Two MSP Industry Experts Make Career Moves

Adds, moves and changes: Several managed services industry veterans are making career moves ahead of the New Year. Some of the moves are public knowledge. Others are still to be formally announced. Confirmed today: Brian Sherman, the well-known veteran of Autotask and Business Solutions magazine, has launched Tech Success Communications. And Todd McKendrick, a veteran of Dell Managed Services and Do IT Smarter, is leaping to Nimsoft. Here’s a closer look at both moves.

First, let’s look at Brian Sherman’s new company. According to the Tech Success Communications home page:

You can bet Sherman will have a hand in crafting white papers and other materials for IT channel players. Sherman is also building a resource center that strives to connect emerging vendors and channel managers connect with industry experts.

I must concede: I haven’t had a chance to speak with Sherman directly about his career move. I’ve dropped him an email via FaceBook and hope to catch up soon.

Nimsoft’s New Hire

Meanwhile, Dell Managed Services veteran Todd McKendrick is joining Nimsoft as director of business development. McKendrick earlier was at Do IT Smarter, the well-known Master MSP. McKendrick’s LinkedIn profile has been updated with the Nimsoft position.

Nimsoft has had success serving two masters in 2009: Managed service providers as well as corporate IT managers. Among Nimsoft’s biggest wins lately: A major deployment at Deutsche Bank. Plus, Nimsoft seems to be gaining traction with Ingram Micro Seismic partners. The Nimsoft-Ingram relationship surfaced in September 2009.

McKendrick is one of the first people Amy Katz (my business partner) and I met in the managed services market. Ask me about the story sometime. It’s a good one. I hope to catch up with McKendrick within the next few days to hear what attracted him to Nimsoft, and what his goals are for 2010.

More Moves Coming

Meanwhile, I’m getting phone calls from a number of mid- to senior-level managers at MSP software companies. They all seem to be asking me the same question: Should they go out on their own and offer coaching services to MSPs?

My answer: How do you plan to differentiate? The MSP market is flooding with real (and aspiring) coaches. What’s your unique selling proposition?

Several callers offered up some great answers to my questions. I hope to share their stories with you in the weeks ahead.

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