Noxs boss takes to the entrepreneurial road

Noxs' co-founder waves farewell as integration with Westcon nears completion

Noxs’ managing director is leaving the firm to pursue his entrepreneurial instincts, after completing the pan-European security distributor’s integration into Westcon.
Harry de Smedt helped found Noxs in 1994 and has led the firm since it was acquired by Westcon last year.
De Smedt said his departure at the end of January will mark a natural endpoint in Noxs’ development.
“I went along to help integrate Noxs into Westcon, a process now on the verge of completion. I am more of an entrepreneurial manager and the professional managers at Westcon can now take over,” he said.
“I do not have anything else at the moment, but we will see what February brings.”
Noxs’ southern European region, which includes the UK, will now be headed by Westcon’s Barry Shake-
speare. Willem de Haan will take charge of Noxs’ northern European operations.
Kay Eggleston, UK managing director at Noxs, said: “Harry is an entrepreneurial character and has led from the front for 14 years. He has an interest in growing smaller businesses into larger ones, so I am sure he will use those skills in whatever he does next.”
Eggleston said Noxs, which will be formally rebranded as Westcon Security in March, may appoint a new pan-European figurehead later in the year.
Paul Anderson, UK and Ireland sales director at security vendor Trend Micro, said: “We are sad to see Harry go. He has been pivotal in making the integration work. But Westcon has a strong management team and we are confident in things going forward.”
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