Faces Of The New Tech Data: Meet 11 Rising Stars From The Avnet Acquisition

New Around Here

Tech Data's $2.6 billion acquisition of Avnet Technology Solutions supercharges the distribution giant's presence in the hybrid data center space and provides a clear path into the Asia-Pacific market.

The acquisition is also creating a workforce that brings together some of the brightest minds in the IT business.

Here's a look at some of the rising stars on the new look distributor's team.

Also, get all of CRN's coverage of TechSelect 2017.

Sasha Darrah

Client Executive, Sales, Enterprise Solutions Group

Darrah owns the support for a group of Tech Data's top reseller partners in their national and global sales efforts. She serves as a trusted adviser, providing strategic direction, creating new profitable opportunities, accelerating sales and evangelizing Tech Data's value for partners. She joined Avnet as a business development manager in January 2007 and moved into her current role in December 2013.

Ed Galasso

VP, GM, Commercial and Retail Sales and Product Marketing, Canada

Galasso has since June been the point person for Tech Data's commercial and retail channel, as well as the vendor relationship and product marketing teams that serve those groups. He is the lead executive for the entire Tech Data Canada organization and works closely with leaders of the company's Enterprise Solutions and Services businesses. He joined Tech Data in 2001 as a director of field sales.

Cal Jackson

Director, Diversity and Inclusion

Jackson is Tech Data's first diversity and inclusion leader, where he is responsible for increasing the cultural competence of Tech Data's worldwide employees and helping to make the company an employer of choice. Tech Data is now looking to expand the diversity and inclusion discussion across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific regions, Jackson said. He was hired by Tech Data in June 2014 and was promoted into his current role in April 2016.

Jolea Kidd

VP, Credit and Collections, Americas

Kidd works with Tech Data's Americas leadership team to support the credit needs of the distributor's business partners. Kidd joined Avnet in September 1995 as a credit analyst, held roles of increasing responsibility in credit and accounting, and moved into her current position in June 2003. She came over to Tech Data in February as part of the Technology Solutions acquisition.

Ryan McNulty

Supervisor, Talent Acquisition

McNulty has since August led a team responsible for high-volume recruiting within Tech Data, including entry-level sales and marketing roles as well as logistics. He is also tasked with recruiting for Tech Data's field sales and in-house marketing services agency, as well as all of the distributor's campus recruitment initiatives. McNulty joined Tech Data in March 2011 as a support representative. He was tasked with talent acquisition and campus relations beginning in September 2014.

Deena Piquion

VP, GM, Latin America and Caribbean

Piquion has since July overseen the strategic direction and execution of all sales, marketing and operations functions within Tech Data's Latin America and Caribbean organization, including its Miami-based Latin American Export division. She joined Tech Data in September 2000 as an MBA rotational associate.

Harish Sathisan

Director, Mobility, Americas

Sathisan is responsible for the strategic direction of the Mobility Solutions practice in the Americas. Tech Data has launched a portfolio of managed services aimed at reducing risk and overhead around enterprise mobility while adding monthly recurring, subscription-based models. Sathisan joined Avnet in November 2012 as part of the Genilogix acquisition, and came over to Tech Data in February after the Technology Solutions deal closed.

Andrea Short

Director, Marketing

Short is responsible for her team's strategic marketing direction, partner enablement, and revenue growth initiatives. She is focused on identifying and implementing marketing best practices within the Technology Solutions and Tech Data communities. She joined Avnet in December 2001 as a program manager in its finance department, and moved to the marketing side of the organization in October 2006. Short came over to Tech Data in February as part of the Technology Solutions acquisition.

Milo Speranzo

Director, Strategy and Compliance, Tech Data Government Solutions

Speranzo is responsible for driving vision, strategy, revenue, profitability and ensuring the compliance of Tech Data's public sector business, which includes the federal, state, local and education marketplaces. As the Tech Data and Technology Solutions teams integrate, Speranzo said solution providers have benefited from focused public sector demand creation and expanded roles within compliance and capture. He joined Avnet Government Solutions in the same role in June 2012 and came over to Tech Data in February as part of the acquisition.

James Stephens

Manager, Cloud Computing, DevOps

Stephens is responsible for the design, architecture, implementation and operations of Tech Data's cloud offerings and capabilities. He manages both private and public cloud with a global team to support and enable Tech Data's flagship StreamOne offering. He joined Tech Data in April 2012 as a senior systems engineer and SharePoint architect and moved into his current role in May 2016.

Anuj Tuli

Director, Automation Solutions

Tuli specializes in developing and delivering vendor-agnostic solutions that help organizations avoid having to rip and replace existing IT investments. He has worked on cloud readiness, assessments, migration and cloud automation projects for the health-care, banking, ISP, telecommunications and government verticals. He joined Avnet in July 2013 as a cloud solutions architect and moved into his current automation role in August 2015. Tuli came over to Tech Data as part of the acquisition.