HPE Snatches Away NetApp Channel Exec To Head Up Hybrid Cloud Channel Offensive

‘Kristian [Kerr] brings an exceptional breadth of experience in channel and alliance leadership roles across data services and networking, covering both mature and emerging markets,’ says HPE Senior Vice President of Worldwide Channel and Partner Ecosystem Simon Ewington.

HPE is bringing on board former NetApp Vice President of EMEA and Latin America Partner Organization Kristian Kerr to lead a stepped-up hybrid cloud channel offensive.

Kerr, a seven-year NetApp veteran, will oversee the worldwide hybrid cloud channel in the newly created role of vice president of worldwide hybrid cloud channel effective March 2.

“Kristian brings an exceptional breadth of experience in channel and alliance leadership roles across data services and networking, covering both mature and emerging markets,” said HPE Senior Vice President of Worldwide Channel and Partner Ecosystem Simon Ewington in announcing the appointment. “His experience in the IT and communications industry has spanned 25-plus years, having held senior roles at NetApp, Juniper Networks, Cisco and Brocade.”

[Related: HPE Has Doubled Networking Sales Team As It Moves To Take Share]

The addition to the HPE channel team comes after the hybrid cloud powerhouse launched a significant 50 percent increase in rebates for hybrid cloud products for Gold and Platinum partners as part of its new Partner Ready Vantage program, effective Nov. 1, 2025.

Along with the appointment comes a new channel structure that “strengthens” HPE’s “go-to-market alignment,” said Ewington, fostering a “more unified approach and sharper focus” across the company’s expanded hybrid cloud offerings including the broader HPE software portfolio, HPE Private Cloud AI as well as storage and HPE GreenLake Flex.

With Kerr’s appointment, the following channel sales directors will report to Kerr: Valérie Da Fonseca, hybrid cloud solutions; Uli Seibold, ISV and service provider; and Bernardo Miretzky, data and virtualization solutions.

The products eligible for the HPE 50 percent rebate increase on hybrid cloud products include HPE Alletra Storage MP X10000, HPE Private Cloud AI, HPE Private Cloud Business Edition, Morpheus (HPE CloudOps Software), VM Essentials, OpsRamp and Zerto.

Before joining NetApp in 2019, Kerr spent 15 months as head of EMEA channels, alliances and commercial for Juniper Networks and four years and seven months as senior director of the channel and OEM organization for Brocade. He also spent 13 years at Cisco, where his last position was manager of strategic partners and Alliances.

Pat O’Dell, managing partner at HPE stalwart partner CPP Associates, Clinton, N.J., who is also head of the HPE North America Partner Advisory Council, said he is excited that HPE is adding top talent in two areas where it wants to foster greater sales growth: networking and storage.

“From a talent and skill set level, at first glance this seems like an exceptional addition to HPE’s management team,” said O’Dell. “The experience that he [Kerr] brings from NetApp, Juniper, Cisco and Brocade is impressive. At the end of the day with networking accounting for more than 50 percent of HPE’s profits and storage as one of the most profitable areas for partners, bringing someone on board that knows Cisco and has deep storage experience seems like an exceptional addition to the HPE management team.”

O’Dell said Kerr’s deep knowledge of the top competitors in the storage and networking market is also a big plus for partners competing in the sales trenches.

“HPE has the most comprehensive and broadest portfolio in the market so having someone like Kerr that knows multiple areas of the HPE portfolio and how to compete at a wider level with the entire portfolio is a good thing for partners,” he said.

O’Dell congratulated Kerr on the appointment, saying he is looking forward to working with him closely to help drive hybrid cloud channel sales growth in North America. “It’s going to be great to be working with him,” he said.