As Microsoft Canada opened up its two new data centres the company also filled a very important senior leadership role. But Microsoft was not the only vendor with significant executive changes. Rival Amazon Web Services, Avaya Canada and NetApp Canada also introduced new channel chiefs.
At Microsoft Canada Charlotte Burke was named the new lead of the small, midmarket solutions and partners at Microsoft Canada. Burke replaces Dennis Cerasoli who left back in February.
With Burke now in place, Microsoft Canada filled two other top executive positions under President Janet Kennedy.
Microsoft Canada lost both Cerasoli and Staci Tracey Meagher, the vice president of enterprise and partners at the same time earlier this year.
Kennedy was quick to replace Meagher, who was promoted, with Chris Barry, a 13-year veteran of Microsoft.
AWS Canada
Amazon Web Services Canada (AWS) has selected Rob Stevens as its first ever channel chief.
Stevens, a board member of the Canadian Channel Chiefs Council (C4), recently left the same position at SAP Canada. Stevens will have the official title of Partner Sales Lead at AWS Canada.
He now joins his former Microsoft Canada teammate Eric Gales who was appointed country manager at AWS’s Canadian subsidiary this past October.
Amazon has been providing Web services offerings in Canada since 2005, but never established roots in the country until now.
Avaya Canada
Avaya Canada, who has been struggling with leadership issues recently, just got a big shot in the arm with the announcement of Ange Valentini as its new channel chief.
Valentini is a 20 year veteran of Cisco Canada and he replaces Rob Auld who only lasted in the role for about six months. According to a source Auld left Avaya Canada for another opportunity at SOTI Inc., an enterprise mobility management vendor based in Mississauga, Ont.
Valentini, who sometimes goes by Angelo, was the chief financial officer at Cisco Canada and left that position late last year. Valentini was the acting channel chief of Cisco Canada in 2009 in-between the period of office of Ross Pellizzari and Donna Wittmann.
At Avaya Canada Valentini will be responsible for driving partner engagement through channel programs in through established partners.
NetApp Canada
Pete McNair has been appointed channel chief of NetApp Canada.
The former national account director for Equinix Canada officially has the title of Canadian Alliances and Channel Sales Director for NetApp and he replaces out-going channel chief Rick Brown who is now at Palo Alto Networks Canada.
Besides Equinix, McNair was also the national sales director at value-added distributor Avnet Canada. He started his career in the channel at IBM Canada as a business unit director.