TechSelect's Taber Jumps To Tech Data's Advanced Technologies Group

Bob O’Malley, senior vice president of U.S. marketing at Tech Data, made the announcement at TechSelect’s partner conference in Louisville, Ky., on Thursday and presented Taber with flowers and a plaque.

“TechSelect’s growth under Annette has been phenomenal,” O’Malley said. “One of Annette’s legacies is that we’ve been able to keep an intimate sense of the peer-to-peer benefits of being a TechSelect member while growing.”

Under Taber, TechSelect’s membership increased to 463 solution providers from 225. Their collective revenue accounts for 22 percent of Tech Data’s U.S. VAR revenue, up from 6 percent four years ago. Members’ revenue increased a double-digit percentage last year compared to 2004 and at twice the rate out of Tech Data’s non-TechSelect customers, O’Malley said.

The distributor named Pat Olson to become the manager of TechSelect. She will report to Brian Gibson, director of marketing, as responsibility for TechSelect shifts to Tech Data’s marketing group from sales.

Members should not anticipate dramatic changes to TechSelect, Gibson said. “I don’t come in with the desire to change anything particular or with a special vision to go anywhere different from where we’ve been. I want to build on the excellence on what’s been there. I’m looking forward to building on what we’ve had,” Gibson said.

Olson had reported to Taber and is well-known by TechSelect members. She will be formally introduced to solution providers Friday.

“[Olson] is extremely comfortable in her role and has the knowledge and capabilities to take TechSelect to the next level,” said Tom Ducatelli, senior vice president of sales at Tech Data.

Taber’s focus now shifts to the three specialized business units (SBUs) that make up the Advanced Technologies Group: Pro A/V, Physical Security and POS/AIDC. She plans to leverage her TechSelect experience to help integrate those technologies into the 463-member group.

Under Taber, Tech Data’s SBUs will develop customer-focused communities that likely will become part of the TechSelect conferences, she said. For example, TechSelect may build a pro A/V-themed track at TechSelect, she said.

“We did it with MacFocus. We have 60-plus Apple solution providers now within TechSelect,” Taber said. “It’s a great example of understanding the unique needs of a group. [Apple resellers] didn’t want to go to a lot of the [vendor] sessions, but we designed a track so it is more meaningful to them and they get the experience of the general sessions, the evenings and still partnering and learning from each other. We look at Pro A/V dealers the same way. There are IT guys also interested in Pro A/V. We can bring them into the Tech Data family.”