HP Sales Superstar to Head Commercial Sales For ACP CreativIT

“I had a fantastic run at HP, but I wanted to roll my sleeves up and get back into the sales trenches,” said Michael Affeldt of his move to solution provider ACP CreativIT. “I am super excited. We have a huge plan to expand our presence.”

Michael Affeldt, who was overseeing a $1 billion channel sales business in the Midwest for HP Inc., is taking the helm of the commercial sales business at fast-growing solution provider ACP CreativIT.

Affeldt (pictured), a 10-year HP veteran who was most recently sales manager for the Great Lakes region for the Palo Alto, Calif.-based PC and printer behemoth, takes the top commercial sales job with ACP CreativIT in the midst of a major sales and digital transformation technical team buildout.

The appointment brings Affeldt, as senior vice president of commercial sales, back together with former HP channel chief Scott Dunsire – who is now CEO of ACP CreativIT, Buffalo Grove, Ill. Affeldt will report to Dunsire, who is leading the charge to build out the national solution provider’s footprint with a goal of doubling sales through both acquisition and organic growth every three years.

[Related: Channel Veteran Scott Dunsire Named CEO Of ACP CreativIT]

Affeldt, who started in his new role July 22 and is already in the midst of hiring additional sales reps, said he was blown away by the opportunity for ACP CreativIT to help customers drive sales growth and cost savings with digital transformation technology and solutions.

“There is a massive market opportunity with digital transformation, hyperconverged consumption models and the changing data center,” said Affeldt in an interview with CRN. “This is where I want to be, on the front lines helping customers understand the top OEM offerings and providing solutions that really make a difference for customers. We are hiring the best sales and technical talent in the business. We are putting together an all-star team. We have an amazing base, and we are building on it. This is business that is going through the roof. It’s very exciting.”

MarketsandMarkets, a business-to-business market research firm, estimates that the digital transformation solution market is growing at an 18 percent compound annual growth rate, soaring from $290 billion in 2018 to $665 billion in 2023.

Dunsire, who will be working closely with Affeldt, said the appointment is part of a no-holds-barred drive to build out sales and digital transformation teams – part of what he called “ACP CreativIT 2025.”

“We are offering more and more solutions to our existing customers as well as bringing on board new accounts,” said Dunsire. “Every customer at $500 million and above is looking at addressing digital transformation in some way, shape or form. It is hitting every aspect of a business.”

The world-class sales and technical talent that ACP CreativIT has brought on board has significantly changed the sales dynamic with top vendor partners and customers, said Dunsire. “There is a war for top talent out there, and we are bringing on board the best and brightest,” he said. “In the solution provider world, you are your people. You need top talent with the sales and technical acumen to help customers transform their business. That has made for an entirely different dynamic for us. This is allowing us to make things happen inside very large OEMs for the benefit of our customers. It is moving the needle for our customers.”

Affeldt was driving a Great Lakes PC and printer channel business with 140 partners and nine partner business managers throughout the Midwest, including enterprise accounts, health care, public sector and other vertical markets.

“I had a fantastic run at HP, but I wanted to roll my sleeves up and get back into the sales trenches,” said Affeldt. “I am super excited. We have a huge plan to expand our presence. We are advancing our sales and technical acumen with a focus on helping our customers understand the broad OEM portfolio from the client to the enterprise and into the cloud and beyond. We are providing our customers best of breed solutions with the best experience. I am beyond excited!”

Affeldt’s appointment comes nine months after ACP CreativIT merged with Camera Corner Connecting Point in a blockbuster deal that combined two of the most widely respected solution providers in the Midwest into a $200 million powerhouse. Together the two companies have more than 100 years of family ownership heritage with more than $3.15 billion of IT and audio visual solutions sales since inception under their belts.

As part of his new role, Affeldt will be working closely with the Camera Corner Connecting Point sales leadership team, which remains under the direction of father-and-son team Rick Chernick and Ryan Chernick.

“I am very bullish about the future opportunity,” said Affeldt. “There is a lot of work to do, but we are well-positioned and have the support to grow and provide our customers the absolute A-1, top-shelf experience for IT procurement, services, and solutions. I feel super fortunate to be working with Scott and the team. ACP has always been a top-tier player across the board with the OEMs. We are just doubling down on that.”