‘We’ve seen more leadership changes in Q1 than in the last four years’: Marc Sumner on channel C-suite reshuffles

Robertson Sumner’s CEO says these shifts are driven by the end of PE cycles and exec teams underperforming

Over the past three months, the IT channel has been marked by a series of executive changes, as partners rethink their targets and needs.

Marc Sumner, CEO of IT channel recruitment firm Robertson Sumner, tells CRN that these shifts are “primarily driven by private equity (PE) cycles.”

“Many PE cycles have come to an end, particularly towards the end of last year and the beginning of this year.

“As a result, there’s been considerable pressure on current executives, leading to leadership shake-ups.”

While operating as CEO of Robertson Sumner since 1999, the channel vet explains he’s “never seen so many new leaders in such a short period - more than in the last four years combined, making Q1 our busiest quarter ever.”

“Normally, we see frequent turnover in sales and marketing roles, but now it’s happening at the executive level.”

But beyond PE firms closing their cycles, those adjustments come down to the performances of the IT leaders themselves, who for many have proved insufficient over the last 12 months.

“Many companies fell short, landing somewhere between 60 per cent and 85 per cent of their targets.

“When that happens, PE firms start scrutinising the leadership team, including the CRO and CEO, and determine whether a change is necessary.

“Additionally, when PE firms reach the end of a three-year investment cycle, they often reassess leadership and make changes.

“The combination of underperformance and the natural conclusion of PE cycles has effectively doubled leadership turnover.”

Sumner also identifies MSPs, VARs, and distributors as being the most affected by these upheavals, “not such the vendors.”

“These aren’t just small companies - many of the top ten MSPs, major distributors, and leading partners are going through leadership changes at the C-suite level,” explains Sumner.

He adds that this trend will not just impact Q1, as people moves are expected to keep making headlines until June.

“The reshuffling started in September 2024, but we’re now just seeing the impact as people complete their notice periods.”

In the last three months, Roberston Sumner has placed 25 new CROs and CEOs across the channel.

To do so, the recruitment company conducts “off-the-record checks with companies before formally referencing candidates.”

“We also have a deep understanding of the industry after 25 years in the market, so we know the good, the bad and the ugly in the market, we know who’s good and who’s not.

“Additionally, we monitor company performance closely.

“If an executive claims they were made redundant, we actually know whether they were actually let go due to poor performance.”

Recent news bears out Sumner’s comments. Just in the past month, Avanade, Node4 Channel, Cybit, Agilitas and Six Degrees have all made changes to their C-suite, although in some of these cases, the moves are aftershocks from changes made in 2024.