Avaya hones in on ANZ with flurry of channel appointments

​Avaya Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) recently announced the expansion of their team.

Mitch Walkaden has been hired to lead its local sales, while Steve Williams will be in charge of directing channel operations – this is in addition to more hires and promotions to build on its continued transformation, following the disruption of bankruptcy filings in the US.

After working with Avaya since mid-2014, Williams has now been elevated to regional channel leader of ANZ, tasked with working with Avaya's partners to deliver customisable and flexible solutions to joint clients.

According to Avaya, Williams has more than 10 years' experience in IT channel management.

Walkaden has been appointed director of midmarket sales and distribution in ANZ, holding responsibility for working with customers and distributors to develop and support digital transformation strategies.

He previously held the role of distribution account manager and has been with Avaya for two years.

This is in addition to more focused roles geographically, with Gary Walters filling the role of territory account manager for NSW and QLD, and Brett Stevenson as sales engineer.

Both join Avaya with communications and telecommunications backgrounds having held positions at companies including Truphone, M2 Group, Telstra and Optus.

Avaya managing director for ANZ, Peter Chidiac says the company has undergone a significant transition over the last 18 to 24 months to ensure they're more closely aligned with the needs of their customers in today's digital world.

"We've made key changes to how we operate and deliver outcomes to our customers that address challenges around Internet of Things, mobility, artificial intelligence, and more," says Chidiac.

"These set of appointments marks the next phase of that continued transformation, allowing us to continue to building on the standard of solutions and services we deliver to customers and partners.

Furthermore, Avaya also named successful graduates from its local Graduate Program, with Shehara Hapugalle and Lloyd Nucup taking the reins of channel account manager and sales engineer, respectively.