Sam Palmisano, Chairman and CEO / IBM

It makes sense Palmisano would frame his decision as one of leadership, say IBM channel partners, because leadership is more than a buzzword to him.

“I have a lot of respect for Sam Palmisano&'s leadership because of the things he&'s chosen to focus on—the importance of a strong corporate culture and a focus on strong values,” says Laurie Benson, CEO of Inacom Information Systems, a Madison, Wis.-based solution provider.

Since the sale to Lenovo, industry analysts have been looking for more leadership from Palmisano in the form of performance. So far this year, Armonk, N.Y.-based IBM has posted mixed results. The company missed Wall Street estimates for its first quarter and then cut 14,500 jobs. Its second quarter brightened a bit.

By the third quarter, though, what Palmisano called IBM&'s “strategic transitions” appeared to be paying off. Server, storage and software sales were strong. And while overall revenue from continuing operatings were up only 4 percent, earnings surpassed analyst expectations.

One bright spot in particular was IBM&'s channel business. SMB sales were up 10 percent, leading all other segments. IBM&'s small-business focus is “refreshing,” Benson says, adding that the company has put more sales reps in the field to support the channel. “This is very important, and Sam Palmisano did this,” she says.

DONN ATKINS

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General Manager, IBM Global Business Partners

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MISSION:

Maintaining its legendary channel program consistency while making it easier to do business with the giant technology and services company are two of Atkins' myriad priorities.

TOWNEY KENNARD

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Vide President, Business Partners, IBM Americas

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MISSION:

Among Kennard's latest contributions are program changes to encourage sales of IBM blade server offerings.