NetApp CEO out as firm gears up for 'pivotal year'
New channel chief also appointed to 'regain traction' in the channel
It's all change at the top for NetApp as its chief executive heads for the exit just days after a new global channel chief was appointed, charged with "regaining traction" among resellers.
This morning the storage firm announced that former product operations man George Kurian would be interim CEO following Georgens' immediate departure. Independent director Mike Nevens has taken over Gerogens' other role of chairman of the board.
The company said the search for a new CEO comes at a time of transition for the company as it looks to appoint new leadership to maximise its potential. Some investors have questioned whether the new-look management means potential M&A activity is on the cards for the company.
In its Q4 results issued at the end of last month, NetApp disappointed Wall Street as net sales fell annually by seven per cent to $1.5bn (£660m) for the three months to 24 April. Over the same period, net profit slumped 32 per cent to $134.9m.
NetApp said the change at the top comes at a crucial time for the company.
New chairman of the board Nevens said: "NetApp is an exceptional company with a great future and the board believes that it is the right time for new leadership to maximise its potential.
"These changes are aimed at speeding the company's movement to its next phase of innovation and growth. While we intend to conduct a CEO search, we have the utmost confidence in George's ability to lead the company."
New CEO Kurian was praised by Nevens for his channel commitment and in a statement, the new top dog said "regaining traction in the channel and increasing our sales capacity" is a key priority.
NetApp's channel business was in the spotlight at the end of last week too, when the firm appointed former Brocade channel man Bill Lipsin as the new vice president of worldwide channel sales, reporting directly to Thomas Stanley, senior vice president for global partner sales and alliances.
Stanley said: "I am extremely excited to have Bill join NetApp as our new channel chief. He is a respected and connected channel leader with a deep understanding of the channel's evolving needs.
"I'm confident Bill will provide the focus, expertise, and innovative thinking required to deliver a world-class channel experience and drive new levels of growth for NetApp and its partners."
Lipsin said he had arrived at NetApp at an important time.
"This is a pivotal year for NetApp," he said. "As a company we will need to focus on optimising our channel visibility to demonstrate to our partners the strength of our commitment.
"Our partners want to see NetApp succeed and they want to succeed with us. I'm excited to join NetApp at this time in its evolution and look forward to helping our partners embrace the growth opportunities in front of us as we lead the customer transition to the hybrid cloud."