Persona MD has had IT up to here

Paul?s final decision to quit leaves Summerfield temporarily at the helm

Persona?s management team was rocked last week following the departure of managing director Roger Paul, who has resigned to take time out of the IT industry.

Observers claimed that Paul?s departure was not a surprise as it had been suggested for over six months that he wanted to leave. It is understood that Paul resigned and left the distributor on 20 March.

Persona CEO Wayne Channon said he had tried to convince Paul to stay, but thought it was best for him to leave. Channon disputed any suggestions that Paul had fallen out with Persona.

He said: ?I think Roger decided recently that it was a good time to make the change. He said he wanted to leave the industry on a high. He couldn?t give the same enthusiasm to his job as he had in the past.?

As a result of Paul?s departure, Persona?s sales director of major accounts Lynette Summerfield ? who joined Persona at the same time as Paul in 1990 ? has been made acting gen-eral manager.

Channon said Summerfield could apply for the post, but he would give the UK role a great deal of thought as the UK was the group?s largest subsidiary.

Ingrid von Hentschel, analyst at Persona?s broker Beeson Gregory, said: ?It?s not a question of leaving the ship with- out anyone at the helm. There are some pretty powerful people at Persona. It?s not a one-man band.?

Paul said he had not yet decided what he wanted to do. ?I haven?t said I am going to close the door on IT.? Last week, he cashed in his #1.4 million of shares ? 1.5 per cent of the company ? thereby severing all ties with Persona.