Welch and Walker depart in TDAzlan rejig

Veteran execs moving on to pastures new as distributor implements vendor-specific management roles

Experienced channel heads Simon Welch and Mark Walker have departed TDAzlan as the distributor revamps its management structure to focus on individual vendors.

Andy Dow, marketing director at Azlan parent Computer 2000, told ChannelWeb that recently appointed Azlan boss Colin McGregor had conducted a review of the business. He concluded that Azlan should gear its lines of business to focus on individual vendor relationships, rather than technology areas.

"Colin's come in and looked at the business; he is building it for the next stage of growth," said Dow. "It was felt that we want to align ourselves by vendor, as opposed to purely by technology. This has received really positive feedback from the vendors and will, we believe, deliver deeper value for them. This is a value that will we want to pass down to the channel."

Both Welch, who served as unified communications marketing director, and Walker, who held the post of director of server and storage, worked in multi-vendor, technology-focused roles.

"We wish [Simon and Mark] well, they did some great work with us," added Dow.

Welch joined the Computer 2000-owned distributor in July 2010. Prior to this, he spent a decade working as marketing director of distributor Horizon, staying with the firm's new owner Avnet for two years after its 2008 acquisition.

He told ChannelWeb that he would look to undertake consultancy work and other projects of interest.

"I am extremely disappointed to have been made redundant by Azlan, having been part of the formation of a successful project to instigate and grow a telepresence business, which was incremental revenue for them," he added.

"However, this decision was not mine and I shall now look to further my career in other interesting avenues."

Mark Walker was another to join Azlan from Avnet, stepping into a role as director of server and storage two years ago. ChannelWeb is not currently aware of what his next move may be.