Ensono, Nexer and Xantaro seal senior appointments

A trend that emerged in the first days of 2026 was firms across the channel introducing fresh senior managers to drive growth, and that trend is continuing with appointments at Ensono, Nexer and Xantaro.

Managed service provider Ensono has identified former IBM and SAP staffer Alisdair Wright as its next managing director of Europe, with the brief to accelerate growth in the UK and across the region.

Wright’s CV stretches over more than two decades, during which time he has held senior roles at IBM Consulting and SAP, and worked at Atos, gaining experience in building relationships with customers.

“Alisdair is a proven leader with deep experience in growing services businesses and building durable client relationships. As demand continues to grow for reliable, modern managed services across Europe, Alisdair’s leadership will be critical to expanding our footprint in the UK and ensuring we continue to deliver the outcomes our clients expect,” said Bill Stith, executive vice-president for global sales and marketing at Ensono.

Wright said the business had developed a solid relationship in supporting mission-critical environments, and it had a clear strategy for growth in Europe.

Meanwhile, Microsoft Dynamics, ERP and CRM specialist Nexer Enterprise Applications has rewarded success by appointing Martin Burden as UK managing director.

He made an impact as the firm’s UK commercial director, demonstrating the ability to deliver a growth strategy that impacts both the business and its customers. Burden steps into the UK managing director role at a time when the business is increasingly looking to focus on artificial intelligence (AI), change management and cyber resilience.

“Business expectations are shifting. Organisations want clearer value, lower risk and more predictable outcomes. With a committed team and strong alignment to Nexer Group, we’re well-positioned to meet those needs and continue our growth journey,” he said.

The plan is for former UK managing director Colin Crow to continue supporting the business as chairman and company secretary, as well as taking on a fresh global strategic position in the group.

Over at Xantaro, the German networking transformation player has given Marcus Cuthbert the chance to make an impact as UK managing director.

Cuthbert has been with the firm for almost four years, most recently running its sales and pre-sales teams. He comes into this leadership role with a good understanding of the strategy he will be expected to deliver.

The firm stated that as part of the move, Mark Hutchinson, who has been at the helm for 13 years, will move from the managing director position into the role of UK executive chairman. He will continue to advise on strategy and future mergers and acquisitions activity.

“This leadership transition reflects Xantaro’s long-term succession planning and reinforces our commitment to continued innovation and success,” the firm stated.

Already this year, there have been senior appointments at SCC, Communicate and CDW, as firms across the channel look to fuel growth strategies. The first Channel Moves article this year was also more populated than usual, with personnel moves across all tiers of the channel as businesses looked for fresh talent to make a positive impact.