Interactive technology vendor Promethean’s director of UK business, Paul Berry, has been promoted to president of Europe as part of a company reorganisation.
Under the new structure, Berry will be responsible for the UK, Nordics, Central Europe and Southern Europe. Mark Elliott, Promethean’s US president, will become president of North America, responsible for the US, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, while Mark Reeves, senior vice president of international sales, will handle Central and Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa and Middle East, and Asia Pacific in the newly created role of president of Asia Pacific and emerging markets.
According to Berry, his promotion is a sign that Promethean has been successful in its objective of moving from a predominantly direct model in the UK to a 100 per cent channel model, as announced a year ago.
Speaking to CRN, Berry said: “I still have the director of UK business hat on as well, but I may look at the structure of the UK business going forward. What is clear is that if the UK model was not working, Promethean would not be able to afford for me to step away from the UK business.”
Berry revealed that Promethean ended 2007 with a run rate of between 75 and 80 per cent of its business coming through the channel.
“During 2007 we moved from one-third [of our business] coming through the channel to two-thirds, and I am confident that we will be 100 per cent indirect by the end of June,” said Berry.
Nick Lumley, commercial manager at VAR CDEC, said: “As a Promethean reseller it is now clear that we have the full backing of Promethean and no longer need to worry about the direct model.”
The reorganisation also included China becoming the central hub for all of Promethean’s manufacturing activities and Blackburn becoming the worldwide research and development centre for Promethean.
Promethean heralds rejigged VAR scheme