HP Partners Express Sorrow At Gilroy&'s Impending Departure

“When a key channel-facing executive bites the dust, it sends a message that they don&'t value the channel,” said Steve Harper, president of Network Management Group, a solution provider in Hutchinson, Kan.

Gilroy, HP&'s top global SMB marketing executive, will leave the company Sept. 30 after 24 years with HP, a victim of the company&'s recently announced reorganization.

Gilroy&'s SMB marketing responsibilities will now fall under Todd Bradley, executive vice president of HP&'s Personal Systems Group, according to sources.

An HP spokeswoman confirmed the changes. Gilroy would not comment on the HP reorganization but said that he is leaving HP Sept. 30.

“We&'ve accomplished a lot in SMB,” Gilroy said. “We set the framework called Smart Office, and we fully understand the economic model of SMB.”

He said he has no immediate plans following his HP departure. “My love is the channel; I want to go back to the channel,” he said.

Gilroy was named to his current position as senior vice president and general manager of worldwide SMB business operations just over a year ago. Prior to that he was president and general manager of HP&'s Solution Partners Organization.

Gilroy is a former CRN Channel Executive of the Year and was instrumental in designing HP&'s current PartnerOne channel program.

One HP solution provider, who asked not to be identified, said he was concerned about the constant reorganizations at HP. “HP reorganizes but before the reorganization has a chance to get up and running and yield results, they reorganize again,” the solution provider said. “It kills any momentum.”