GTDC hails European first

Esprinet chief executive Alessandro Cattani becomes first regional deputy chairman for Europe

The Global Technology Distribution Council (GTDC) has appointed its first regional deputy chairman for Europe as it looks to quicken response times across the EMEA region.

Alessandro Cattani, chief executive of Esprinet – a €2bn (£1.6bn) technology distributor in Italy and Spain – has taken on the role to help drive the strategic direction and initiatives in Europe for the GTDC.

The industry association’s members (distributors around the globe), generate more than $130bn in global product and services revenue, and operate in 187 countries. Cattani has been Esprinet chief executive since November 2000 and brings more than 20 years of executive leadership to the role.

Tim Curran, chief executive of the GTDC, said: “Alessandro’s exceptional knowledge of the European technology distribution market has served Esprinet well for many years, and now the GTDC will also benefit from his insights and leadership.

As part of his role, Cattani will work closely with Rick Hamada, chief executive of Avnet and chairman of the GTDC, on driving the direction and development of GTDC initiatives across the EMEA region.

Hamada said: “I want to welcome Alessandro to this new position, and I look forward to a collaboration that further strengthens distribution relationships in Europe.”

Cattani added: "It is my pleasure to become the first person to accept this new position and I look forward to helping the GTDC become even more successful in the region.

"We recently concluded our 10th European Vendor Summit with record attendance, evidence of the value that distributors are providing in the technology distribution channel in EMEA."