Familiar face to manage Microsoft's Aussie Surface channel

Microsoft's first ever Australian Surface commercial channel manager will be a familiar face to many, with the company today confirming it has appointed Lenovo ANZ channel sales director, Fred Viet is taking on the new role.

Viet has been with Lenovo since 2006, when he joined the vendor as a global account manager.

He moved into the Sydney-based role of ANZ channel sales manager in 2011 before becoming ANZ channel sales director in July 2015.

A Microsoft spokesperson confirmed to ChannelLife that Viet will join Microsoft as Surface Commercial Channel Lead, later this year.

"Fred brings a wealth of channel experience to this role and will drive our Surface commercial channel expansion strategy," the spokesperson says.

Viet's appointment comes as Microsoft ramps up its Surface channel both locally and globally. In January, the vendor added 150 new authorised Surface resellers in a move it said reflected 'continued high demand' for Surface in the commercial sector.

The new resellers are distributor-managed by Synnex and Ingram Micro and are able to sell the full range of Surface products, including the Surface Book.

In its advertising for the Surface channel sales manager role, Microsoft said it was looking for someone to drive the overall Surface strategy and lead sales and marketing in Australia, saying the person 'will have overall ownership and accountability for Surface sales strategy and results for the commercial channel in their market'.

The company noted it was looking for someone with 10-plus years of experience in enterprise sales and/or sales/partner management or consulting services, including recent Microsoft experience.

The role is also a liaison between Microsoft's SMS-P and worldwide headquarters.