Dell squashes rumours that EMC's Ambulos is leaving

Dell initially declined to comment, but later insisted EMC's global channel boss will be a key player in the team

Dell has strenuously denied that EMC's global channel chief Gregg Ambulos will leave the combined entity once the acquisition of the latter by the former goes through.

Rumours surfaced yesterday that Ambulos (pictured), an EMC veteran who oversees the global channel organisation, was planning to leave the company once Dell's acquisition of EMC completes, which is due to happen any time before October.

At the time of first publication, Dell and EMC both declined to comment. But Dell had a change of heart later on and moved to strenuously deny the claims.

It said in a statement to CRN: "It is categorically false that Gregg Ambulos will leave Dell after the completion of the merger. Gregg will be key player in the future organisation, a proven industry leader with deep and trusted relationships with channel partners, and will be an important executive as we build the channel business for Dell EMC."

Ambulos himself took to Twitter to pour cold water on the rumours.

"Rumor mill is in overdrive, totally off base. Jazzed about my future role with Dell EMC (shhh, it's secret)!" he tweeted.

Dell announced earlier this year that John Byrne would become the head of global channel at the combined company.

The new business group - containing Dell, EMC, VMware and RSA - will be known as Dell Technologies, with the Dell name remaining in place for its PC business. The enterprise segment of Dell, where the EMC business will sit, will be known as Dell EMC.

When the acquisition was first announced last October, Dell said the transaction will likely close between May and October this year. A number of rumoured closing dates have come and gone, and the latest rumour is that it will be done and dusted "in September".