Senior appointments signal strategic push in European channel and services firms

Leading technology and consultancy firms in Europe and the UK are bolstering their leadership teams in a bid to accelerate regional growth, with a focus on cloud, AI, and cybersecurity innovation amidst rising customer demand.

A wave of senior appointments announced in early 2026 underlines a renewed push by channel and services firms to accelerate growth across Europe and the UK, with managed service, enterprise-application and networking specialists moving to strengthen leadership and strategic focus. According to Computer Weekly, Ensono, Nexer Enterprise Applications and Xantaro each promoted or hired experienced executives to steer regional expansion and respond to shifting customer demands. ^[1]

Ensono has appointed Alisdair Wright as managing director for Europe, tapping a leader with more than two decades’ experience at IBM Consulting, SAP and Atos to drive growth in the UK and across the region. According to the company’s press release, Wright will focus on scaling modern managed services and deepening client relationships; Bill Stith, Ensono’s executive vice-president for global sales and marketing, said Wright’s “proven leadership” will be critical as demand for reliable, modern managed services grows across Europe. The firm’s own leadership profile highlights Wright’s emphasis on modernising legacy systems and scaling cloud, AI and hybrid infrastructure as pillars of the European strategy. ^[1][2][3]

Nexer Enterprise Applications has promoted Martin Burden to UK managing director after a period as the company’s UK commercial director, a move the firm frames as recognition of his success in delivering commercial growth and customer-impacting strategies. Consultancy reporting and Nexer’s corporate communications say Burden brings more than 30 years’ experience in business applications and consultancy leadership and will push further into areas such as artificial intelligence, change management and cyber resilience. The company has also signalled continuity at board level: former UK managing director Colin Crow will remain involved as chairman and company secretary while taking on a new global strategic role within the group. Industry filings and client announcements show Nexer continuing to win Microsoft Dynamics 365 implementations for large customers, underlining the strategic importance of the UK market for the group. ^[1][6][5][7]

In Germany’s networking-transformation specialist Xantaro, Marcus Cuthbert has been named UK managing director after almost four years running sales and pre-sales teams; the company says the appointment is part of planned succession. Xantaro stated that long-serving managing director Mark Hutchinson will move into the role of UK executive chairman to advise on strategy and future mergers and acquisitions activity, signalling a handover designed to maintain continuity while preparing for further growth. The firm described the transition as reinforcing “long-term succession planning” and its commitment to continued innovation. ^[1]

Taken together, the appointments reflect a wider pattern across the channel in recent weeks. Computer Weekly and other industry trackers note multiple senior moves at companies including SCC, Communicate and CDW as vendors and services providers seek fresh leadership to capitalise on demand for cloud modernisation, AI-enabled services and improved cyber resilience. Consultancy reporting from related markets similarly records firms expanding senior teams to support geographic growth and capability development. ^[1][4]

Analysts say such leadership changes often presage sharper competitive positioning and an intensified focus on cross‑border delivery. According to Nexer’s public statements, clients are increasingly demanding clearer value, lower risk and more predictable outcomes, a dynamic that firms hope experienced executives can translate into repeatable, scalable propositions. Ensono’s statements also stress mission-critical support and sustainable innovation as selling points in Europe’s crowded managed‑services market. These shifts suggest vendors will prioritise both technical capability, particularly around cloud and AI, and commercial frameworks that de‑risk transformation for enterprise customers. ^[1][2][3][6]

For now, companies involved present the moves as planned successions and strategic hires intended to accelerate growth and better align offerings with market demand. Computer Weekly’s survey of early 2026 channel activity described the first Channel Moves round-up of the year as unusually populated, indicating broader recruitment momentum across tiers of the channel as firms search for senior talent to deliver on expansion plans. ^[1]

📌 Reference Map:

Reference Map:

• ^[1] (Computer Weekly / The Channel) – Paragraph 1, Paragraph 2, Paragraph 3, Paragraph 4, Paragraph 6
• ^[2] (Ensono press release) – Paragraph 2
• ^[3] (Ensono leadership page) – Paragraph 2
• ^[6] (Consultancy.org / Nexer news) – Paragraph 3, Paragraph 5
• ^[5] (Nexer / MyNewsdesk press release on Landsec) – Paragraph 3
• ^[7] (Nexer / MyNewsdesk press release on Hanover Displays) – Paragraph 3
• ^[4] (Consultancy.uk on Elixirr hires) – Paragraph 4

Source: Fuse Wire Services