Jenni Flinders Now Heading NetApp Partner Programs as Chris Lamborn Departs

Chris Lamborn, who heads worldwide NetApp partner programs, is leaving the company Friday to start his own partner consultancy.

ChannelXLR8’s Chris Lamborn

Lamborn’s departure comes two months after veteran channel executive Jenni Flinders joined NetApp. Flinders spent 14 years at Microsoft, rising to general manager of its worldwide partner group. After leaving Microsoft in 2015, Flinders founded People for Innovation, where she is a board member. Later she became VMware’s channel chief.

At NetApp, Flinders heads the company’s global partner, channels and ecosystems, according to an update on her LinkedIn profile. NetApp declined to make her available for comment.

“She’s still in her first 90-day listening tour period, but she’ll be determining the org structure going forward as NetApp continues to evolve,” a NetApp spokesman said.

Lamborn’s Future

NetApp’s Jenni Flinders

As for Lamborn, he told Channel Futures that he is starting his own consultancy.

“I have decided to take my own brand of partner ecosystem consultancy, ChannelXLR8, to market with the aim of helping businesses across several segments maximize the benefits of a partner ecosystem,” he said.

Lamborn announced his plans on LinkedIn to leave NetApp after nearly six years.

“The hardest career choice can be deciding when it’s time for a change, but it’s a lot easier when you’re leaving a strong team that’s capable of achieving great things,” wrote Lamborn in his Thursday post. “Change in the partner ecosystem is accelerating, and I look forward to engaging in new ways.”

Commenting on Lamborn’s announcement, partners and colleagues praised him on LinkedIn for his six years at NetApp.

“Congratulations on an impactful journey that helped so many partners succeed and add to NetApp’s success,” noted Denise Sangster, president and CEO of Global Touch.

Carol Madson, who worked with Lamborn at NetApp as global alliance manager until last year added: “You are one of the most respected leaders I’ve known. NetApp’s loss and another company’s gain.”