Dell EMC Taps Virtustream Veteran To Be Channel Storage Guru

In an effort to get more aggressive and efficient in its storage business, Dell EMC is making Virtustream Channel Chief Scott Millard the company's vice president of specialty sales.

Millard (pictured) was tapped for the newly created position by, and will report directly to, Dell EMC Channel Chief John Byrne. Millard starts in the new job Oct. 2.

Scott Winslow, president of Winslow Technology Group, a Waltham, Mass.-based solution provider that works with Dell EMC, said he's eager for Millard to bring some much-needed consistency and focus to Dell EMC's storage business, as well as clarity to the intricacies of the company's program.

[Related: Dell EMC Infrastructure Chief Goulden Is Out, Dell Technologies Veteran Set To Lead Storage Charge]

"It's becoming more consistent, but it's been left up to the devices of the field teams to decide which way to," Winslow said. "He's also got to make sure compensation is set up in such a way that you've got people focused on and doing the right thing for the customer rather than worrying about whether they're getting paid on certain products. There's been some lack of clarity in the midrange, and I think he can help sort through some of that."

"I've been super-impressed with Scott," Winslow said. "I think he's going to be a welcome addition. He's a dynamic personality. I like the way he goes about his business. He' knows [N. America Channel Chief Gregg] Ambulos well, and I think that's positive."

Byrne brings Millard into the new role as Dell EMC contends with flat sales and declining demand in its market-leading storage business. Millard was not available for comment.

"My global channel sales organization is a few thousand people, and I need our team to be more efficient selling the storage portfolio," Byrne said. "We also need a specialty people who wake up every day thinking how do I win in Compellent? How do I win on Unity? To be maniacally focused on the product portfolio that is there to help complement our partners around the world. Think of it as a guerilla SWAT team of ninjas that know everything on storage, that are there to help our partners get this one down. When I turn and ask how are we winning in storage across all of it – products, positioning, promotions, partner strategy – I'll be pivoting to Scott to make sure we have that lens around the world."

Byrne admitted the company might have been too open when formulating its storage sales strategy after Dell's $58 billion acquisition of EMC about a year ago. "I think our partner ecosystem was looking for us to be much more prescriptive and much more aggressive in our positioning of our products and how we win," Byrne said.

While Dell EMC maintains leadership positions in hyper-converged infrastructure and all-flash storage, its midrange storage lines have been a drag on the portfolio. Byrne said Millard, as well as the hiring push the company is making in its storage sales organization, are part of an aggressive push to reverse that trend.

"We're being much more aggressive with our portfolio in the midrange," Byrne said. "We're adding a lot of features and benefits to the existing portfolio and being much more clear on why each of those win, building out loyalty programs around them. We're bringing a level of clarity, positioning and putting the dollars behind it."

Millard began working at EMC in 2000, and was vice president of sales Americas channel when the data storage giant was acquired by Dell. Soon thereafter, he was made vice president of sales global channels and alliances at enterprise cloud powerhouse Virtustream. Dell EMC rolled Virtustream into its global channel program last May.