Google Hires SAP Veteran To Drive Global Sales Partnerships

The executive formerly worked to develop global services alliances for SAP. Google has yet to publicly announce his hire or disclose what his duties will be within its channel org.

Google Cloud has hired former SAP executive Dave Hutchison to a senior position responsible for developing and expanding alliances with some of its largest partners around the world.

Hutchison assumed the role of Google's director for global channel strategy in August.

The third-largest public cloud provider only told CRN its cloud division's newest executive will work on the team of channel chief Carolee Gearhart.

[Related: CRN Exclusive: New Google Cloud Partner Advantage Program Launches Today]

Several Google channel partners told CRN they either hadn't heard anything about Hutchison, or they were still confused as to what position and responsibilities he holds within Google's channel organization.

Hutchison had been with SAP since 2004, starting there as vice president of business development.

In the two years leading up to his move to Google, Hutchison oversaw the German software giant's relationships with some of the world's largest systems integrators as senior vice president and general manager for SAP global business development and ecosystem.

He described that last role at SAP on LinkedIn as "Executive responsible for leading the corporate relationship with SAP’s leading Global Strategic Service Providers."

As such, he worked on developing joint go-to-market plans with SAP partners and helping the company's services channel build out its capacity and capabilities.

Google Cloud, under the leadership of CEO Thomas Kurian, has been aggressively attempting to expand its enterprise reach and win digital transformation deals with some of the world's largest enterprises as it looks to claw out market share from IaaS leaders Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

To that end, in July, Kurian hired Kirsten Kliphouse, a longtime Microsoft veteran who last led North America commercial sales at Red Hat, as Google Clousafd president for North America.

Hutchison started his career in 1989 in the IBM sales organization.

After IBM, the Miami University graduate held positions working on channel development at San Mateo, Calif.-based Siebel Systems and then as vice president of sales and marketing at Kinsey and Kinsey, an ERP reseller and consultancy.