IBM Names New Midmarket General Manager

September 3, 2010

IBM Corp. recently named Andy Monshaw, a 25-year IT industry veteran, as general manager of its midmarket business, replacing Marc Dupaquier, who has been named vice president of marketing and communications for the vendor’s Systems and Technology Group.

Monshaw, who reports directly to Rich Hume, IBM general manager, global business partner organization, is tasked with expanding the vendor’s midmarket sales and working with its business partners, said an IBM spokesperson.

Prior to his new position, Monshaw served as IBM Japan chief operating officer, where he was a member of the board of directors. He also has held executive positions in IBM’s Global Sales and Distribution in the U.S. and Europe, and in IBM’s Systems and Technology Group. In addition, he has served as IBM System Storage general manager and chief financial officer for IBM’s hardware business.

Monshaw’s position carries with it a particularly significant level of importance considering the vendor’s large and frequent midmarket investments in the past year, its stated intention to bloom that segment going forward, and its plan for its channel partners to command upwards of 70 percent of IBM business generated by mid-size customers.

For example, the vendor has reconfigured PartnerWorld membership levels to emphasize sales to midmarket accounts, upped the incentives it offers to partners selling solutions to mid-sized businesses and set up a team of specialists to build multi-product solutions bundles aimed at that customer segment.