As reported by CRN, Integralis has recruited Crossbeam’s Neal Lillywhite and McAfee’s Bruce Jubb to the posts of UK sales director and business unit director for systems integrators and the public sector, respectively (CRN, 20 August).

But the double coup, which is part of Integralis’ push to expand its own-brand systems and service provider business, has stuck in the throats of its competitors.

Matt Tomlinson, commercial director at Crossbeam partner MIS, said: “We’re not over the moon about this situation. I trust Neal’s ethics, but some resellers will be uneasy because he knows every big deal Crossbeam has done over the past couple of years.”

David Hobson, managing director of security VAR GSS, said: “Crossbeam is just a platform for
Check Point and Crossbeam’s country manager going to Check Point’s biggest UK partner brings up a potential conflict of interest issue.”

Lillywhite, who starts the job in September, stressed it was not his intention to ‘cannibalise’ the relationships he had built up while working at Crossbeam.

“I have been in the vendor world for the past 12 years so a change will be refreshing,” he said. “Bruce’s and my experience in bringing our own propositions to market will be highly valuable to Integralis.”

Lillywhite also maintained that Integralis was now more likely to rub shoulders with managed services giants such as BT Global Services and Verizon than traditional product-focused resellers.
Bernie Dodwell, European security director at distributor Westcon, said: “This kind of thing happens every day in the channel and Neal is an honourable person. He knows the market extremely well and Integralis has a good catch.”

Crossbeam has already taken action by appointing Dave Woodcock to run its UK and northern European business.