Dealer fears over Persona merger

The networking distributor?s forthcoming merger with Toplog has raised concerns about focus

Persona will merge with subsidiary Toplog from 1 February, despite resellers? fears that the Unix specialist could lose some of its focus in the reshuffle.

The move follows the absorption of training arm Faculty in December and has set off a chain of management changes at the networking distributor.

Persona sales director Helen White was made redundant last week and will be replaced by Faculty MD Charlie Stewart and Toplog sales director Lynette Summerfield.

Geoff Brough, Azlan Holland country manager, was surprised at White?s departure, as she was more senior than Summerfield within the group, but said the reorganisation made sense. ?It?s often good practice to have a bit of a shake-up at the start of a new financial year to kick start things,? he said.

Anita McCabe, marketing director at Toplog competitor Sphinx CST, questioned whether the merged organisation would continue to give specialist distribution focus to Unix products. ?Persona is more of a volume operator than Toplog and it will be the Toplog resellers who feel the difference,? she said.

Persona MD Roger Paul agreed dealers had felt initial concern that bringing Toplog in-house would dilute some of its expertise, but said that they had been reassured. ?Persona and Toplog?s resellers cover almost entirely different markets and products, and dealers have been asking for access to those new areas.?

Paul said the group is unlikely to be known as Persona, as the license for the name is taken in a number of European countries.