Commvault makes double channel recruitment swoop

Data specialist Commvault has appointed Mercer Rowe as its vice president for global channel and alliances in a bid to re-energise the company's channel strategy.

Former Cisco veteran Edison Peres will also join the company as a strategic go-to-market advisor, working with Rowe to execute the company's shifting channel strategy following a major overhaul earlier this year.

"Commvault has a world-class partner organisation and it's my job to take that strong foundation and shape it into an industry leader that helps partners transform their businesses and have the right conversations with customers," said Rowe.

"Commvault is a unique arbiter of data, not just a protector of it, and with our partners, we can help customers through the next stage of their transition to a multi-cloud future."

Rowe has been a major figure in the channel for years, having spearheaded channel and alliance organisations for firms like IBM and VMware, working to pivot these companies' approach towards cloud-first.

Peres, who has been integral to Cisco's channel efforts for 14 years, has joined Commvault to feed into its go-to-market strategy as it looks to build on the company's recently-revamped pricing and reward structures.

"I plan to bring my decades of experience in building and running strategic go-to-market sales and marketing programs and global business operations to help Commvault drive extraordinary results through leadership and organisational transformation," Peres said.

"Commvault's commitment to innovation is advancing at a rapid pace and I'm excited to help the company navigate and accelerate its return to growth."

The firm's renewed focus on its channel comes after the fourth-quarter results for the year 2018/19 saw a year-on-year decline in revenues; which was partially attributed at the time to disappointing results in the channel.

The channel strategy, when it was revised in July, introduced additional financial incentives, and an enhanced partner programme that included aspects like customer rebates and end-of-year quota retainment rebates.

The company also recently adjusted its enterprise market strategy by creating a new channel initiative to offer more specialised services for the largest business customers.