Kristin Russell, who was steering the ship of Arrow Electronics’ £5.8 billion Global Enterprise Computing Solutions business, has been given the boot, effective 2 April. And no, they didn’t even have the decency to give a reason. A Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filing stated that it was just a cold, brutal termination.
The plot thickens as Eric Nowak, a 20-year Arrow stalwart, most recently the big cheese of EMEA and Australia-New Zealand for ECS, steps into Russell’s shoes. He’s been handed the reins of the business that Russell led for the last three years.
“On 27 March 2024, Arrow Electronics, decided to appoint Eric Nowak to succeed Kristin D. Russell as the Company’s President, Global Enterprise Computing Solutions, effective as of 2 April 2024,” Arrow spilt the beans in the filing.
Russell will cease to be an employee of the Company after that date, and she’ll be eligible for separation benefits based on her termination without cause.
Arrow ECS clammed up when asked about Russell’s departure. Russell herself was as silent as a church mouse when her Majesty’s loyal press reached out for more information.
A company spokesperson wrote that Arrow ECS thanks Russell “for her contributions to our business,” which is touching.
The spokesperson called Nowak a “well-respected leader with a track record of successful business results and team leadership.” Well, of course, they would say that, wouldn’t they?
In the statement, Arrow said Nowak has “built great relationships with our channel partners and suppliers and plays a critical role in our strategy to ensure our business is tightly aligned with our suppliers and value-added resellers. … We’re telling our suppliers and customers this leadership change will be seamless for them, and we believe it will only enhance a strong working relationship with them.”
The news of the replacement comes shortly after the distributor lost Daniel Campbell, the former president of Arrow ECS for North America. In February, Campbell was appointed president of North America at Palo Alto Networks.
As interim president of the company’s North America ECS business, Campbell was replaced by Ben Klay, a 20-year Arrow veteran. It’s like a game of musical chairs over there!
On 8 February, Arrow said that its Global ECS revenue for its fourth fiscal quarter, which ended 31 December, fell 11 per cent to £1.67bn compared with £1.89bn in the year-ago quarter.
