Avant Nabs Rival Intelisys Alum for West Sales VP Job

Mike Wolfington, a fixture in the Intelisys community, has joined rival technology services distributor (TSD) Avant Communications.

Wolfington has accepted the role of regional vice president of sales in the West. Wolfington previously held the identical title for Intelisys. Avant said Wolfington takes responsibility for the Chicago-based company’s West Coast sales team. He’ll look to recruit and generate sales with technology advisor partners in the region.

Wolfington pointed to different resources Avant Communications has been investing in the recent years, including its Pathfinder sales consulting platform and research practice.

Avant Communications’ Mike Wolfington

“Avant is widely known for its ability to maximize the value it brings to the trusted advisor,” said Wolfington. “They truly understand the challenges trusted advisors face when choosing from the growing number of vendors and solutions that are entering the channel today.”

Avant Communications’ Jen Gallego

Avant executive vice president of global sales Jen Gallego called Wolfington “the ideal leader” for helping partners in the West navigate the their businesses.

“He brings with him a wealth of experience and a proven track record of success that will undoubtedly inspire and motivate our West Coast sales team to achieve new heights when it comes to helping our trusted advisors accelerate revenue and stay ahead of the pace of change. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Avant family,” Gallego said.

Wolfington’s Pre-Avant Communications Background

Oregon-based Wolfington gained a strong reputation with many partners in the Intelisys ecosystem. He came over to Intelisys through its acquisition of Verizon-focused distributor Kingcom. He started as director of finance for Kingcom before moving to vice president of sales. Upon joining Intelisys, he spent his first two hears directing Verizon business development for Intelisys and its parent company ScanSource. He started as regional sales director in the Northwest, Mountain and Northern California markets. He achieved a promotion to West regional vice president of sales in 2021.

Avant Communications’ Drew Lydecker

“Mike is one of the most recognized leaders in our industry today. His pulse on the future of the trusted advisor and industry experience is what attracted us to having Mike join us in this critical growth phase of the company,” Avant president Drew Lydecker said. “Mike’s energy, passion, and commitment to excellence fits Avant to a tee.”

Wolfington said his move to Avant Communications reflects what he called a “fundamental question at the epicenter of the business.” That is how channel partners can move their customers through complexity and a fragmented technology landscape.

“I believe as solutions become exponentially more complex and the channel community moves upward into the enterprise space; they need the economies of scale and empirical-based guidance that only Avant can provide. End users today are paralyzed by the magnitude of options that exist. Avant is the partner to curate those options and provide the clarity the trusted advisor needs to exceed client expectations,” Wolfington told Channel Futures in an email.

He also said he likes how the company takes input.

“What is great about Avant is that it is an idea meritocracy, and all ideas for improving the experience for the trusted advisor are welcome. It doesn’t matter what level of the organization you are a part of. The best idea wins,” he said.

Wolfington’s predecessor Isaiah Hogberg moved to TierPoint in July to lead the supplier’s channel. Hogberg worked for almost six years at Avant Communications. TierPoint recently named Avant its distribution partner of the year.