‘Nothing short of extraordinary’ - Lawton to step down as CDW UK CTO

The long-time leader and advocate for equity in tech announced his departure on November 28

Carl Lawton, CTO and VP at CDW UK & International, has announced his departure from the company after 11 years with the VAR.

Lawton broke the news in a LinkedIn post yesterday (28 November), reflecting on his time with the global IT solutions provider and hinting at new opportunities on the horizon.

“This chapter has been nothing short of extraordinary,” Lawton wrote.

“…filled with countless memorable moments, inspiring colleagues, and the privilege of working alongside valued customers and partners.”

Lawton joined CDW in 2013 with a mandate over cloud services and R&D.

Over the years, he held several services roles before taking on the CTO post in 2022.

During his tenure, Lawton led the integrated technology solutions function, which comprised 700 people, encompassing the office of the CTO, presales, and professional and managed services.

He played a pivotal role in projects such as Premier Foods' migration to Amazon Web Services (AWS) public cloud, enhancing their agility and flexibility.

Lawton also became a prominent voice in the channel on the benefits of managed cloud services, emphasising its role in digital transformation.

Known for his blend of technical expertise and people-centric leadership, Lawton was instrumental in developing high-performing teams and fostering a culture of excellence at CDW.

Lawton has also spearheaded CDW's engagement with the The Sick Children’s Trust as an executive sponsor, and been actively involved in various social impact causes, and received multiple awards at both Computacenter and CDW for performance.

CRN reached out to CDW for comment but did not hear back by press time.

A successor has yet to be announced.