Hurd to Be Available To Partners

Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) is offering its partners the prospect of a date with Mark Hurd.

One of my customers met with Hurd a couple of months ago. The meeting went very well.

HP, to me, has never been known as a "supreme" marketer. Well, let's just say that their marketing is no equal to their engineering prowess. They are very good engineers and creators of product(unlike Dell).

Hurd's attitude seems to be, "get out there and sell...!" which is refreshing and exciting at the same time...

More from the article by Craig Zarley, ChannelWeb


6:54 PM EDT Thu. Aug. 21, 2008
Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HPQ) is offering its partners the prospect of a date with Mark Hurd.

The company is now formalizing a process to set up face-to-face meetings between solution providers, their customers and top HP executives, including chairman and CEO Hurd.

The strategy underscores Hurd's push to use the channel to extend HP's reach into the midmarket using the channel as an extension of HP's sales force. What's more, Hurd seems bent on using himself and his top lieutenants to help the channel win more business for HP.

Called ExecConnect, the plan allows solution providers to log onto HP's Website and submit a request to meet with Hurd or members of his executive team, said Tom LaRocca, HP's vice president of partner development and programs. "We are giving a structure and a formalization to our executive engagement program," said LaRocca. "In the last 12 months Mark [Hurd] has met face to face with over 100 partners."...

...LaRocca noted that HP now has a person dedicated to setting up the logistics of meetings between Hurd or his executive staff, including heads of the companies three business units: Ann Livermore at Technology Solutions Group, Vyomesh Joshi at Imaging and Printing Group, and Todd Bradley at Personal Systems Group.

"We want to continue to put partners in front of our executives and we want to give them a way to come into this program," he said.

LaRocca said partners can log onto the HP partner portal and submit requests or get more information on setting up meetings with HP executives."