BM Names New Global Channel And Solutions Marketing Exec

IBM on Tuesday named Michael Gerentine its new vice president of global channel and solutions marketing.

Gerentine will handle both IBM's Business Partner Organization channels and solutions marketing team and its Systems and Technology Group market team.

Gerentine, a long-term veteran of Armonk, NY-based IBM, is replacing Debra Thompson, who last month moved to head IBM's new Enterprise Software group as the vice president of offerings management in the wake of a reorganization last month of its server and storage business.

In that reorganization, IBM's SMB organization was renamed the General Business Group, and was divided into an Enterprise Business Unit focused on enterprise customers and the Midmarket Business Unit focused on developing midrange customer opportunities.

IBM at that time also reorganized its Systems and Technology Group by carving it up into four business units: Enterprise Systems focusing on large clients, Business Systems for small and midsize customers, Industry Systems that cater to customers in specific industries such as retail and health-care markets, and Microelectronics for customers that buy IBM's custom microprocessors and ASICs.

Gerentine most recently served as vice president of global channel and SMB marketing in the IBM Software group, where according to IBM he led the development of IBM's software channel strategy.

He currently reports to Ravi Marwaha, general manager of global business partners for IBM.

Gerentine is being replaced in his previous role by Sean Jones, who until this week was marketing director for IBM Software Group's CIO, line of business, and mid-market program.

Gerentine joined IBM in 1979, where he spent most of his time working with the company's software. He took a few years off to handle worldwide partner marketing for Vignette, Austin, Texas and to serve as vice president of strategic alliances at Covasoft Inc., Austin, Texas, which was acquired by another company in 2003.