Harman moves up in Avnet rejig

Distributor combines two business units and carves up UK sales director role

Laura Harman: The change in role reflects the evolution of Avnet

Avnet Technology Solutions has promoted networking and security boss Laura Harman to a wider sales director role after undergoing a business unit facelift.

The distributor has folded its Unified Communications (UC) unit into its Networking & Security arm, which it said will help it exploit synergies between the two product groups.

At the same time, Avnet has brought four units – Networking & Security/Unified Communications, Storage, Wireless & Mobility and Documents Management – under the sales leadership of Harman.

That means the UK sales director role is now split in two, with Matt Tedstone now focusing on the distributor’s server and infrastructure vendors. This includes Oracle/Sun and IBM, which make up more than half of Avnet’s sales.

Harman, who joined Avnet through its 2008 acquisition of Horizon and before that was at EquIP, said: “The change in role reflects the evolution of Avnet as a solutions distributor and the continual convergence of technology.”

Former UC boss Wayne Gratton will continue to look after Avnet’s solutions strategy.

Avnet stressed the rejig has led to no job cuts although long-standing Avnet/Horizon stalwart Simon Welch has taken it as an opportunity to retire from the company.

“It was an amicable parting and I wish them all the best,” Welch said.