The first thing I learned about Donna Wittmann was that smart and highly influential people in the channel rave about her.
One top executive who asked for anonymity told me that Wittmann is a very capable person with outstanding credentials.
I first met Wittmann at the Microsoft Impact Awards in 2007. Harry Zarek of Compugen introduced me to her. I am always weary of meeting Dell executives because of the hard and unwavering stance I took towards the company’s direct-selling policy. At the time, Zarek told me how accomplished an executive Wittmann was.
I bumped into Wittmann in Houston last year during my meeting with Greg Davis, her former boss at Dell Canada. I brought Davis a framed copy of his CDN Top Newsmaker of the year edition. Wittmann was nice enough to take our photo with the magazine. Just like Zarek Davis also complimented his former co-worker giving her a glowing review.
Now Wittmann takes over the channel chief duties left nine months ago by Ross Pellizzari. Cisco channel business in Canada is roughly $800 million and that is a big challenge.
Is Wittmann up for the challenge? I think so.
Wittmann has channel experience while working for Xerox, however she has spent a considerable amount of time working for a direct-only vendor and my concern would be her transition from direct to channel.
I have written about this several times but for a channel executive to be successful with solution providers they must be part of the culture -- the channel community in Canada. They have to know how to properly align company objectives with those of the channel. They have to skillfully maneuver and construct the behaviours of hundred if not thousands of channel partners to the vendors benefit, while keeping solution providers profitable. That is no easy task especially when you consider how geographically dispersed Canada is as a nation.
To me a channel chief has to be part of the channel fabric that entwines us all.
When a solution provider partner sits across the table from a channel chief he or she will know if they are part of the same team. Wittmann, with all due respect, wasn’t part of that team for a good while. She has worked for Dell and Dell's main objective up until last year was to take business direct all the time. It is incumbent upon her to make this transition look seamless as possible.
Cisco has a great channel network. It also has the best channel program available. Those will be assets Wittmann will have to protected and build upon. Cisco also has some channel challenges such as its SMB channel is not where the company would like it to be. They also have some channel coverage issues across the country.
From the outset it looks like she will have a good circle of friends to rely on. There is no better supporter to have on your side than Harry Zarek. They say a leopard never changes its stripes, but I do not think this will be the case for Wittmann. Having said that it will be interesting how she changes from a direct approach to a channel advocate mantra.
Four quick hits before I go. Rick Xamin, long time supporter of CDN, has left NEC Display Solutions Canada. Another long time suppoter of CDN Todd Irie has joined SHI Canada.
One of the realy pioneers of this industry Sue Miller, former Canadian chief at Compaq and Merisel, has joined
Hatsize Corporation as CEO. Hatsize, despite its name develops online virtual lab environments.
Finally, Xiocom Wireless, Inc., announced the appointment of Troy Richardson as CEO.