Avnet sails into new Speed Boat structure

New structure divides company into five separate divisions.

Multinational distributor Avnet announced it is to restructure the business operations and executive management structure of its Electronics Marketing business.

The company has also appointed Axel Hartstang as its EMEA president.

The new structure, nicknamed 'Speed Boat', will divide the company into five separate divisions: Avnet Semi, IP&E (both set to be renamed), EBV Elektronik, WBC, and BFI Optilas.

The back office for these units will be served internally by Avnet Logistics, the company's pan-European logistics centre and supply chain.

Peter Guertler, former managing director of EBV and Atlas Services, will lead Avnet Logistics.

Avnet acquired EBV Elektronik, WBC and BFI Optilas last year and will continue to manage the businesses under their own brand names to ensure customer familiarity, the company said.

"The new model will benefit customers and suppliers by empowering each division to make swift decisions and increase speed of execution. It should improve the time-to-market issues that our customers demand," said Hartstang.

The restructure comes just two weeks after Avnet's digital imaging distribution arm, Midwich, was the subject of a successful management buyout (CRN, 21 February).

In January the company also spoke of its desire to form a dedicated ASP division (CRN, 21 January).

Steve Brazier, analyst at Canalys.com, described the restructure as "sensible".

He said: "Avnet is a major broadband distributor and it needs to specialise its sales organisations to give it the focus of smaller rivals. The changes are wide-ranging."