HPE Taps Veeam Sales Superstar As Eastern Regional Sales Director

Mike Vencel, president of Comport Consulting an HPE Platinum partner and Veeam cloud service provider, said Tom Chevalier’s appointment is a commercial account ‘game changer’ for HPE.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise has hired Tom Chevalier, a sales superstar for backup superpower Veeam Software, as Eastern Regional Sales Director for commercial accounts.

Chevalier, a ten-year Veeam Software veteran who was an area vice president of commercial sales, will report to HPE Vice President Commercial Sales Jas Sood.

“2020 will bring disruption in the East within the SMB, Mid Market Segment and Tier II & III Cloud Service Providers, as we’ll experience explosive growth and market share,” said Chevalier in a LinkedIn post. “I’m humbled to be reporting to one of the industries finest leaders, Jas Sood, and leading and expanding a great team. Just when I thought things couldn’t get better, we will be doing this 100 percent, WITH and THROUGH the Channel Community.”

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The addition of Chevalier comes with HPE stepping up its SMB charge with new sales resources including an expanded inside sales team along with a new instant pricing model for SMB partners for deals priced under $100,000.

HPE North America Managing Director Dan Belanger has credited Sood, a 21-year HPE veteran with helping spark SMB sales growth with a 100 percent channel sales model.

Belanger told CRN last year he expects HPE to put the pedal to the metal in the SMB market with a revved-up “transactional engine” aimed at reaching more customers.

Mike Vencel, president of Comport Consulting an HPE Platinum partner and Veeam cloud service provider, said Chevalier’s appointment is a commercial account “game changer” for HPE.

“Not only does Tom have a tremendous track record in the partner community, but he has great commercial account relationships which is going to open doors for HPE partners,” said Vencel. “Jas has brought tremendous energy and vision to the business. Having someone like Tom is going to help build out that business. It’s absolutely imperative to have someone like Tom to help drive that commercial account market share with partners.”

Chevalier’s experience powering sales gains in the heart of the commercial market with Veeam is going to be a huge asset for HPE, said Vencel.

“Tom knows how to cut through the noise and get things done in the midmarket,” said Vencel, who has known Chevalier for close to a decade. “That is going to help HPE scale the commercial account business. He is going to bring a lot of speed and agility to his new role at HPE.”

Comport, which does about 70 percent of its business in the commercial account market, is “excited” about the stepped up HPE focus on the commercial market, said Vencel.

Vencel credited HPE’s Belanger with putting together an all star lineup including HPE US Sales Eastern Vice President Terry Richardson, HPE General Manager of West and Enterprise Accounts Peter Brennan, and U.S. Channel Chief Leslie Maher.

“It’s a great team with a lot of chemistry,” said Vencel. “Having Terry and Peter driving sales is taking the trust and commitment from partners to another level.”

Paul O’Dell, a director at CPP Associates, a Clinton, N.J. solution provider whose Infrastructure Anywhere assessment practice has driven robust HPE midmarket sales growth, said he couldn’t be more excited about Chevalier’s addition to the HPE team.

“Tom knows the sales motion and what makes these midmarket customers tick,” said O’Dell. “He knows what it takes to be successful in this market. I am pumped that he is now helping to drive the HPE commercial account business. I can’t wait to see him roll out some of his ideas. If he can replicate the success he had at Veeam (which was just acquired by Insight Partners in a $5 billion blockbuster deal) it is going to have a big impact. Look at what Veeam did. Talk about penetrating a market! I am psyched!”

Leon Rutkowski, founding partner of LR Squared, a top tech industry recruiting firm based in Boston, Mass, said Chevalier is going to be key in building out a high revenue producing commercial account team at HPE.

Getting a commercial account executive with Chevalier’s track record is a big achievement, said Rutkowski, a 30-year tech veteran who has experience recruiting both millennials and industry veterans

“Tom is going to be a big asset in driving more commercial account revenue through the channel,” said Rutkowski. “The commercial market in storage and cloud is the industry’s most competitive market. Securing an experienced asset like Tom puts HPE in a position to win in that market.”