Seelinger To Step Down As Symantec Channel Chief

Seelinger, vice president of global channel sales and strategy at Symantec, said she is leaving her position for “life balance” reasons.

Seelinger will be replaced by Julie Parrish, former Veritas Software channel chief and now vice president of enterprise, midmarket and channel marketing at Symantec. Parrish came to Symantec with the recent Veritas acquisition. Seelinger and Parrish have been working together since July to create a unified channel program for legacy Symantec and Veritas partners.

An 18-year veteran of the Cupertino, Calif., security giant, Seelinger is often heralded by Symantec partners as a friend and advocate of the channel.

Evan Leonard, president of CHIPS Computer Consulting in Lake Success, N.Y., said it is “definitely sad to see her go.” Leonard said Seelinger has been a familiar face at industry events and took great pains to see that her channel programs were beneficial to VARs.

“It&s always nice to have a vendor that is partner centric,” Leonard said. “For [Seelinger] to be gone makes me wonder how the programs are going to proceed from here. We will definitely be keeping a close eye on how [Parrish] is going to proceed. We will be watching very closely.”

Tom Kendra, executive vice president of worldwide sales and services at Symantec, said the new channel chief will not change the company's direction in its integration of Symantec and Veritas. “We&re staying the course described,” he said. “I like the progress we&re making.”