Business Partners Group Briefing

Tuesday 28th May 2002
IBM Warwick Map

 AGENDA

09.30    Registration   (Tea/Coffee)

10.00    Introduction   
George Djuric, Chairman of Business Partner Group

George will summarise the objectives of the IBM Computer Users' Association Business Partners group and introduce our speakers.

10.05    1st quarter 2002 - results.
Steve Coppin, Sales Director  Business Partner Organisation - EMEA -  Region North.

Steve will cover IBM’s first quarter results and enable attendees to get a perspective on the marketplace as a whole and IBM’s performance within it – each attendee can then see how their organisation relates. Will it be Champagne and jubilation or a more sombre session ?

Steve has spent 17 years in IBM and 6 months in current role as Sales Director for EMEA N Region Business Partner Organisation.  He has 13+ years' sales and sales management experience (he'll probably wear the cufflinks to show they were  a success )  - the last being 1997-98 where he was responsible for Storage.  During 1998-2001 he set up the Sales Productivity Centre (to reduce the back office workload of sales people) and then ran the entire back office for IBM (Customer Support Operations ). Prior to IBM he taught Maths/Computer Studies for 3+ years in a comprehensive and grammar school ...... as  a result he claims to know very little about these subjects.  He is a fanatic about skiing, and is regularly seen on his bike at the weekend looking for challenging hills ....... perhaps this is why he now has responsibility for the Business Partner Organisation !

10.45    LINUX - Why the Penguin could be good for IBM Business Partners
David Valentine Sales Manager, Linux EMEA

David will outline the current and future opportunities within the marketplace for LINUX and what this means to YOU the IBM Business Partner.

As Sales and Marketing Executive for Europe Middle East and Africa, David Valentine is responsible for Linux sales for all IBM eServer platforms. His main focus is supporting customers to achieve cost and performance advantages with Linux across hardware, software and services. Prior to this role, David was the xSeries Sales manager for Linux working closely with key companies moving to Linux. David has worked with IBM for over 14 years in which time he has held a number of key positions in Sales and Business Management working with IBM's top enterprise customers, ISV's and Business Partners. In particular, David has held the roles of Executive Assistant to the IBM UK and Ireland CEO, Sales Management, Operations, New Business and Consulting, including assignments focused on IBM's internal re-engineering.

11.30    Tea/Coffee

11.45    Business Partner update
Steve Coppin, Sales Director, Business Partner Organisation , EMEA Region North.

Steve will give an update on the Value Based strategy  (Incorporating any feedback to Deni Wilson's session in March) to update delegates on developments in the overall Business Partner programme since our last meeting in March. A number of points were raised involving communications between IBM and its partners at our last meeting.

1230    Panel discussion
Steve, David and other IBM Business Partner executives will take questions.

Got questions you want answered ?  Need to follow up on the information given in the earlier presentations ?  This is your session.

To round off the event, a buffet lunch will be available to allow all attendees to network and follow up on some of the information gained during the briefing.