LEXMARK TAPS NEW CHANNEL VICE-PRESIDENT

[Anonymous]

Lexmark Taps New Channel VP
Printer
vendor Lexmark has tapped a longtime company and industry veteran to
head up its channel efforts, and expects to add significantly to its
spending on channel programs in 2006, executives said.
Sharon
Brindley, who had been overseeing Lexmark’s public and health care
sector sales operations, was tapped to become its vice president of
U.S. channels as of Jan. 1. John Linton, Lexmark’s vice president of
solution provider channels, will report to Brindley.
“I see my new
job as one that’s focused on growing Lexmark installed, branded
business, and working hard with the channel to do that,” Brindley said.
“We can grow their business, as well as grow our business.”
Though
details were still being hammered out, Linton said Lexmark is set to
provide “double digit” increases for channel programs in 2006 compared
with last year, and will pay close attention to the company’s managed
service offerings launched in 2005. Linton said the company has
increased its inside channel sales organization by 75 percent,
including field representatives and solution provider support staff.
Brindley’s
appointment was described as merely the addition of another,
high-ranking channel executive who will advocate inside the company for
its solution provider organization. She said that her first order of
business on the job will be “to listen, to understand what the
priorities of our channel partners are. What can we do to get ourselves
to the next level?”
Last year, Lexmark twice disappointed Wall
Street with quarterly financial performance and slower-than-expected
sales in some areas. However, the company also rolled out new managed
service offerings and support initiatives for the channel – which were
generally well-received – as well as a series of new color and MFP
products.

[Author]

January 10, 2006 at 10:23 AM