Meet the Chiefs: Rick Ruskin, Kaminario
This week we chatted with Rick Ruskin, vice president of North American Channels at Kaminario, an all-flash enterprise storage company located in Newton, Mass. As Kaminario's channel chief, Ruskin manages the company's strategy, tactics and programs to drive new customer and partner adoption.
![Meet the Chiefs: Rick Ruskin, Kaminario Meet the Chiefs: Rick Ruskin, Kaminario](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/blt577b985ecbcd6733/65246ba2c5ac4a1e74c329b5/BW_Rick_Ruskin_0.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Rick Ruskin, Vice President of North American Channels, Kaminario
Ruskin: My first job was at a McDonalds, I worked there for a lot of my high school years. My good friend and I actually became managers there and years later, that same friend introduced me to my first job in the industry, at System Industries.
The VAR Guy says: "I'm Lovin' It!" That is a really cool story, and its great that your first job set you up for your current career.
Ruskin: I used to have a Jaguar XK8, but today I actually love a nice, big, beefy high performing SUV.
The VAR Guy says: That's definitely a big change (from sports car to SUV) but both types of vehicle definitely have their advantages. And with gas being as cheap as it is, an SUV isnt' such a bad choice!
Ruskin: There’s a story here … it’s my wife and I’s 10-year anniversary this month, so we were scheduled to go to Barcelona and set off on a Mediterranean cruise. Unfortunately, she broke her foot. The good news is we got credit from the company and are taking a Caribbean cruise in February instead.
The VAR Guy says: Wow, that's terrible that your wife broke her foot, but hopefully your upcoming vacation will be so fun that she forgets all about having to wear a cast.
Ruskin: Two books: Thomas Friedman’s "The World is Flat." If you haven’t read it, I’m convinced you don’t know what’s going on in the world. The second book is "Exodus" by Yeon Uris, the definitive story of how Israel was formed.
The VAR Guy says: It sounds like you are a big history buff. If you like WWII history, we recommend Stephen E. Ambrose's "Citizen Soldier" for your next read.
Ruskin: I really like big TV’s. My last purchase was a 62” Sharp TV.
The VAR Guy says: In our eyes, having a big TV isn't a splurge, it's a necessity. After all, you can't watch movies on anything less than a 40'' screen, right?
Ruskin: "Homeland"
The VAR Guy says: "Homeland" is a great show, but we're so behind on it that it's not even funny. No spoilers please!
Ruskin: I wanted to be an Astronaut. I was a kid when they were walking on the moon in 1969. I used to go to bed really early and my parents would wake me up to watch them walk on the moon at 2 a.m. One of my sons also wanted to be an astronaut so when he was 9 we both went to space camp where we trained and flew a mission on a shuttle stimulator.
The VAR Guy says: That sounds amazing! While its certainly great to have your talents in play right here on Earth, we bet you (and your son) would have made great astronauts.
Ruskin: The Star Wars movies. I am very excited to see the newest one!
The VAR Guy says: We love the Star Wars movies too! Not to brag, but we liked "The Force Awakens" so much that we saw it four times. As you can tell, Star Wars is a pretty big deal for The VAR Guy.
Ruskin: The Star Wars movies. I am very excited to see the newest one!
The VAR Guy says: We love the Star Wars movies too! Not to brag, but we liked "The Force Awakens" so much that we saw it four times. As you can tell, Star Wars is a pretty big deal for The VAR Guy.
This week we chatted with Rick Ruskin, vice president of North American Channels at Kaminario, an all-flash enterprise storage company located in Newton, Mass. As Kaminario's channel chief, Ruskin manages the company's strategy, tactics and programs to drive new customer and partner adoption.
Ruskin joined Kaminario in October and was previously the vice president of Sales at Storiant. His experience in the IT industry dates back to 1985, and includes executive-level roles at companies including VDX Inc., eG Innovations and Lumigent Techologies, among others.
What is Meet the Chiefs?
Meet the Chiefs shines the spotlight on the channel’s head honchos and offers an opportunity to learn a little bit about the person beyond his or her company profile. Click on each photo to learn more about the channel chief you’re viewing.
Want to be included in an upcoming Meet the Chiefs? Send an email to The VAR Guy Associate Editor Michael Cusanelli at [email protected] for more information. He’s really good at answering emails on time, we promise.
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