It isn't often that you get to sit across the table from a former colleague who is now a major software CEO. But spending some time with Ken Cron, who was among the original employees and former president of publishing at CMP Media (VARBusiness' parent) in the mid-1990s, was both productive and provocative. As one of the "grandfathers of the channel," Cron helped to launch CRN, a VARBusiness sister publication, in 1982. Cron is now serving as interim CEO at Computer Associates.
Cron dispels the notion that he is in the running for the permanent position. "We are looking for a world-class person, and having me here means we don't have to rush to find someone," he says. "While we haven't yet formed all the parameters, we have put together our search committee from our board of directors, and we have put together a good management team to take this company forward. And, of course, Jeff Clarke will stay on as COO."
Although CA has fallen on some difficult times, including an investigation regarding its accounting practices, Clarke says he is concentrating on putting that behind the company and moving forward. "We are cooperating fully with the various federal agencies," Clarke says. "We have begun to implement remediation and hope to bring everything to a satisfactory conclusion." CA has completed all of its internal investigations, he adds.
Meanwhile, Cron sees plenty of growth opportunities ahead for CA. "The next generation of buyers is on the horizon," he says. "The economy is getting better, and we are in a fantastic position in terms of having great products, especially in the enterprise-management spaceWe see some real opportunities for growth in the SMB sector, and the channel is going to get us there."
Indeed, that is good news for both CA customers and VARs who want to do business with the company.
As a channel advocate, Cron is expected to move CA in that direction while he is at the helm. "Most definitely. We'll use the channel for supporting our advanced initiatives," he says. His channel bias has already caught Clarke's attention.
"We are making our largest, single investment in our channels group this year. It is the No. 1 priority for the company," Clarke says. "This area has been traditionally underserved, and we will be adding people, sales staff, call- center and support resources, and extra business development staff across the board."
CA plans on increasing its channel staff by nearly 40 percent in the coming year, hiring an additional 200 people worldwide to beef up all aspects of its field operations, support, telesales and foreign operations. The company has also restructured operations so that all channel operations are unified under a single person, executive vice president Gary Quinn, according to Clarke.
With all that has happened at CA under the reign of CEO Sanjay Kumar, Cron is surprisingly supportive of his former chieftain. "Sanjay is absolutely an asset to the company," he says. "He offers real value and provides the continuity of historical knowledge that is vital to us and integral to our success."
