Channel moves: Who’s gone where?

A number of senior appointments have caught the eye across the industry this week. With some calling time on their roles, it has created an opportunity for others to step into a fresh challenge.

Avanade: There is a shuffling of personnel at the top of the business, with Chris Howarth stepping into the chief executive role. That opening comes after Rodrigo Caserta, who has been with the business for more than 11 years, took up a position at Microsoft as corporate vice-president of small and medium-sized enterprises and channel for the Americas.

“Chris brings deep knowledge of Avanade, strong alignment across Accenture and Microsoft, and a proven record of leadership,” said Manish Sharma, chief strategy and services officer at Accenture and chair of the board of directors at the firm. “His appointment ensures continuity in our strategy and momentum, while further strengthening Avanade’s central role in the joint venture. We thank Rodrigo for more than a decade of extraordinary impact and look forward to continuing to work closely with him in his new role at Microsoft.”

Lenovo: The vendor has welcomed Andy Rhodes as its general manager for the UK and Ireland region. He joins from HP, where he worked in a number of senior roles. His CV also includes more than a decade spent at Dell. Rhodes replaces Adrian Criddle, who will be transitioning out of the role of general manager after five years to pursue new opportunities.

Matt Dobrodziej, Lenovo senior vice-president and Europe president, said: “I’m excited to welcome Andy to Lenovo. He’s a highly experienced technology industry leader and a great fit for our UK and Ireland business. I’m confident he will further strengthen our business across the UK and Ireland while bringing a huge amount of energy and enthusiasm to the role. I’d also like to thank Adrian for the key role he’s played in deepening our relationships with customers and partners, and his commitment, professionalism and care for the team. We wish him well for the future.”

One Identity: The security player has appointed Gihan Munasinghe as chief technology officer. He has a CV that spans over more than a decade and a half, with plenty of engineering experience. “This is a pivotal moment for One Identity and the identity security industry,” said Munasinghe. “Customers expect products that are not only innovative, but also reliable, secure and easy to consume. I look forward to working with the team to strengthen the products customers trust today, while delivering the quality, scale and innovation velocity their businesses demand for the future.”

EUNetworks: The firm has chosen Giancarlo Ferro as its chief financial officer (CFO), with the role becoming effective from 23 March. Giancarlo will transition into the role with the support of EUNetworks’ present CFO, Katherine Alexakis, who has been in the role since 2021.

“Giancarlo brings a wealth of experience in financial leadership, and as CFO will play a key role as we continue to invest in and expand our European network,” said Marisa Trisolino, CEO of EUNetworks. “I look forward to working with him closely as we continue to execute our strategy and serve the growing demand for digital connectivity infrastructure across Europe. Giancarlo will transition into EUNetworks with the support of Katherine Alexakis, to whom I extend my deepest thanks for her fantastic work as CFO for the past five years – I wish her the very best for her future endeavours.”