ViewSonic Adds To Channel Roster

ViewSonic hired Dorothy Farris, former vice president of Americas channel sales at thin-client computing vendor Wyse Technology, for the top Americas sales job. Farris will oversee all sales operations with profit and loss responsibility for the United States, Canada and Latin America.

Farris, who expanded Wyse's sales by more than 20 percent year over year, will report to Chris Franey, president of ViewSonic Americas. Franey, who took over as president last June as part of a corporatewide restructuring, has been sharpening the Walnut, Calif.-based company's focus as it expands its product line with wireless offerings and other products.

Farris pledged to strengthen ViewSonic's channel program. She said she is looking forward to getting input from partners on ways to improve it, and is excited about the company's first partner advisory council meeting in March.

"The channel is near and dear to my heart," she said. "One of the things most exciting to me is ViewSonic, too, has a strong channel heritage. My job is to build and enhance that and get us refocused on these partners, communicating effectively and executing."

Farris said she will be reviewing channel program terms and conditions to ensure that ViewSonic's programs and policies are best in class. In addition, she pledged to focus on execution in the field. "That is where great ideas and great programs often fail," Farris said, adding she has already met with channel partners and gotten some feedback.

Robbie Chikhani, executive vice president of sales and marketing at ICG, a ViewSonic distributor based in City of Industry, Calif., said he is optimistic Farris will help sharpen the company's channel focus. "She is very channel-friendly," said Chikhani, who recently met with Farris. "I see all good and positive signs from her. She is very knowledgeable about the channel."