Marc Dupaquier – Head Of Global Alliances

The IT leadership landscape is as dynamic as ever, with the top vendors putting all their weight behind the new technology trends that threaten to disrupt their traditional revenue streams. IBM, which has demonstrated an uncanny ability to adapt and change over the course of the past century, is leading the way.

In its most recent executive reshuffle, Big Blue appointed Marc Dupaquier as the new general manager of Global Business Partners, channel publication CRN reports. The exec has been with the company for more than 27 years, leading software sales for IBM France and later directing the $3.5 billion Data Management Division, which would eventually morph into Bob Picciano’s Information Management Software unit.

Dupaquier had most recently served as the vice president of marketing and strategy at the IBM’s Systems and Technology Group, where according to his LinkedIn profile, he was responsible for driving customer engagement and boosting revenue. He said that he will leverage his experience to help partners follow Big Blue’s lead in adapting to the new technologies that are redefining the traditional enterprise software model.

“The software business has changed so much,” Dupaquier detailed in an interview. “There’s the software license business and now the software service business with the cloud, and I think that gives more opportunities for partners.” He views IBM’s massive software portfolio, including its wide array of Big Data solutions, as key to unlocking these opportunities.

Dupaquier is stepping into the shoes of fellow IBM veteran Mark Hennessy, who served as channel chief since January 2012. It’s not yet clear what new position he’ll be assuming, but given his background at orchestrating technology integration initiatives, it’s safe to assume that he will continue to play a central role in driving the company’s strategy as it seeks to unify its disparate technology assets into tightly integrated solutions.