EMC's Channel Chief Ambulos Adds Global Channel Ops To Duties

Early this month, Ambulos was named the storage giant's new vice president of worldwide global channel operations, where he reports to EMC Vice Chairman William Teuber. At the same time, however, he keeps his original position as vice president of Americas sales channels, where he reports to Bill Scannel, EMC's executive vice president for the Americas.

Ambulos was promoted to the global channel position after Jeff Casale, EMC's former senior vice president for global channels, OEMs, and go-to-market strategy, in July left to become the new senior vice president and general manager of VMware's Americas business. Casale moved to VMware after a 19-year stint with EMC.

By taking on two roles under two different bosses, Ambulos said he has a good opportunity to work with both his Americas and his worldwide channel teams on developing channel programs.

"We have a strong group of partners worldwide," he said. "I've worked with my counterparts overseas on our new Velocity program. This helps them better understand what we're doing in the Americas. And he helps us in the Americas understand what they are doing. Our goal is to drive consistency from a global perspective."

Solution providers said that Ambulos has done a great job building the channel in North America, and the expect him to continue to be focused on building EMC's channel presence with both his positions.

Keith Norbie, vice president of sales at Nexus Information Systems, a Minnetonka, Minn.-based solution provider and EMC partner, said Ambulos was extremely innovative in creating EMC's Velocity channel program, as shown by EMC's winning of multiple CRN Annual Report Card (ARC) awards.

"He was motivated to win the ARC award year after year," Norbie said. "He's obsessive."

Norbie said he also appreciates Ambulos' approach to solution providers. "He'll tell us, I know what we are doing that's great. Now tell us what's wrong," he said.

Ambulos has put in place a winning channel team in the Americas, and so there should be little or no impact from his moving to also handle global channel operations, said Jamie Shepard, executive vice president of technology solutions at ICI, a Marlborough, Mass.-based solution provider and long-time EMC partner.

"Ambulos has done a phenomenal job of setting up the channel with both Bill Teuber and Bill Scannel," Shepard said. "I'm glad he's not letting Americas go."

Ambulos said he has a team in place that is more than capable of driving channel business in the Americas as he moves into taking on the new global responsibilities. "So I'm comfortable with that," he said. "And I have a strong team in place worldwide."