Balaam replaces Gorringe at BT EngageIT

Former Redstone boss Martin Balaam appointed as new managing director of BT's midmarket reseller arm

Martin Balaam has re-emerged in the channel as the managing director of VAR BT EngageIT.

Balaam stepped down as chief executive of £200m-turnover reseller Redstone in April.

CRN understands that Balaam started his new role at BT’s midmarket reseller arm last Thursday (1 October), following the resignation of Nick Gorringe after eight years at the helm.

The BT EngageIT brand was born in April after the merger of the two midmarket resellers BT acquired in 2007 – Lynx and Basilica. Gorringe had been at Basilica since 1993 and had headed up the firm from 2001.

In a statement sent to CRN, John Dovey, director ICT, BT Business, confirmed that Balaam had joined BT EngageIT "with immediate effect".

"Martin joins from Redstone where he was group CEO since 2005," Dovey confirmed. "Prior to Redstone he was CEO of Xpert Group, a network integrator, which was sold to Redstone.

"I welcome Martin to the business and we wish him every success in his new role.”

While at Redstone, Balaam earned a reputation as an aggressive consolidator as the VAR made a string of high-profile acquisitions in 2006 and 2007.

At the time of Balaam’s departure, Redstone admitted it was “transitioning to the next phase of its development”. The firm has since sold off its telecoms arm and refinanced.