Trustmarque grabs vendor execs for TESG

Haddow: We have people onboard with the capability to transform Trustmarque into a services business

Software management-specialised VAR Trustmarque Solutions has nabbed two vendor executives to lead its nascent services division.

The Trustmarque Enterprise Solutions Group (TESG) launches this month and will be helmed by professional services manager David Papworth, who joins from HP. Having dedicated most of his professional life to services and IT management, he served the PC giant as a managing consultant.

Papworth has a formidable stack of qualifications, including being an ITIL V3 certified trainer and a Microsoft Operations Framework Certified Master Trainer. He is also one of only 50 fellows of the Institute of IT Service Management.

In his new role he will oversee the work of product and project managers and the design and delivery of services projects. Joining his team is Kevin Green, who is charged with boosting TESG's skills in the areas of network infrastructure, virtualisation, data protection, infrastructure management and datacentre design and implementation.

Green has worked in the storage industry for 12 years and joins Trustmarque from Dell, where he served as a senior solutions consultant. He has also worked in technical sales roles at Symantec, Cristie Data Products and SCC.

He said: "This is a very exciting move for me, as I will be able to develop an all-new string to Trustmarque’s bow. I have been working in the storage and virtualisation markets for some time and as such have an in-depth knowledge of the issues facing customers, as well as the technical know-how to roll out projects."

Papworth added: “I think the ground work is all there to make Trustmarque a very successful services business. We already have an enviable list of contacts, which we will be seeking to leverage by broadening the scope for what we can deliver to them."

Trustmarque has made no secret of its desire to move its business model towards a services-led approach. The past year has seen many comings and goings at the reseller, beginning with the exit of former managing director Ross Miller, who departed in November after eight years with the firm.

Ken Hills replaced Miller on an interim basis and kick-started the Microsoft partner's charge towards the services space. Miller's permanent replacement Scott Haddow joined in February and quickly recruited Garry Tough as Scottish country manager.

Kevin Trinkwon and Jamie Donnelly were also brought on board as solution specialists. After leaving reseller giant Insight, where he served as UK managing director until December, Angelo Di Ventura was unveiled as Trustmarque's sales and marketing director in June.

Haddow said: “The main drive for us over the past six months has been to get people on board who have the management and technical capabilities to transform Trustmarque into a services business.

"In establishing the TESG, we were looking for specialists who are able to generate a knowledgeable dialogue with our customers and deliver technical support, so that we can offer a more rounded solution. Both David Papworth and Kevin Green are key to delivering against these ambitions."