‘I’m proud to have been part of the evolution of this company, and the IT channel as a whole, over the last three decades, and most recently the massive digital transformation we leaned into as an industry,’ said Kirk Robinson, Ingram Micro executive vice president and president of North America.
Ingram Micro Executive Vice President and President of North America Kirk Robinson, a 31-year Ingram veteran who propelled the distributor to new heights, most recently overseeing the company’s innovative Xvantage digital experience platform, is retiring effective Sept. 30.
Bill Brandel, a 27-year Ingram Micro veteran who was senior vice president of go-to-market in the U.S. and also head of the Canada business, will replace Robinson, taking over the top U.S. job as senior vice president and chief country executive.
Tyler Coughlan will continue to serve as vice president and chief country executive, Canada. Both Brandel and Coughlan will report directly to Ingram Micro CEO Paul Bay.
“Kirk’s dedication to Ingram Micro, along with his friendship and mentorship, has profoundly impacted me, as well as many top IT channel leaders,” said Bay in a prepared statement. “I want to express my gratitude for Kirk’s unwavering focus on our associates and customers, always putting their needs in the middle of everything we do, and for bringing his best every day. He is a true role model and leader of our industry.”
The mild-mannered Robinson (pictured above) spent his entire career at Ingram, starting as a sales executive in 1993 and ending up nearly 30 years later as executive vice president and president North America in 2022.
Robinson worked his way up the corporate ladder, taking on one critical job after another including as executive leader of Irvine, Calif.-based distributor Ingram Micro’s VentureTech Network (now Trust X Alliance) for three years in the mid 2000s. In 2010, he became vice president of sales market development and business intelligence, and in 2013 took on the job of senior vice president and general manager of commercial markets and global sales. In 2018, he became senior vice president and chief country executive of the U.S.
“In a word, my journey with Ingram Micro has been amazing,” Robinson told CRN in a prepared statement. “I’m proud to have been part of the evolution of this company, and the IT channel as a whole, over the last three decades, and most recently the massive digital transformation we leaned into as an industry.
“I’m grateful for our people and our channel partners, and mostly, I’m thankful for the friendships I’ve made and enjoyed through the years, which I’m glad will continue,” he added. “The memories we’ve made together are too many to count, and I will especially cherish my memories of those who are no longer with us. I have immense respect for Ingram Micro’s leadership team, chief among them Paul Bay who I’ve been proud to call my leader and continue to call my friend.”
Robinson has held key executive positions across Ingram’s full go-to-market suite of marketing, sales and vendor management, serving as a change agent in transformational efforts over the years, including the company’s innovative Xvantage platform.
‘He Was Always Pushing You To Get Out Of your Comfort Zone’
Kelly Carter, chief strategy officer of Fulcrum IT Partners, the $1 billion-plus international solution provider, said Robinson was one of the most inspirational leaders she has ever worked with.
“He’s the kind of guy who always made you want to stretch yourself, want to grow and want to take risks,” said Carter, who spent 26 years at Ingram Micro in many different roles, most recently as chief financial officer of Ingram Micro Canada. “His favorite phrase was get comfortable being uncomfortable. That was Kirk. He was always pushing you to get out of your comfort zone.”
Carter said she particularly loved how gracious Robinson is and how he was always grateful of the hard work from his Ingram colleagues.
“I remember when I was coming up in the organization and he was at a higher level, anything that I'd done that had supported the sales organization or his team at the time he'd be on stage and he would personally thank me,” said Carter. “He would call me out of the blue and say, ‘Hey, I just want you to know that you've been knocking it out of the park lately and I want to thank you.’
Carter said he is the same way with partners, always recognizing Ingram’s dual role to serve both partners and the vendors, “I think he really understood that at heart,” she said.
“Not only did he understand what Ingram could bring to them by building programs that supported them and helped them grow, but he was always present,” she said.
As for Brandel, Carter called him a dynamic leader and the strongest advocate within Ingram for the customer and vendor experience.
“He’s constantly focused on that and how can Ingram be more valuable to the partner community,” she said.
Jeffrey Jansen, senior consultant and vendor relationship officer of Edmonton, Alberta-based MSP PC Corp, said Robinson is genuine, an innovator and “always knew the potential of what our community would be.”
“He’s also probably one of the most approachable people that I've ever met in this industry,” Jansen said. “As his career advanced, there were lots of opportunity for him to be busy doing other things but he would a take the time to come and talk with members of the community.”
He added that when he was talking to or in a meeting with Robinson, he was always present and collaborative.
Jansen described Brandel as “a person filled with passion who looks to help people understand their potential and is not afraid of lofty goals.”
“He has a kind heart and is always willing to engage in a discussion where he can give insights or offer suggestions,” he said. “He has been a great friend to the Trust X Community and a friend to many partners, vendors and reseller partners alike.”
Mark Essayian, president of KME Systems of Lake Forrest, Calif., always liked Robinson’s authenticity. Whether it was good news or bad news, he just delivered it: “You just knew what you were getting.”
“There was no BS when dealing with Kirk,” Essayian told CRN. “He would say, ‘Mark we need to do this,’ and it may have not been the best thing that I wanted but it turned out amazing.”
He also always made himself available to partners, Essayian said.
“I used to say, ‘Hey Kirk, can I have five minutes of your time sometime this week?’ A half hour later Kirk would say, ‘You tell me when,’” he said. “Everybody had that relationship with him. It was enjoyable to work with somebody who knew his craft well and was all about making sure that we can move forward together.”
Essayian said he’s excited to see Brandel take the role as he brings long-term experience with Ingram.
“[He] understands our challenges and I have always found him committed to partner success.”
Sanjib Sahoo, EVP global technology and chief digital officer at Ingram, said Robinson played a “pivotal role” in shaping the Ingram Micro Xvantage journey and has been instrumental to its success.
“Kirk is an exceptional executive and one of the finest business leaders I’ve had the pleasure of working with,” Sahoo said. “His strategic mindset, humility, openness to change and adept relationship management truly set him apart. I wish him all the best for a well-deserved retirement.”
‘Partners And Vendors Both Knew They Could Trust Kirk’
Frank Vitagliano, CEO of the Global Technology Distribution Council (GDTC), the worldwide association representing distributors, called Robinson one of the best and brightest distribution executives in the business.
Vitagliano said Robinson has a gift of using his genuine and sincere nature to build deep, long-lasting relationships in both the vendor and solution provider community.
“The partners and vendor channel executives all love Kirk,” said Vitagliano, who worked with Robinson for more than three decades as a channel chief for multiple vendors directing channel strategies, a solution provider CEO and now as head of the GTDC. “Kirk is a high-integrity, high-quality individual admired by both vendors and partners. He’s simply one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet.”
He said Robinson built relationships on the premise that his word was his bond.
“Partners and vendors both knew they could trust Kirk,” he said. “Kirk was in it for the long haul and developed and built enduring relationships with every part of the channel ecosystem.”
Vitagliano recalled that when he was CEO of solution provider Computex, he saw first-hand Robinson’s ability to deliver on a long-standing relationship. At the time, Computex needed additional credit to close a big deal.
“Kirk stepped up and got the deal done,” said Vitagliano. “It was a classic example of a top-notch distribution executive making a hard decision based on trust rather than looking at a spreadsheet. That tells you all you need to know about Kirk Robinson.”
Robinson was a passionate student of the channel with an insatiable appetite to understand all aspects of the channel ecosystem, Vitagliano said.
“Kirk understood all sides of the channel. That is what made him such an invaluable executive,” he said. “He understood what the vendors were trying to accomplish and also what drove the solution providers. He bridged the gap and was able to bring both sides together.”
Robinson was also critical in keeping Ingram at the crest of the latest emerging technology and shifting partner business models, said Vitagliano.
“One of his mantras with his team is that you need to be willing to be uncomfortable and go deep and learn about changing channel dynamics to stay on top of the business,” he said.
On a more personal level, Vitagliano, an ardent Red Sox fan, said he always enjoyed spending time with Robinson, a die-hard Yankees fan, talking baseball, golf and business.
“Kirk is just one of those guys that is a lot of fun to hang out with,” he said.
Rob Cato, vice president of North American channel for Lenovo, said Robinson has been an advocate and outstanding executive leader for Lenovo’s business and its partners for many years.
“His honest, straightforward approach along with his consistent engagement has always been huge for Lenovo, as we worked together to grow our channel business and deliver solutions to NA partners and customers,” he said. “We will miss him not only at Lenovo but in the industry.”
Robinson Described As Genuine, Authentic And Approachable
Whenever James Rocker had the opportunity to be around Robinson, he tried to get a minute or two to chat with him.
“When I got that time, I tried to use it to my advantage,” said Rocker, founder and CEO of Hauppauge, N.Y.-based MSP Nerds That Care. “I think a lot of people gravitate to him because of his visionary leadership and innovative thinking. He’s really been instrumental to paving a path success for Ingram Micro and all of the partners. There’s some big shoes to fill here.”
He believes Robinson’s ability to foresee industry trends and cutting-edge technology kept Ingram ahead of the curve.
“That has really helped us deliver exceptional solutions to our clients,” he said.
Robinson brought a “calm, driven perspective” to the role and to Ingram, said Brent Morris, vice president of business development of Minneapolis-based MSP Success Computer Consulting.
“He’s always had a blend of warmth and drive to him,” said Morris. “This is about bringing together the partner community in the spirit of collective growth and he was always curious about how to do that better.”
He remembers Robinson sitting in peer groups, asking questions and always being available to talk to partners.
“He would get the difficult questions and always answer them with integrity and with boundary,” he said.
Robinson said he looks forward to seeing Ingram’s North America business evolve and thrive under the leadership of Brandel in the U.S. and Tyler Coughlan in Canada.
“I didn’t make the decision to retire lightly,” he said. “But I’m beyond excited to spend more quality time with my family and friends, and paddle board on weekdays.”
