Apple Computer Inc. Vice President Robin Abrams Expected To ResignComputer Reseller News Online (http://www.crn.com) Has The Full Story About Senior VP's ExitPRNewswire Robin Abrams, senior vice president of Apple Americas and the acting executive vice president of worldwide sales, is expected to resign from the company in the latest reorganization, said sources close to the Cupertino, Calif.-based company. According to a report posted on the Computer Reseller News Online Web site, at http://www.crn.com/, Apple resellers said Abrams has been the driving force behind the company's channel efforts. CRN News Editor Michael Kannelos broke the story this morning. Apple dealers said the departure of Abrams would be a major loss. Abrams has been the key contact between the company and its network of U.S. dealers for close to a year. Abrams could not be reached for comment. Her departure comes after the resignations earlier this month of Apple Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales Marco Landi and Heidi Roizen, the widely respected head of Apple's developer relations unit. Apple resellers have consistently praised Abrams' work and more often than not give her credit for holding the dealer program intact. When dealers converged in Cupertino or at MacWorld, Abrams ran the meetings. "That would be a loss. She's good," said Mike McNeill, president of PBS MicroAge in Irvine, Calif. By contrast, McNeill said that the departure of Landi was positive because his policies were inconsistent. Gerard Kane, senior vice president of sales at International Computer Networks said Abrams told dealers at MacWorld that attacking the gray market and increasing communication between Apple and its dealers were going to be priorities in 1997. Abrams' departure comes as a result of the reorganization of Apple's sales division, said sources. Manovich will head up sales at Apple. Beneath him will be vice presidents in charge of segment markets such as education and publishing. As senior vice president of Apple Americas, Abrams' job was to coordinate efforts between the segment marketing departments and the chief sales office. That geographically focused office is now being eliminated. The departure of Abrams comes with Apple's recent appointment of new worldwide sales executive Dave Manovich. Some resellers welcomed the return of Manovich, who had been with Apple for a number of years before joining Fujitsu PC Corp. last year. "It's the best news I've heard in a while," said Ken Krich, chief executive of ComputerWare in Palo Alto, Calif. Apple announced earlier this week that Manovich, a former Apple sales executive, was returning as the executive vice president of worldwide sales to replace Landi. In 1995, Manovich was a director in Apple Americas. He temporarily became a vice president of consumer sales before going to Fujitsu. Published by CMP Media Inc., Computer Reseller News has a circulation of more than 115,000 and reaches influential readers from Wall Street to Silicon Valley with the product trends and industry news needed to sell comprehensive technology solutions. CMP Media Inc. provides publishing, marketing and information services to the entire high-technology spectrum--the builders, sellers and users of technology--through print and electronic media. All of CMP's publications and online products can be accessed through the company's TechWeb site on the World Wide Web (http://www.techweb.com/). Print titles include EE Times, Computer Retail Week, InformationWeek, and Windows Magazine. -0- 2/28/97 SOURCE: CMP Media Inc. |