Ingram Micro President: 10 Things To Know About Our Reorganization

How Will Channel Partners Fare Under Ingram Micro's New Structure?

Ingram Micro is merging its Advanced Technology and Advanced Computing divisions to create a new Advanced Solutions divisions handling everything from the data center and storage to networking and security.

It will be overseen by Tim Ament, an 18-year Ingram Micro employee currently involved with direct and consumer markets.

North American Technology Solution president Paul Bay (pictured) spoke with CRN about what prompted the reorganization, will it will mean for solution providers and what to expect from the Advanced Solutions division going forward.

Here are 10 things to know about the changes unfolding at Ingram Micro.

10. The Reorganization Will Not Result in Any Layoffs

No layoffs will occur and no channel partners will be assigned to different sales representatives as a result of Ingram Micro's reorganization, Bay said. In fact, he said the distributor is adding sales reps.

The biggest change partners will notice, Bay said, is a shortening of the sales cycle and a greater ability to cross-sell technologies.

By putting more technology areas and senior leaders within the same division, Bay said partners will be able to work more closely within Ingram Micro, making it easier for them to solve complex opportunities.

9. Bay Has Thought About This Restructuring for Years

Bay said he's looked at reorganizing theNorth American business units since becoming president of technology solutions in the region in June 2010.

Increasing complexity and changes in the vendor marketplace have prompted partners to, more than ever, rely on Ingram Micro as a trusted adviser, according to Bay. Bay said partners need Ingram Micro's help to figure out the best business outcomes for end users, as well as how solution providers can better serve their customers.

Ingram Micro's structure will make it easier for the distributor to lead partners to where they want to go, Bay said.

8. The Lines between Different Technologies Are Becoming Blurred

As vendors continue to bring forward new technology, Bay said the characteristics distinguishing one product area from another have become less clear.

"The lines are becoming more blurred from the edges of the data center," he told CRN.

As the lines blur further, Bay said having more technology areas under the same umbrella will facilitate quicker and more organized conversations. Plus the presence of more executives in the division should help streamline the offerings being made available, he said.

7. Miley's Departure Played Into the Decision

Advanced Technology division leader Jay Miley's departure to PCM in November factored into Ingram Micro's decision to merge that division with Advanced Computing.

Bay said Miley's exit prompted the distributor to take a step back and assess where it stands from an evolution standpoint, where they believe the market is going, and then redesign the organization to best fit the opportunities going forward.

All told, Bay expects the changes to allow Ingram Micro's customers and partners to be better served.

6. Adding Another Senior VP Should Make Ingram More Nimble

Promoting Tim Ament to senior vice president of Advanced Solutions and having more vice presidents reporting directly to him should allow Ingram Micro to be more nimble and react more quickly to opportunities, Bay said.

The vice presidents in Advanced Technology and Advanced Computing previously all reported directly to Bay, who said he had his hands full with other responsibilities leading the North American organization.

The changes should make Ingram Micro's seasoned vice president team more visible, Bay said, and reinforce the distributor's senior leadership.

5. Ament's Experience Made Him Right for the Job

Bay praised Ament's familiarity with many different aspects of Ingram Micro and described him as a rising leader within the organization.

"He's just a well-founded executive," Bay told CRN.

Ament has served as vice president and general manager of Ingram Micro's direct and consumer markets since 2010. Over his 18 years at Ingram, Bay said Ament has led the distributor's MSP organization, managed its components business unit and maintained large vendor relationships.

At the time of his promotion, Bay said Ament was overseeing Ingram's physical security and ProAV/digital signage businesses. Bay said he's excited to see Ament bring his skills from working with customers and vendors to the broader partner community.

4. Ingram Micro Lacks Consensus on Aligning Technology, Computing Divisions

Ingram Micro's various geographic regions have reached different conclusions as to whether to operate the technology and computing divisions separately or bring them together under one umbrella, Bay said.

Given the support and resources behind the data center, networking, security and virtualization for Ingram Micro's North American operations, Bay felt that aligning all the technological areas under one division would allow for more focus and strategic direction.

However, many solution providers will still find themselves dealing with two divisions at Ingram Micro, Bay said, since products such as desktops, notebooks, components and document imaging can be found in the Commercial and Global Markets division, led by Senior Vice President Kirk Robinson.

3. Leaders Added, Shuffled As Part of Reorganization

Ingram Micro made Susan O'Sullivan responsible for the entire global Cisco business unit, Bay said, instead of spreading Cisco responsibilities across multiple people. O'Sullivan will report to Ament.

Scott Zahl, a vice president that led the Advanced Computing division, remains with Ingram Micro and will retain control over categories such as the data center, storage and virtualization. He now reports to Ament.

The highest remaining Ingram Micro employees from the Advanced Technology division is Eric Kohl, a senior director running the networking and security business units. Kohl used to report to Miley; he'll now report to Ament, Bay said.

2. The New Structure Will Bring Technologies Closer Together

The Advanced Solutions division is built to bring the data center, networking, security and virtualization closer together and allow the distributor to gain market share and take a deeper approach, Bay said.

That space can be complex for solution providers to navigate, Bay said, due to the presence of both established and emerging vendors.

Former ScanSource President Jeff Yelton will lead Ingram Micro's point-of-scale, data capture and unified communications and collaboration efforts within Advanced Solutions. Yelton will also lean on his experience to push Ingram Micro further into the retail vertical, Bay said.

Finally, Bay expects the new division to push for application development around big data, mobility and migration services.

1. Training To Also Benefit From Revamped Structure

Ingram Micro also expects to boost its training and certifications offering under the new organizational structure, Bay said.

The distributor has strengthened its certification offerings over the past year, Bay said, and now offers programs from Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Juniper, Microsoft and VMware. Ingram Micro also offers training in Microsoft Lync, deployments and expert services, he said.

Under the Advanced Solutions umbrella, Bay said Ingram Micro expects to add more technical certifications and build out additional training and resources.