Insight's UK chief puts on lifejacket and leaps overboard

Emma de Sousa to step down after 12 years

Tech supplier Insight Enterprise has finally confirmed that its UK MD and veep Emma de Sousa is stepping down after 12 years in the role.

Last week multiple Insight insiders informed El Chan that de Sousa has already given notice of her intention to leave and the departure was expected to be announced internally "early next month."

However, EMEA president Wolfgang Ebermann said he could not confirm that rumour.

"If there is an opportunity to tell you a story I am happy to tell you, but at this stage there is no announcement," he said at the time.

It would seem that opportunity has now arisen, with Embermann disclosing that de Sousa has taken a "very senior role" at an IT company, the name of which he was unable to say. Sources tell The Channel that she is off to a cloud company.

"We do regret Emma is leaving after 12 years, she has made a significant contribution to our success in the UK and Europe." He said de Sousa will take up the new role in March 2016, and will help recruit her replacement.

"She was made a very attractive offer, which was also close to her home town," he said. Apparently de Sousa was poached by the unnamed company.

She will be the latest in a long line of top brass to have left the company recently. This has included vendor alliances director Justin Griffiths, sales veteran Frank Bitoun, marketing head Ashley Gatehouse, cloud guru Ash Patel, enterprise sales director Garry Butters, EMEA operations veep Simon Taylor, and IT services directors Tom Nesbit and Stuart Lemon.

Asked what has prompted so many senior folk to jump ship, Embermann attributed it to career opportunities, saying the multiple departures over a relatively short space of time were a co-incidence. ®