Former IBM Channel Chief Carlquist Retires After 36 Years At Big Blue

Dave Carlquist, IBM's former channel chief, has retired from the company after working at Big Blue for more than 36 years.

In a LinkedIn post last week, Carlquist said he retired from Big Blue in November, though he added that he will possibly pursue other business opportunities.

"In the next chapter, it is likely that I will continue on the path of helping businesses grow, organizations flourish and leaders develop," Carlquist wrote. "In the near term, I will be taking time to reflect, sort through options and pursue personal interests."

[Related: 5 Ways IBM Is Looking To Empower Partners]

IBM and Carlquist did not respond to requests for comment.

Carlquist served as vice president of worldwide channels for the IBM Systems and Technology Group for nearly four years until he was appointed to a new position last year. Prior to that, he held other vice president positions, heading up sales for global partners, the Americas and emerging markets.

His most recent position at the Armonk, N.Y.-based company was vice president of global strategy and transformation for enterprise and commercial markets, for which he led business strategy and transformational efforts for the company worldwide.

"I’ve been fortunate to work over the past three and a half decades for the industry leading company in a sector that has had such a profound impact on business and life," he wrote. "For that I give thanks."

Vince Deluca, CEO of New York-based Logicalis, No. 30 on CRN's 2018 Solution Provider 500 list, commended Carlquist for his work with partners.

"Dave, in his role leading the global effort, was always pretty instrumental in ensuring we were covered appropriately," he said.

Carlquist was responsible for helping push innovative approaches for tackling particular segments in a market that Logicalis wanted to pursue, as well as new technology launches and partner program developments, according to Deluca.

"He was definitely an important factor in how we grew the partnership between Logicalis and IBM," he said.