Global distributor Westcon-Comstor has announced it will combine its Middle East and Sub-Saharan Africa (MEA) operations as part of a group-wide strategy to improve efficiency, drive profitability, and streamline engagement with partners and vendors.

Effective 1 March 2022, the new structure will be headed by Rakesh Parbhoo, who has been appointed Senior Vice President whilst maintaining his role as Group CTO.

“The combined operations will represent nearly 14% of Group revenue and boasts close to 500 staff members, making Westcon-Comstor one of the most formidable distributors in this market," said David Grant, CEO at Westcon-Comstor. "The expanded operation headed by Rakesh provides the perfect platform for us to scale our services while giving partners and vendors with multiple geographies a seamless experience, no matter where their customers are."

The company has made further strategic appointments to support the new combined entity.

Steve Lockie, the Group Managing Director for the Middle East, is joined by his recently appointed counterparts Louise Taute, Managing Director for Southern Africa and Vincent Entonu, Managing Director for Rest of Africa, all reporting directly to Parbhoo. The new structure will allow Lockie to focus on the opportunities presented by the company’s recent expansion into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Elmien du Toit, current Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Sub-Saharan Africa, has been with the group since 2006 takes on the role of COO for MEA.

Forming part of Parbhoo’s executive leadership team, du Toit will be responsible for supply chain and sales operations, including oversight of back-office business functions aligning these to company-wide global best practices while ensuring their local relevance.

Another strategic appointment is that of Catherine Mwololo who will take the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for MEA. As a member of the regional executive team, Mwololo, the current CFO for Sub-Saharan Africa, will consolidate her responsibilities for finance across the entire MEA region.

“I am excited about what we are building in the MEA region. By combining operations, we are creating an entity that has cross border reach while providing our teams room to grow. My new executive team know this industry, understand the region, have extensive knowledge of distribution, and most importantly they are entrenched in the Westcon-Comstor DNA. Looking ahead, we want to take our unique brand of digital distribution to every corner of MEA, expand our business, and show our partners and vendors that we will always ensure a local focus while delivering global best practices,” said Parbhoo.