Brothers says the building blocks are in place at D&H for continued growth after he leaves.

What is the background of your decision to step down?

We had made the company-wide announcement back on Feb. 1, that I planned to exit at the end of the fiscal year and Michael [Schwab] and Dan [Schwab] would be co-presidents. They both got elevated up and we promoted other people up. We got everything set in place for the transition.

Are you going to have any role with the company after May?

I will carry a title of president emeritus. I will stay in a somewhat active capacity, but I will not be active day to day. It will be more special assignment things for Dan and Michael going forward. If I stayed day to day, people would think nothing had changed.

Why did you decide that this was the right time to step aside?

I made a decision I thought was appropriate. The [Schwab] boys are ready. It's not that I'm not going to do other things, but I'm not out looking for a job. I'm not sure what's on the other side, but I'm going to find out.

How long have you been with D&H?

Thirty five years. I'm sure you can appreciate, walking away is never easy, walking away from something after 35 years is especially difficult. But a good executive knows when his time has arrived. The timing is right to do other things, and for Michael and Dan to take control.

With co-presidents taking over, can you talk about what the strengths of both Dan and Michael are?

Michael is responsible for the purchasing side. Dan is responsible for marketing. Dan is more the sales, marketing personality. Michael more leans towards operations and warehousing and payables. Both of them have strengths and are truly complementary to one another. I believe that the two of them are totally prepared to take over as co-presidents. Their responsibility is to guide D&H to become more significant channel player, while keeping in the culture and tradition that we have had for last 90 years.

If I'm a VAR, what kinds of changes can I expect to see from the transition?

I expect the company to continue growing as we have, for the last 10 years in particular. We will continue to execute for vendors and provide excellent customer service. I would anticipate our role as a channel provider will keep evolving and our value will keep increasing. In terms of what VARs may notice, nothing. It will be business as usual. I would tell you the business is on a solid foundation. The building blocks are in place to keep driving forward. And I will be an interested observer for the next few years.

What are your plans after May 1?

I'll definitely keep in touch with what's happening in the channel. I'll have some activities for D&H, but I'm gong to do some things like keep myself healthy, spend more time with my family, work on my golf game. Mary Ellen and I will get more involved in charity work. Time will tell. I'm not totally sure what's on the other side of easing back, but I'm excited about finding out.

Next: Anna McDermott - New Opportunities Await Channel McDermott plans to step down on May 30 from Avnet, after more than two decades in the business. She was CEO of Access Distribution when the Sun Microsystems-focused distributor was sold by GE to Avnet in 2006.

Why did you decide to step down from Avnet?

I'm just looking at look at my personal development, my own personal growth. I had to evaluate what was the best way to accomplish that. I don't think I've reached my personal best yet. As for what kind of environment, I'd kind of like to be the leader. Avnet is a very large organization it and would be hard for me to do that.

I've been in this business for 22 years. There are mllions of industries out there. I'm going to take the opportunity to look around for something that may meet my lifestyle a little bit. I don't want something that requires extensive travel. I want the opportunity to keep challenging myself. I want to find a way to give back more to the community.

Is there anything specifc you are looking for?

I've got a couple careers left in me. I want to get on with what else is out there, to see if I can be good at something else. I will take a few months off. It will be the first summer of my life without a job or kids or both. I'll do a lot of reading. At this point, nothing's out and nothing's in. I'm not looking to be in high-tech. Nor is it necessarily out. The problem, once youv'e been in the high-tech industry, it's fast-paced and it sort of spoils you for a lot of other things. I have a lot of energy, I like change, that's why I've been able to have so much fun. A lot of industries won't meet that.

What are you working on at Avnet before you leave?

There's a lot of things I'm working on. I'm working on the strategic long-range plan, and to transition some things I've been doing, to get across how I approached some of the initiatives, those things I've worked on.

What would you like to say to all the solution providers and partners that you've worked with over the last 20 years?

It is certainly with mixed emotions that I am leaving an experience and relationships that I have spent so many years cultivating. The rich relationships I have had with our customers, vendors and employees cannot be replaced.

I do believe that going forward the people I've worked with at Avnet, and at Access before that, share the same energy and passion for the business. There are many new opportunities being presented in the market for our partners and with the dedicated and knowledgeable people at Avnet I expect continued success in the partnerships that have been built.

What else might you be looking for in your next step?

I don't want to relocate. Everything I love is in Colorado. I haven't been looking at anything externally. I've been focused on my role within Avnet while evaluating what I want to do. I haven't opened myself up to much yet. This is purely a personal decision. At this particular time in my life, my priorities are right now. It doesn't have anything to do with Avent. It's really about me. I've had 22 years this game. I want to see what else I can do.