Google Cloud continues to build out local channel expertise at a rapid rate across Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ), through the recruitment of CA Technologies and Microsoft expertise.
ARN can confirm that CA director of partners and alliances, Kevin Van Gils, will join the tech giant in early 2018, working within the Google Cloud team locally.
Furthermore, Van Gils will be joined by Anita Moorhouse, who exits her role as head of general business A/NZ at VMware.
The high-profile pair will join forces with Rhody Burton, who was recently appointed as head of partnerships for Google Cloud across A/NZ.
As revealed exclusively by ARN, Burton and the new-look channel team will be charged with creating a network of providers capable of challenging for cloud market share on both sides of the Tasman.
Representing a serious statement of intent for Google Cloud, the triple hire highlights the importance of the local channel on both sides of the Tasman, with plans in place to expand further in 2018.
In joining Google Cloud, Van Gils exits CA after more than seven years, alongside stints at NetIQ, Macquarie Telecom, Easynet, Demon Internet and Questek.
During his time with CA specifically, Van Gils maintained executive-level partner and alliance relationships, while defining local channel go-to-market-strategies to create joint business opportunities for CA and its channel across key areas of specialisation such as IT business management, DevOps and security management.
In addition, Van Gils played a key role in establishing a globally recognised managed service provider (MSP) route to market, working in an ecosystem that includes Fujitsu Australia, UXC Group, RXP Services, Empired and Versent, alongside JDS, Revolution IT, Melbourne IT, Kinetic IT and HCL.
Meanwhile, Moorhouse joins Google Cloud with deep partner expertise, following more than five years in partner management roles at Microsoft, across two stints between 2012 and 2017.
During this period, Moorhouse spearheaded a partner ecosystem consisting of born-in-the-cloud, system integrators, services, ISVs and licensing partners, focusing on partner profitability, loyalty and satisfaction.
Moorhouse - who joined VMware in April 2017 - also held management positions at Research In Motion, Macquarie Telecom and AAPT, as well as Austereo and Telstra.
The triple appointment also follows the recruitment of Ash Willis as head of cloud partners and alliances across Asia Pacific and Japan (JAPAC) in May 2017.
As revealed exclusively by ARN, Willis is charged with creating an indirect ecosystem of partners across the wider region.
