Mitel cuts avoid VAR support

Comms vendor stresses that new management structure is designed to protect channel engagement

Kenneally: there are many fond memories

Mitel has stressed its commitment to preserving front-line channel resources after financial pressures drove the comms vendor to trim back its European management structure.

UK sales director Enda Kenneally departed the firm earlier this month, alongside six country heads across mainland Europe.

Robert Hutton and Marcus Jewell will now oversee Mitel’s UK SME and enterprise operations respectively, reporting directly to EMEA managing director Graham Bevington. Continental Europe will be managed by Lionel Hovsepain in the south and Gijs Borsboom in the north.

Bevington claimed the structure was designed to protect channel engagement.
“The most important thing to partners is account management, tech support and pre-sales support,” he said.

He added that Mitel has been battling unyielding economic conditions since the Lehman Brothers collapse a year ago. He revealed a number of redundancies had been made in November and turnover was set to remain flat this year.

“Larger enterprise clients battened down the hatches and we took a hit,” he said.

“But we resized the business and revenue has now stabilised.”

Speaking to CRN, Kenneally remained tight-lipped on what her next move might be, but spoke warmly of her time at Mitel.

“It was fantastic working with the channel,” she said. “They were extremely loyal to me and I really appreciate that. We became very successful and there are many fond memories.”