Ex-D-Link Executives: Where Are They Now?

Among them is Nick Tidd, formerly D-Link North America president and to date its highest-ranking-executive departure.

Reached by CRN, Tidd said he's keeping it simple: He wants to be back near the channel.

"At D-Link, I didn't get to spend enough time out in the field and I miss that interaction both with partners and end users," Tidd said. "My passion has always been supporting the channel and helping folks explore new business initiatives, develop winning strategies and push the envelope of success."

[Related: D-Link: Our Channel Strategy Hasn't Changed ]

Since leaving D-Link at the end of December 2011, Tidd has remained active consulting with Condusiv Technologies, the application performance and efficiency software specialist formerly known as Diskeeper Corp.

"While my goal was to take several months off and recharge my batteries, Condusiv CEO Jerry Baldwin immediately reached out to me and asked if I could assist them in building a cohesive global sales strategy with a specific focus on partner recruitment, development and growing the business," he said.

A technology veteran of several decades, Tidd cultivated a strong reputation among channel partners during the nine years he spent at 3Com, where he was global channel chief from 2006 to 2008.

Following 3Com's elimination of the worldwide channel chief role and Tidd's ouster, he first went to D-Link Canada in fall 2008 and became vice president of sales, Americas, and vice president, North America marketing, in 2009. In January 2010, Tidd was named D-Link North America president.

Tidd and members of his executive team are widely credited with jump-starting D-Link's enterprise channel efforts beyond transactional sales and promoting integrated solution sets with services attachment. At the time Tidd departed, D-Link North America's revenue mix was about 35 percent VARs and systems integrators and about 60 percent retailers and e-tailers.

Several VARs told CRN in December and January that it was Tidd's reputation, and those of channel veterans such as Pat Piwowarczyk, former D-Link vice president, U.S. enterprise and channel sales, that convinced them to take D-Link seriously.

A number of D-Link milestones -- including the largest enterprise deal in the history of D-Link North America and the implementations of D-Link's current CRM and social media strategies for communicating with partners and retailers -- also occurred during Tidd's tenure.

The executive departures from D-Link North America began in fall 2011 as a series of changes to D-Link's Taiwan-based corporate leadership began to take place.

In September 2011, Roger Kao, brother of the late Ken Kao, D-Link's co-founder and former CEO, became D-Link's chairman and CEO. Longtime D-Link board member and CFO A.P. Chen became D-Link's president. Kao and Chen replaced Tony Tsao, who'd been president and CEO of D-Link since 2008. A.J. Wang, D-Link's CTO, has replaced Tidd as North America President on an interim basis.

Tidd declined to discuss exact details of his departure from D-Link but said he was proud of what the team accomplished.

"D-Link wanted to rationalize their model inside of a cost envelope and they chose to do that with a different leadership team," he said. "I have continued to do everything I can to make sure they're successful in the marketplace, and I understand that every time there is a change in the top executive level, that individual wants to bring in his own team. I enjoyed my time there."

For now he is continuing work with Condusiv, though his next move is not completely decided.

"I have an appreciation for the role a consultant plays," he said. "It's just not in my DNA."

Tidd is among several former D-Link executives and channel team members that have gone on to new gigs, and several more, including Piwowarcyzk, are fielding offers. Betsy Roddy, former D-Link senior director of marketing communications and field marketing, is now marketing director at dental care referral service 1-800-DENTIST. Kevin Lahm, former D-Link associate vice president for North America field systems engineers, became a system engineer at wireless LAN vendor Meru Networks.