Avaya lures BT director to conduct service provider orchestra

Channel old timer Steve Rafferty has quit BT and is on the way to Avaya as EMEA sales director for service providers and systems integrators.

Rafferty started at SCC in new business sales, moved to Software AG and ArmourSoft before heading back to the Midland-based reseller, before being whisked off his feet by BT where he held several roles.

The regional position he picks up at Avaya is a new one for the company, the man tells us:

“We’ve got numerous teams across region focused on service providers and SIs but we’ve never had a European leader for the group.”

Service providers that already work with the UC, contact centre and networking biz include BT and Vodafone, “this is a massive opportunity for Avaya technology,” the man claimed.

In calendar Q4, Avaya - owned by private equity houses Silver Lake and TPG - turned over $1.07bn, down $45m versus the previous quarter and down $52m on the same period a year earlier.

Sales were “constrained by the effect of exchange rates, December sales execution and deal timing, “ said present and CEO Kevin Kennedy.

Op-ex fell by $20m to $534m leaving an operating income of $104m, which after tax and ‘other income” gave Avaya a net income of $3m compared to a loss of $54m a year earlier.

Rafferty starts at Avaya on 13 April. ®