Ex-Pure Storage channel boss arrives at flash rival

Vince Blackall becomes new EMEA channel sales director at US flash storage vendor Kaminario

Former Pure Storage channel boss Vince Blackall has popped up at rival flash start-up Kaminario as its EMEA channel sales director.

Blackall started his new positon on Monday and is the first senior exec Kaminario has appointed in EMEA.

Speaking to CRN, Blackall (pictured) said he was attracted to Kaminario because it has a technology that has some "good tech advantages over the competition", and is "credible for all purposes of flash".

He said: "Probably most exciting [thing is] I am the first exec in EMEA, so it's a wonderful opportunity for me to construct a channel strategy that can deliver predictable margins for resellers and distributors," he said.

Blackall would not be drawn on how many partners he is looking to recruit, but said the process is under way and he is looking to create a two-tier model. He said his first task is to recruit distribution partners in the UK, France and Germany.

"By using the channel we can land, expand and grow from the mid-enterprise and above," he said.

Kaminario sparked conflict with Pure in June, with a company blog claiming that its new product announcement was "nothing new" and "not game changers."

The Massachusetts-based all-flash player was founded in 2010, a year after Pure, and claims to be "leading the flash revolution".

In an earlier statement sent to CRN, EMEA vice president James Petter, thanked Blackall for his time at the company.

"Vince Blackall has left Pure Storage recently and will be seeking other opportunities. During his time at Pure, Vince has worked diligently to build and expand the channel across EMEA," the statement said.

Last month CRN reported that privately held Pure had missed its Q1 targets in the UK by a distance.

Blackall, who left Pure earlier this year, after 16 months at the company, was previously EMEA channel vice president at fellow flash player Violin Memory, from August 2013 to May 2014.

When asked if he was committed to Kaminario for the foreseeable future, Blackall said he "absolutely" is.

Prior to Violin, Blackall was director of channel and alliances for EMEA at Dell Software for 10 months. He has worked at various other positions in the IT industry since 1985.