It's Official: DiFranco Is HP's New Americas Channel Chief

DiFranco is expected to help HP gain a footing in "businesses and verticals" where the Palo Alto, Calif.-based computing giant has "historically been challenged," according to an organizational announcement of the hire e-mailed Monday to HP partners and obtained by Channelweb.com.

"I'm pleased to share with you Stephen DiFranco has accepted the role of Vice President and General Manager of the Americas Solutions Partners Organization at HP, effective immediately," wrote Stephen DeWitt, senior vice president and general manager of HP's Personal Systems Group (PSG) - Americas, in an e-mail labeled "HP CONFIDENTIAL/HP PARTNER CONFIDENTIAL."

The e-mail was also signed by Enrique Lores, a PSG senior vice president of worldwide sales and head of Palo Alto, Calif.-based HP's worldwide Solutions Partners Organization (SPO).

DiFranco had been tipped in late February for the permanent Americas channel chief job vacated when Adrian Jones left that position for a new post in HP's Asia Pacific organization last November, but HP had not officially confirmed the hire.

"Stephen DiFranco is responsible for all aspects of sales, marketing and account management with the channel, overseeing all partnerships for HP's client computing and printing businesses, while also driving continued growth for HP's PartnerONE program throughout Canada, the United States and Latin America," wrote DeWitt in Monday's e-mail.

DeWitt further characterized DiFranco as "extremely well-suited" to help HP's channel develop better relationships "across businesses and verticals, like healthcare and public sector, where we've historically been challenged."

"With Stephen's successful trajectory and experience, he is extremely well suited to drive the next generation of success inside this community for HP," DeWitt wrote.

Scott Campbell contributed to this article.