Ingram Micro Pursues Global Growth For VentureTech

Bob Stegner, vice president of worldwide market development, is leaving the Santa Ana, Calif.-based distributor on Jan. 5, but he said a VentureTech initiative in Brazil is in place and similar ventures in Mexico and Chile are under way.

Two years ago, Ingram Micro handed Stegner -- then the head of VentureTech in North America -- the reins to replicate the success of that group with networks of local solution providers internationally. The goal was to foster partnerships between members on a local basis, but also with the possibility of leveraging relationships with North America members, he said.

Initially, Stegner expected to build a Latin America-wide VentureTech group when he took the worldwide role, but he soon discovered that cultural as well as legal differences between countries made it impractical.

"You couldn't have the same contract for each country," he said. Instead, Ingram Micro focused on Brazil, with Mexico and Chile trailing.

id
unit-1659132512259
type
Sponsored post

"One of first meetings we had with resellers in Chile, someone said, 'Seven of us are already doing this, but we'd love to have Ingram Micro doing it for us.' They wanted the processes and structures in place," Stegner said.

Ingram Micro hasn't indicated who would replace Stegner, but the distributor is committed to the model, Stegner said.

"The opportunity is there, but it will take some patience. There are some tremendous growth opportunities in Latin America. It's a great market. There's so much potential. If I have them get the processes in place, they'll be fine," he said.

Solution providers in Latin America are interested in partnering with U.S. solution providers, according to Stegner.

"Down in Sao Paolo, they're doing business in the U.S. They've had partnerships already. That's why there's no question of the validity of [VentureTech in Brazil]," he said. "There is no process in place now. You want to find [a solution provider to partner with], you Google them and find a way to work it out together. Structure is what they're looking for."

In addition, some U.S. VentureTech members are beginning to look at international business partnerships, Stegner said.

"They're already doing it. Look at Bruce Geier [president and CEO of Technology Integration Group, San Diego, Calif.]. He does huge business in Mexico. He opened an office in Germany. There are a lot of large end users now that have outside country locations, but they prefer to deal with one [solution provider]," Stegner said.