Docker Hires VMware Veteran To Fill CTO Void Left By Founder's Exit

Docker Tuesday named three new executive leaders with enterprise software pedigrees, including a CTO filling the void left by founder Solomon Hykes and a chief marketing officer who will help the startup's growing channel engage customers.

Kal De, Docker's new CTO, was previously vice president of product development for VMware's Cloud Management Business Unit.

Chief Marketing Officer Neil Charney and General Counsel Melanie Morgan both come from SAP, where they last held positions as senior vice president of marketing for SAP's Cloud Business Networks Group, and chief legal officer of SAP Concur, respectively.

"We’ve all worked at transformational companies and it's exciting to be able to bring our experience to the table alongside a passionate and dedicated group of people here at Docker," Charney told CRN.

[Related: Partners See Docker's 'Promise Of Choice' As A Unique Inroad To Enterprise Customers]

The trio of new executives, with their experience leading cloud-focused divisions at industry heavyweights, will benefit Docker's rapidly growing channel, he said.

"Extending our leadership team with enterprise software veterans will help set [partners] up for even greater success," Charney said.

As partners build larger and more-profitable Docker practices, the company will work closely with them in guiding enterprise customers modernizing their applications, adopting hybrid and multi-cloud environments, and using containers to implement micro-services, he said.

Docker will also continue to provide channel partners the ability to see quick return on investment through its Modernize Traditional Applications program.

"The channel continues to play a very important role in our growth as a business and our traction within the enterprise," Charney told CRN.

Partners "recognize the immediate and extensive opportunity" of bringing to market Docker Enterprise, he said.

Docker has seen strong adoption over the past year of that commercial container management platform, adding roughly 100 new customers in each of its recent quarters. The company now has some 650 paying customers.

Much of its recent growth has been driven by enterprises shifting from pilot implementations to production environments, Charney told CRN.