Resignation fever rocks channel

Techex Communications chief executive Alan Chapman is leading this month's channel staff exodus, resigning just four months after joining the systems integrator.

Other August departures included Gary Wheal, commercial development manager at Interquad, plus two senior managers from troubled networking distributor Azlan.

Mark Randall, joint managing director of Techex Communications, refused to give details of Chapman's sudden departure on 6 August, but said: 'Alan has resigned for personal reasons - it had nothing whatsoever to do with work.'

Chapman, who initially joined the systems integrator as finance and business development director - a position that was upgraded to chief executive in April - had resigned from his role as managing director of Azlan's training division during the previous month (PC Dealer, 25 March). Chapman admitted to PC Dealer he had resigned from the company but refused to comment further.

Commenting on Wheal's position at Interquad, Ed Arnett, managing director of Interquad, admitted he was currently on gardening leave but refused to comment further.

Azlan was also hit by the losses of Colin Bradley, European services director and Dennis Roberson, group director of human resources and communications.

Peter Bertram, chief executive of Azlan, declined to comment on Bradley and Roberson's departures 'for various reasons'.

Meanwhile, Acer has lost sales director Darrell Bluck, two weeks after he was appointed to the post, which had been left vacant for six months (PC Dealer, 5 August).

An Acer representative confirmed last week that Bluck had left the manufacturer to set up his own business, which sources claimed was a server distribution company called Fast Distribution. It is not known who will replace Bluck.