HP Veteran Adrian Jones To Lead Symantec Global Security Sales

Symantec is naming two sales executives to oversee sales operations in each of its security and information management businesses while it splits into two companies, CRN has learned.

Adrian Jones, a former Hewlett-Packard channel chief, will lead Symantec's global security sales. Symantec appointed Jones its senior vice president for its Asia-Pacific and Japan region in June. Jones spent seven years at HP and most recently served as managing director and senior vice president of sales in Asia-Pacific at Oracle.

A company spokesperson told CRN that Brett Shirk will lead global sales for its information management company spinoff. Shirk served 12 years at Symantec, most recently as senior vice president of North America. He was responsible for developing Symantec's business with customers in commercial, enterprise public sector and consumer markets in the U.S. and Canada.

The two executives will each hold the title of global senior vice president of sales during the transition, the spokesperson said. Symantec will also hold its annual partner summit later this month in Phoenix, but it is barring the media from attending the event.

[Related: Symantec CEO: 10 Priorities For Security, Storage Businesses]

"The role of the global sales operations organization plays a very important role as we design the structure and processes to move this strategy forward," the spokesperson said. "We will continue to move forward with strong sales organizations that leverage the strengths of each business until an updated organization design is confirmed."

Both Jones and Shirk could not be reached by CRN for comment on Monday.

Symantec announced that it would spin off an information management company consisting of its backup, eDiscovery, archiving, storage and availability products. The separation is expected to be completed at end of 2015. The company would be named at a later date. Symantec said the revenue from the information management business was $2.5 billion in 2013.

Symantec will retain the security products in its portfolio consisting of its Norton endpoint and mobile security software, its encryption, SSL certificates, data loss prevention and managed security services business. Symantec said the security markets it competes in brought in $4.2 billion in revenue in 2013.

During the separation, Symantec CEO Michael Brown will be president and CEO of the security business and Thomas Seifert will be its CFO. John Gannon, who served as president and COO of Quantum and led HP's commercial PC business, will be general manager of the information management business.

Symantec partners that specialized in either Symantec's security or storage businesses were generally optimistic about the split up of the security and IT management businesses. In an interview with CRN, Symantec chief operating officer Stephen Gillett said the company was committed to its current channel program through the end of 2015. Rick Kramer, who was overseeing the North American program on an interim basis, was promoted last week as the company's North America channel. Once completed, the streamlined operations of each business should make it easier for customers and partners to work with the two companies, Gillett said.

Partners that sell from security and storage sides say their business could be impacted the most since they would likely have to deal with two separate companies. But others saw the streamlining as a way for Symantec to be innovative and nimble to market changes. Symantec's Brown hinted at creating a stronger third-party technology ecosystem and a broader managed and cybersecurity advisory services business.

The breakup could enable Symantec to focus on product integration and developing full packages, said David Sockol, president and CEO of security consulting firm Emagined Security. Sockol said security partners are no longer selling point products to address customer risk mitigation strategies.

"Security is sold as a complete solution, not a one-off sale," Sockol said. "This business demands partners develop trust and establish long-term relationships with their clients."

PUBLISHED OCT. 13, 2014