As part of its Global Technology Solutions strategy, Ingram Micro is doubling down on marketing services to help partners drive their businesses forward.
The effort includes standing up a Global Marketing Services business, and expanding Agency Ingram Micro -- a well-known B2B creative services agency. To lead the global marketing efforts, Ingram has promoted company veteran Jennifer Anaya to senior VP, marketing, reporting to Paul Bay, executive VP and president of Global Technology Solutions.
Anaya is a familiar name within Ingram Micro and across the broader IT channel ecosystem. Each time Ingram needs to prepare partners for a new IT services wave (cloud, IoT, business automation, recurring revenues, etc.) Anaya and her team have developed marketing strategies that propel the partner base forward.
Anaya also is a marketing innovator. Agency Ingram Micro, the B2B creative services agency created under Anaya’s leadership in 2012, is set to scale its reach 2020 from regional to global offerings, the company says.
Ingram Micro Technology Solutions: Global Priorities
The global marketing efforts are part of Ingram's broader Global Technology Solutions strategy, led by Bay. That strategy, Ingram says, includes:
- multi-million-dollar investments announced in Latin America;
- organic and acquisition investments around its global Centers of Excellence supporting cyber security, data center and IoT technology solutions;
- cloud, as-a-service, product lifecycle and mobility services investments;
- doubling down on Ingram partner ecosystems such as the Trust X Alliance and SMB Alliance—which represent more than 600 channel partners; and
- new steps to make it easier for channel partners to work with Ingram Micro and its vendor partners.
Key Executives: Ingram has promoted multiple team members into key positions for the global push. In addition to Anaya's global marketing role, Ingram says the promotions include:
- U.S. leader, Tim Ament, was promoted to senior vice president and chief country officer, Australia and New Zealand, reporting to Diego Utge, executive vice president and group president, Asia Pacific.
- Bill Brandel, Alex Maier and Matt Sanderson have been promoted to senior vice presidents overseeing their respective countries of Canada, Germany and the United Kingdom.
- In the U.S., security leader Eric Kohl’s role was expanded to vice president, Security and Data Center Software, and channel leader Jeff Yelton was promoted to vice president, Infrastructure and Specialty Technologies. Both executives report to Kirk Robinson, senior vice president and chief country executive, Ingram Micro.
Each of those executives has long-established relationships with Ingram's partner base in various global regions, verticals and technology segments. The executive updates come roughly two months after Ingram announced updated focus areas for Bay and CEO Alain Monié, sparking speculation that Bay may eventually succeed Monié as the distributor's chief executive.
Ingram Micro: Executive Perspectives
Explaining the global strategy, Bay said in a prepared statement:
“The momentum within our Global Technology Solutions team is unstoppable. Globally, we are continuing to expand our efforts and show up as the preferred business partner and solutions aggregator, offering the people, processes and the technology solutions for our IT channel partners to grow profitably, while delivering an unprecedented experience to the customers they serve. We are committed to collaboration as we build further on our position as an indispensable business partner to the IT industry, while providing an inclusive and engaging workplace where we have often been recognized as one of the world’s best places to work.”
Added Anaya in a statement:
“The marketing capabilities and business-building resources you see today at Ingram Micro represent only the tip of the iceberg of how we plan to engage and serve our partners. There’s so much more we can offer, create and deliver locally and globally. I am humbled and honored to lead our worldwide marketing efforts for our Global Technology Solutions team, and excited by the opportunities ahead.”
Ingram Micro: 'Business As Usual'
The executive promotions and global marketing strategy reinforce Ingram's knack for staying focused on its business and partners -- even as the media (including ChannelE2E) speculate about corporate parent HNA Group's ownership status, and Ingram's ownership status.
Regardless of who owns parent HNA Group and/or Ingram, the distributor has insisted that it's business-as-usual for the California-based business.
Reinforcing that point, the distributor is set to share updated recurring revenue partner strategies during the Ingram Micro Cloud Summit 2020, which is scheduled for May 12-14 in Miami Beach, Florida.
