New IBM Channel Chief to Build on 'Strong Momentum'

IBM veteran David La Rose, who last week was handed the reins as general Manager, IBM Partner Ecosystem, says he’s ready for the challenge.

La Rose replaces John Teltsch, who led the company’s worldwide channel business for the past two years.

Clearly, IBM likes to promote from within and stands by longtime executives who’ve been around the block with the company. La Rose joined IBM in 1990 and has vast global experience with the organization. Teltsch, who joined IBM in 1994, is staying put, named general manager, IBM Systems Sales. In that role he’ll lead sales for IBM’s storage, cognitive systems, Z, lab services and technical sales teams.

IBM’s David La Rose

“I am honored to take on this new role and build on the strong momentum that John and his team have created with IBM’s diverse global ecosystem of business partners,” said La Rose. “We will continue our focus on helping partners build new skills, realize new business opportunities and capitalize on growth areas like AI and hybrid multicloud, including Red Hat (which it acquired earlier this year). As you’ve heard my predecessor say, “There’s never been a better time to be in the IBM partner ecosystem.”

La Rose’s most recent role as IBM has been managing director for Australia and New Zealand, where he was responsible for leading the business locally and helping IBM employees, clients and business partners. He also served as vice president for enterprise and commercial sales in Asia Pacific, and as general manager for IBM’s central and eastern Europe market. He’s also familiar with the channel, having held senior roles in the company’s channel organization.

“John Teltsch crafted a strategy and really galvanized IBM’s partner organization into a transformational action,” Anurag Agrawal, CEO and analyst at Techaisle, told Channel Futures. “I hope David La Rose will take these initiatives to new frontiers. With his global experience and brief experience as the vice president of the Global Business Partner organization, he may infuse some new thinking to rapidly enable a geofocused partner organization. The biggest challenge for him will be to move from enablement to empowerment.”

IBM’s John Teltsch

Just six months after taking the reins as IBM channel chief in 2018, Teltsch made his initial debut with partners at the company’s IBM PartnerWorld, part of Think 2018, where he made new commitments to the 2,200 partners in attendance.

“It has been an enormous privilege to lead the IBM Partner Ecosystem team, and I look forward to staying completely engaged with them in my new role. I’m not going too far, and I will continue to be an advocate for our partners. I am proud of the progress we’ve made within the ecosystem and I continue to be inspired by our partners’ enthusiasm and commitment to their clients as they grow and transform their business with IBM,” said Teltsch.

Teltsch was recently recognized by Channel Partners/Channel Futures as a Top Gun 51 – a channel executive who makes a difference in the channel.