Intel Security appoints worldwide channels head

Intel Security, which includes the McAfee stable of products, has appointed Richard Steranka to lead its worldwide channels.

Steranka will report to Scott Lovett, senior vice president of global sales, Intel Security, and lead the global team responsible for Intel Security’s ecosystem of distributors, value-added resellers, managed service providers, alliances and embedded OEMs.

With more than 25 years of experience in strategic sales and channel leadership roles, Steranka joins Intel Security from Avaya, where he is said to have successfully transformed the Avaya Connect Partner programme from a volume-based to a value-based incentive structure. Most recently he led Avaya’s go-to-market strategy, driving growth through strategic relationships with value added resellers, distributors and partners.

“Security is perhaps the most rapidly evolving field within IT, with new threats and technologies coming to market every day,” said Steranka. “Staying relevant and on the offence is imperative so that our partners can not only reach their own profitability goals, but also better protect our mutual customers from next-generation cyber threats.”

At Intel Security, Steranka will be responsible for the continued development of the partner ecosystem, stressing the value for partners of building-out integrated security capabilities “with fewer vendors”, but with “richer services and deeper expertise to best protect customers”, said Intel.

Prior to joining Avaya, Steranka held numerous leadership positions at Cisco in sales, channels, marketing and operations.