Ingram Power Play?

With the recent wave of executive departures at the Santa Ana, Calif.-based distributor, Murai is tasked with hand-picking a team to help run the company, said solution providers and other channel observers.

Murai was promoted when Mike Grainger, president and COO, left in March. Pat Collins resigned in June as senior group vice president of sales and marketing, while Donna Grothjan, a 15-year company veteran, cited personal reasons for resigning as senior vice president of product management.

Most recently, Joe Gruca left Ingram Micro Aug. 6 as area vice president of VAR sales for the South and West regions.

Collins was replaced by Pat Capparelli, formerly of Purolator Courier and a longtme Murai associate.

"Initially, you think the worst. 'Oh, my God, another one?' But then you think, 'If the industry can change, management can change, too.' That's the way life is," said Jeff Newman, president of Newco Data, a South Plainfield, N.J.-based solution provider.

Solution providers are wary about the departures, but said they can live with them as long as Ingram Micro doesn't change its customer programs.

"It sounds like an upper-management power play. It's happened before, I'm sure it'll happen again. So far, they're still delivering as usual," said John Burke, CEO of JB Technologies, New York.

Jeff Moody, president of Ping Technology, Waco, Texas, said, "As long as product keeps coming and we get the support we need, we're happy. We just need to supply jobs with products--that makes our jobs a lot easier." Ingram Micro would not detail reasons for the many departures, but Murai said the distributor has a deep bench of talent from which to draw and will continue serving customers.

"We will execute against our strategies and grow the power and influence of the channel. Our team is driven to succeed and is committed to ensuring our customers have the tools, resources and go-to-market strategies they need to be successful in today's marketplace," Murai said.