-dollar Advanced Technology Solution Centre.
He drove the charge to expand Tech Data nationwide with innovation integration centre in British Columbia.
Here is what John Cammalleri, channel chief of HP Canada had to say about Reid:
“Rick represented not only the best interests of Tech Data Canada but also of the channel at large. He demonstrated great leadership, and was a mentor to many of us. He will be missed.”