Exclusive Networks poaches Arrow exec Ellis for cloud assault

Former Computerlinks director Dave Ellis tasked with expanding VAD's services proposition across Europe

European distribution heavyweight Exclusive Group has recruited former Arrow and Computerlinks executive David Ellis to head up its push towards cloud and managed services.

Ellis (pictured left) joined the Paris-headquartered firm three weeks ago as group services director. He has been charged with expanding and growing the VAD's services proposition across all the geographies in which it is present. He told Channelnomics Europe that Exclusive already has an impressive base of engineering skills in its core security market, and that he will look to oversee expansion of services related to its more datacentre-focused Big Technology arm.

"There are some services it is better for a partner to outsource, because we have a scale and global reach that most of our partners do not. A specialist security partner may have skills in firewall consulting and installation, but what they probably will not have is people that can deliver those skills globally. The end customer often wants global deployment," he said.

"We do not have legacy in [the datacentre] space. We do not have that base to protect, and we do not worry about taking revenue from an IBM or EMC or Oracle business. We are really well placed in that market."

Exclusive's chief operating officer Barrie Desmond added that "an exciting part of Dave's role is starting to think about how we can develop in cloud and managed services". The COO added that it was "too early to say" for certain what role Exclusive will play in the cloud market, explaining that the firm is happy to be a "fast follower" that learns from others' missteps.

"A lot of distributors have sunk money into building cloud platforms that, even now, are not fit for purpose," said Desmond. "We think the market is now ripe. Our role could be as a cloud aggregator, it could be delivering some bespoke cloud-based services."

While he declined to put a figure on how much of Exclusive's overall business services currently accounts for, Desmond predicted that in the foreseeable future it will "represent five to ten per cent of our gross margin".

New services chief Ellis arrives at Exclusive following six years at Arrow. He joined the US giant in 2013 as part of its buyout of security VAD Computerlinks - which itself acquired Ellis' former employer Unipalm in 2000.