EvolveTech CEO Sells Company, Joins Level Platforms

LPI Level Platforms has hired Dave Sobel as its new director of partner community after the longtime CEO of VAR Evolve Technologies sold that company to Network Depot.

At Level Platforms, Sobel will be responsible for fostering and growing the relationship between Level Platforms and its managed service provider customers, according to Level Platforms, based in Ottawa.

"We are thrilled to have Dave come aboard in this vital role," said Dan Wensley, vice president of partner development and marketing at Level Platforms. “With his extensive industry knowledge and relationships [he] adds valuable experience and leadership to our team that will directly benefit our partners."

Sobel sold Evolve Technologies to Network Depot, based in Reston, Va., on Jan. 1 for an undisclosed amount.

Sobel was a longtime Level Platforms customer before joining the team.

"I have always enjoyed and thrived in working with other solution providers and collaborating and sharing ideas -- and I look forward to learning from and working with Level Platforms Partners," Sobel wrote in a statement. "With its unique capabilities, Managed Workplace changed the way I approached business as a solution provider. My goal and the objective I have been provided, is to extend my industry experience with this leading product to help make Level Platforms Partners even more successful."

In an interview with CRN last week, Sobel spoke about his reasons for selling his company, saying Evolve had grown to the point where, had the solution provider remained independent, he would have needed to hire a number two executive to help him manage the company and a "top dog engineer" to manage his growing technical team.

With Evolve at a crossroads, Sobel said his options included acquiring another company or being acquired. And he tried to reconcile Evolve's own future with his own desire to try something different. "What might be best for my customers and my staff might not necessarily be best for me," he said.

Sobel said he and the principals at Network Depot have long known each other and previously discussed some kind of joint venture. So when the idea of Network depot acquiring Evolve came up in late 2011, "the deal came together reasonable quickly."

Network Depot CEO Rich Forsen wrote a blog post on the company's web site announcing the acquisition. "The end result for existing Network Depot clients is that we will be in a better position in 2012 to provide more timely response to their support needs. The increased size of our support team and the additional experience the Evolve staff will bring to us will enable us to help our clients address their increased dependence upon IT in their business," Forsen wrote.