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Communicate and CDW adding executive talent
Channel players seal hires to bolster their respective management teams at the start of a busy year for both firms
The first few trading days of 2026 have seen a number of senior channel appointments, as players move to put the pieces in place to enhance their growth prospects.
Already, SCC has revealed it has a fresh UK CEO starting next week, and elsewhere in the channel, Communicate Technology and CDW have added to the trend of hiring senior figures to bolster their executive teams.
Communicate has appointed Paul Bryce as group CEO, looking to tap into his three decades of experience working in the managed services world, including being a founder of Node4.
He joins the business at a time when it has delivered 102% year-on-year growth, integrated Blaze Networks over the course of 2025 and secured investment from private equity player Rockpool in 2024. “My focus will be on scaling with purpose by shaping strategy, strengthening culture and promoting an environment where our teams and customers can thrive,” said Bryce.
The arrival of Bryce will provide former group CEO and Communicate founder Tony Snaith with the chance to move to a position on the board as a non-executive director.
He said Bryce was joining at “a pivotal moment” for the business and had the “track record of successfully leading organisations through high-growth phases” which the firm was going to lean on as it started its next chapter.
“His appointment marks a strategic step change for the business, reinforcing our leadership capability and enabling us to not only deliver best-in-class connectivity and cyber security solutions, but to expand our offering and create greater value for our customers,” he added.
Scaling core networks
Communicate has outlined a strategy this year of scaling its core networks business, as well as providing security services and expanding its SOC capabilities. Bryce’s task will be to take the business in that direction and use his experience to help the firm gain customers.
Elsewhere, CDW has lured an industry veteran, John Holt, to become its director of professional and managed services for UK and Ireland.
He has time at both Daisy and Computacenter on his CV, and was most recently at Digital Spaces, establishing a reputation for strong leadership and delivering commercial results.
Penny Williams, senior vice-president and managing director for UK and Ireland at CDW, said it had landed an experienced leader to run its managed services operation.
“His proven track record in driving service excellence and his ability to combine strategic vision with disciplined operational execution make him the ideal leader for our Professional and Managed Services organisation,” she said. “John’s customer‑first approach and deep understanding of the partner ecosystem will help us deliver innovative solutions that create real value for our customers.”
Holt added that he was joining CDW at an interesting time for the business and the market, with customers looking to work with quality service providers.
“The opportunity to lead a talented team and shape service strategies that deliver exceptional outcomes for customers is something I’m passionate about,” he said. “I look forward to building strong partnerships, fostering collaboration and ensuring our services remain robust, scalable and aligned with our customers’ strategic goals.”
