3Com Shuffles Upper Management Ranks

The Marlborough, Mass.-based networking and VoIP vendor tapped Robert Dechant as senior vice president of worldwide sales and marketing, replacing James Fieger as head of worldwide sales. The vendor also appointed Dan Beck to the newly created role of senior vice president of operations.

Both executives are former colleagues of 3Com President and CEO Scott Murray and will report directly to him. Nick Tidd, 3Com’s North American channel chief, continues to report to Jim Williams, vice president of North American sales, who now reports to Dechant.

CRN has learned that 3Com Chief Marketing Officer Jim Freeze also has left the company. The vendor does not plan to fill the CMO role. Instead last month it named Deborah Keeman as vice president of global marketing. Keeman, also a former Murray colleague, will report to Dechant, according to a 3Com spokesman.

The move to consolidate sales and marketing under Dechant is a step in the right direction, said Glenn Conley, president and CEO of Metropark Communications, St. Louis.

“There were a lot of islands in 3Com. It seems like the new team is consolidating islands and bringing them closer so there’s more continuity,” Conley said. “I’m glad to see [sales and marketing] come under one umbrella, so hopefully they can start to develop some guerrilla tactics.”

Dechant most recently was executive vice president of sales and marketing at Modus Media International until 2004, where he served under Murray, who was CEO. Dechant brings channel experience from previous roles at IBM and Stream International, another former Murray haunt, the 3Com spokesman said.

Beck previously led North American operations at ModusLink, formerly known as Modus Media, which was sold to CMGI in 2004. In his new role at 3Com, he will have responsibility for everything from front-end logistics through back-end service and support, as well as other operational areas such as procurement.

The executive changes come approximately three months into Murray’s tenure at 3Com, where he replaced Bruce Claflin in January.