Juniper Names New VP of U.S. Channel Sales

Blaine Raddon, Juniper Networks' director of channel operations for the Western region for the past year, has been tapped as the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based vendor's new vice president of U.S. channel sales.

Raddon takes over the position last held by Bob Bruce, who left Juniper in April 2007 and later took a channel post at wireless networking vendor Meru Networks.

In a note to Juniper's channel partners, senior vice president of worldwide channels Frank Vitagliano said Raddon will work closely with him and the entire channel team "to build upon and execute against our key channel growth strategies and strategic priorities."

Vitagliano said Raddon will oversee Juniper's Americas distribution sales, which includes key distribution partners like Catalyst Telecom, Ingram Micro, Securematics and Westcon Canada.

"The 'switch is on' to Juniper Networks and Blaine's appointment to VP U.S. channel sales couldn't come at a more exciting time in our company's history," Vitagliano wrote to partners. "We had a record-breaking year in 2007 as many of our J-Partners continued to build up their profits and grow revenue. Now, under the combined leadership of our channel organization, we are gaining momentum that is sure to enhance our ability to partner with you and drive an unrivaled value across the board."

Raddon joined Juniper in February 2007 as director of channel operations for the western region. Before that he worked more than 19 years with IBM, where he held various enterprise sales, channels and marketing roles. His last position at IBM was director of sales for the world-wide Ingram Micro relationship.

Michael Ferguson, CEO of Terrapin Systems, a San Jose, Calif.-based solution provider and Juniper partner, said Raddon's appointment is "a really smart thing for Juniper to do."

According to Ferguson, Raddon is both candid and recognizes the type of relationship partners and vendors need to be successful. The only downside to the promotion, Ferguson said, is he likely won't get to work as closely with Raddon going forward.

"When he says he's going to do something, it gets done," he said. "There's a certain business acumen that this guy has."

Promoting Raddon to vice president of channel sales for the U.S., Ferguson said, shows that Juniper recognizes the value he brings to the channel and will strengthen his relationship with the networking vendor.

"Given that he understands the structure and he's going to be no-nonsense about what needs to get done, I see their programs becoming more impactful," he said.