Intel Hires Microsoft Exec To Lead Global Partner Sales
Alyssa Fitzpatrick, who was previously responsible for driving more than $650 million in annual Azure revenue through partners at Microsoft, will have a particular focus on system integrators, cloud partners and independent software vendors in her new role at Intel.
Intel has hired former Microsoft channel executive Alyssa Fitzpatrick to lead global partner sales as the chipmaker’s Intel Partner Alliance program enters its second year.
Fitzpatrick joined the Santa Clara, Calif.-based company in January as vice president and general manager of global partner sales, according to her LinkedIn profile. She is reporting to John Kalvin, Intel’s vice president and general manager of global partners and support.
[Related: 6 Things To Know About Intel’s New PC Leader, Michelle Holthaus]
Intel confirmed the hire Thursday night.
“Intel is focused on being a world-class partner organization and part of that is making sure we have the right leaders in place to fulfill our ambitions,” Kalvin said in a statement. “With nearly three decades of partner-focused experience, we are thrilled to have Alyssa join our talented team.”
Kalvin said Fitzpatrick is joining “a strong group of leaders who are intensely focused on increasing the value we deliver to our partners.”
One of those leaders joined Intel several months ago: Dave Guzzi, the former CEO of Equus Compute Solutions who is now leading systems and components partners.
Other critical members of Kalvin’s team include Sherri Madison, the head of partner data and operations; Andy Marsee, general manager of Intel Partner Alliance; and Boji Tony, head of global customer support.
“Together, this dream team will unleash extreme partnership across Intel’s partner ecosystem,” Kalvin said.
Fitzpatrick said on LinkedIn that she will be responsible for Intel’s global partner sales strategy, execution and results. This will put her in charge of the programs, support and “end-to-end partner journey” under Intel Partner Alliance, the partner program that consolidated multiple partner programs and brought together several different types under one umbrella when it launched in January 2021.
She said she will have a particular focus on system integrators, cloud partners and independent software vendors in her new job. Those two latter groups have received an increased focus from Intel’s partner organization over the last few years, with the chipmaker investing in new cloud resources and CEO Pat Gelsinger making collaboration with ISVs a higher priority.
Prior to joining Intel, Fitzpatrick was general manager of worldwide partner sales for Microsoft, where she worked from 2016 to January of this month. On her LinkedIn profile, Fitzpatrick said she led a global team at Microsoft that was responsible for driving more than $650 million in annual revenue for Azure cloud services through partners. While there, she worked “across all channels,” including global system integrators, MSPs, telecommunications carriers and advisory firms.
Kent Tibbils, vice president of marketing at Fremont, Calif.-based ASI, an authorized Intel distributor, told CRN that Intel’s hiring of Fitzpatrick is a reflection of how the channel is evolving to include different partner types beyond the traditional value-added resellers and managed service providers.
“With her background in [cloud] coming from Microsoft, I think that‘s a big benefit for Intel and the partners that she’s going to be working with,” he said.
This is technically not Fitzpatrick’s first time at Intel. From 2011 to 2014, she was senior vice president of worldwide alliances at cybersecurity vendor McAfee while it was owned by Intel, which sold the business in 2016 after six years of ownership. After her time there, she was senior vice president of the global partner organization for CA Technologies, which is now owned by Broadcom.
Fitzpatrick is arriving at Intel as Michelle Johnston Holthaus, the head of the Sales, Marketing and Communications Group, transitions to her new role as general manager of the Client Computing Group. Gelsinger told employees in a memo earlier this month that he expects to appoint a new leader for the Sales, Marketing and Communications Group by the second quarter.