Gilroy On New SAP Job: I'm 'Jazzed'

Kevin Gilroy officially joined SAP last week as vice president of North America channel for SME (small and midsize enterprise). The former Hewlett-Packard and Arrow Electronics executive is a high-profile get for a vendor looking to raise its channel profile. Gilroy, only on the job for a few hours, talked briefly with Everything Channel Assistant News Editor Scott Campbell about why he joined SAP and what he hopes to bring to VARs. The following are excerpts from the conversation.

ChannelWeb.com: How did the SAP appointment come about? How long have you been talking with them?

Gilroy: I've been to them over the years. They've been interested and I've been interested. I can't tell you who made the first jump, but we've been talking on and off since about 2005.

ChannelWeb.com: There have been a lot of executive changes there since 2005. Were you talking to the same person or the same team going back that far? And what put it over the top now?

Gilroy: There's always been some interest. We've been doing the dance for a number of years. They're very committed to the channel and to the SMB and SME space. In my due diligence I prioritized it two ways. They have great people to work with. I was impressed with the team at the highest levels down through the ranks. Second, they have quite a nice [product] portfolio down to the SME space through the traditional SAP products and the Business Objects acquisition.

ChannelWeb.com: How do you envision fitting into SAP?

Gilroy: After [serving as CEO of] OnForce, I did some introspection and I learned that I'm a big company guy vs. a startup guy. It doesn't have to be a huge company, but that's one thing l Iearned about myself. Second, I am interested in software. I did hardware at HP and Arrow. Software is a learning experience. The channel is a little different for software. The economics of software is a little bit different. The entry point of software is a little bit different. That's what makes it exciting.

ChannelWeb.com: What are some of your initial goals with SAP?

Gilroy: Well, I've only been on the job for a few hours. I'm passionate about the channel. I've always been an advocate for the channel and a good listener. I'm empathetic for what [VARs] need from SAP. But I'm also empathetic for what we need [at SAP] in terms of growth, market reach, things like that. I'll drive the agenda in a hard, aggressive way.

ChannelWeb.com: You've been out of the channel limelight for a while, doing some consulting behind the scenes. What made you want to step back into a role like this?

Gilroy: I took my time. I had time and was fortunate to be able to find the right opportunity. I turned down quite a few opportunities. I was looking for two things. I was looking someone who has a need for the things that I can do. The other is a cultural fit. I have a German background; I grew up there as a kid. I speak German. It was a case of one plus one equals eight. I'm pretty jazzed about being there.

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