NetApp scores key hire in former Lenovo executive

Data services giant NetApp has snagged a former senior executive out of Lenovo to manage its largest business unit – a move the company says will help “lead the change into a new era.”

This week NetApp announced in a blog post it has brought on Kim Stevenson to be its new senior vice president and general manager of its Foundational Data Services Business Unit. A spokeswoman confirms she will be based in Research Triangle Park where NetApp operates a hub on Kit Creek Road.

Stevenson was considered a trophy hire by Lenovo, which has what it calls a “dual headquarters” in Morrisville. Fresh off of Intel, Stevenson was brought on personally in 2017 by another Intel veteran, Kirk Skaugen, who at the time was a new Triangle-based data center group leader. But her tenure didn't last long. Lenovo confirms she resigned a year and a half ago for "personal/family issues." She was replaced by Doug Fisher in late 2018.

NetApp's announcement – penned by Brad Anderson, executive vice president and general manager of the NetApp Cloud Infrastructure and Storage, Systems and Software business units – notes that while at Lenovo as general manager of the Data Center Products and Solutions business (based in RTP), Stevenson grew the unit by more than $2 billion.

In a statement included in the post, Stevenson said that NetApp’s “partnerships with the biggest public cloud providers, its engaged ecosystem, and diverse portfolio across storage solutions and data services, give it a great position.”

“I’m excited to help realize this potential and keep NetApp ahead of the market,” Stevenson stated.

Prior to her last role at Lenovo, Stevenson was chief operating officer of the Client, IoT and System Architecture Group. And prior to Lenovo, she was at Intel where, over a seven-year tenure, she went from being chief information officer to managing its largest business unit, Client and Internet of Things Business and Systems Architecture.

source bizjournals

Industry: Data Centre