New To The Scene

By Heather Clancy, ChannelWeb

3:00 PM EST Fri. Feb. 24, 2006
From the February 27, 2006 issue of CRN
Page 1 of 6

\| 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6 \|		• Carrying The Channel Torch Part firefighter, part diplomat. Our annual special report on the industry's top Channel Chiefs illuminates why the best vendor channel execs work for every penny they earn • The List: 50 Channel Chiefs From Acer to Xerox, we have the stats on 50 top Channel Chiefs who are influencing your day-to-day existence. If you're thinking about teaming with one of these vendors, here's where to start. • Global Touch It's a small world, and these 10 Worldwide Agenda-Setters are aiming to make it smaller with worldwide programs that impact the U.S. market -- and beyond. • New To The Scene Strategy from freshman execs at Cisco, Intel, Lexmark, Samsung, SonicWall and Toshiba. • Service Allies Wondering whether that vendor services division is friend or foe? These managers from Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Microsoft aim to solve that debate for good. • 10 People You Should Know They may not be on the "Big List," but we're watching these channel executives closely in 2006..
The high-tech industry isn’t exactly known for stasis. No sooner do we publish our Channel Chiefs lists each year than the players change—either their roles or, in some cases, their companies. This year, we highlight a half-dozen executives from the hardware and security industries named to their current channel chief posts within the past year or, for two chiefs, within just the past two months
SHARON BRINDLEY, Lexmark International Simplicity and services. That double-sided mantra will define Sharon Brindley’s early priorities in her role as vice president of U.S. channels at Lexmark International. As with Lexmark’s rivals in the world of printers and multifunction devices, Brindley’s team has zeroed in on crafting managed services that propose to elevate the potential margins associated with selling her company’s products. One example: an assessment service unfurled in December called Document Needs Assessment that VARs can use to evaluate their customers’ print-related production costs and plot a consolidation strategy. Don’t look for Brindley to suggest change for the sake of change. She’s interested in engaging more deeply with existing partners and providing them with broader access to business planning and marketing resources plus services to help solution providers assess opportunities and price them competitively—while still making money. “I feel like we have a great relationship with our existing partners. … The relationships I’ve been exposed to so far are terrific,” she said. Brindley has been with the Lexington, Ky.-based company since its founding in 1991. Prior to assuming her new title early this year, she led Lexmark’s public-sector, health-care and education segments, which grew 20 percent under her direction. Mike Hicks, president of Electronic Business Machines, a solution provider in Lexington, admits he was nervous several years ago when Lexmark moved his company from a high-touch direct relationship to one involving distribution because it was a strategy not typically used by his manufacturer suppliers in the copier and business equipment market. But Hicks has been pleased with his ability to craft solution messages based on Lexmark technology, and he’s happy with the contact he’s had with members of Lexmark’s value-added partner team, including John Linton, vice president of solution provider channels, and Paul Merritt, director of U.S. business channels. Hicks actually met Brindley for the first time as interviews for this report were being conducted. “She seemed very sincere and committed to driving business through the channel. … I have a very good feeling about Sharon and will continue to make Lexmark my lead product on multifunction printers 55 [pages per minute] and less,” he said. You can expect Brindley to keep a close watch on whether he keeps that vow, as she’s already self-grading her on-the-job performance barely two months into the role. “My clock is already ticking,” she said.

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