HP Public Sector Boss Gets A New Job

Hewlett Packard Vice President Mike Humke, who drove double digit sales gains in HP's public sector and health-care business, is stepping aside as the computer giant's public sector point man to take a new public sector post with one of HP's top partners.

Humke, a 30-year public sector champion who has driven new elite programs at HP for public sector and health-care solution providers, will in the next several weeks be named to the new post, sources said.

Humke, a 12-year HP veteran known for solid grasp of the market and passion for the partner community, wanted to take a position that brought him closer to the partner community, one source said.

Humke was named one of CRN's Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders in 2009 for his public sector leadership.

Matt Smith, director of marketing, Americas SPO, will take over the responsibility for "driving HP's public sector and healthcare vision and strategy, including business development," said HP Vice President and General Manager Solution Partners Organization (SPO) Stephen DiFranco in a e-mail to partners.

The thin-client and workstation business that reported to Humke will now be part of HP's Personal Systems Group (PSG) business unit headed up by PSG Vice President Channel Sales Mike Parrottino, said DiFranco.

DiFranco said that Humke will remain with HP through the beginning of December to assist with the transition. Furthermore, he wished Humke success in the new job which "will leverage his health-care and public sector experience while continuing to compliment HP's drive for growth in the channel."

Bob Venero, president and CEO of Future Tech Enterprise, a Holbrook, N.Y., VAR 500 company, called Humke a "good friend" to the channel who will be missed.

"You need channel advocates like that," said Venero. "With Humke you knew you just had to compete against other vendors not HP's direct sales force."

Venero said Humke has layed out a strong partner path that he hopes will be "enhanced" with Smith's appointment. "I'm sure it will be under DiFranco's channel leadership," he said.

John Convery, executive vice president of vendor relations and marketing for Denali Advanced Integration, one of HP's top partners, said Humke did "a great job for partners."

"When he lands at the new company I am sure our paths will cross again," said Convery. "It takes a lot of years to build the kind of experience he has. It doesn’t happen overnight. Wherever he goes he takes that experience and knowledge with him. I'm sure he'll make a positive contribution where ever he goes."

Next: Humke's Sales Excellence

DiFranco, for his part, singled out Humke as a "leader in our industry and the channel specifically."

"Mike has brought tremendous public sector and health-care experience and expertise to our organization resulting in years of sales excellence and achievement," wrote DiFranco. "He was instrumental in developing and implementing channel programs around the public sector and health-care markets, and has been a strong advocate for the channel across HP. "

Given the start of HP's new fiscal year Nov. 1, DiFranco also pledged to partners to "remain focused on our channel objectives and our commitment to you as a core component of our long-term business strategy."

"As we head into the new year, it is more important than ever for us to work together to maintain our channel momentum and grow our mutual businesses in 2011," said DiFranco.