EMC Shuffles Channel, Strategic Alliance Execs

EMC on Friday confirmed that long-time channel chief Pete Koliopoulos is now heading channel programs related to the Vblock coalition, which also includes VMware and Cisco.

EMC, Cisco, and VMware in November unveiled Vblock Infrastructure Packages, a series of pre-configured, pre-tested storage solutions based on EMC's Symmetrix or Clariion storage arrays, Cisco's Unified Computing System (UCS) and networking switches, and VMware's vSphere server virtualization platform.

Vblock, also called the VCE, or Virtual Computing Environment, coalition, will be open to solution providers, the vendors said at the time.

Koliopoulos' new title is vice president of channel marketing for the Virtual Computing Environment coalition, an EMC spokesperson said.

Koliopoulos is being replaced at his old position as vice president of global channel marketing by Kristian Thyregod, a long-time EMC employee who moved to the U.S. from Denmark about a year ago.

EMC on Friday also named Terry Breen as senior vice president of strategic alliance. Breen will report to EMC Vice Chairman Bill Teuber.

Breen, a 26-year Accenture veteran who most recently served as global managing partner of Accenture's Electronics and High Tech Industry Practice, will focus on EMC's relationships with systems integrator, outsourcing, and service provider partners, an EMC spokesperson said.

Steve Burke contributed to this story.