Alex Ryals serves as vice president, Security Solutions, North America for Tech Data. He was appointed to the role in February 2017 upon the completion of Tech Data’s acquisition of Avnet’s Technology Solutions division. In this role, he is responsible for accelerating the sales of security solutions through the Tech Data partner ecosystem. Leveraging vendor sales, training and enablement, custom solutions and delivery services, Ryals’ team helps partners build security practices and recruits new vendors into the Tech Data family.
Previously, Ryals served as vice president of Solutions Development for Avnet Technology Solutions, managing several solutions practices, including Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics, mobility, security and converged solutions. His duties included developing enablement collateral to help Avnet partners build their own solution practices, researching new emerging technology suppliers for recruitment, training the internal Avnet sales organization and designing technology solutions for partners to take to market.
Prior to that, he was the solution strategy director for the HPE brand team within Avnet Technology Solutions, focused on building cloud computing, data analytics, converged and security solutions for partners using HPE technology. He joined Avnet in 2013 with the acquisition of Pepperweed Consulting, where he was serving as Chief Technology Officer.
Ryals has nearly 20 years of experience in the technology sector, with much of his career spent in the services space working for an HP Software value-added reseller (VAR), Pepperweed Consulting. As a founding member of Pepperweed Consulting, he delivered software consulting engagements in over 40 U.S.-based organizations and architected software and cloud solutions for over 200 companies. Throughout his career, Ryals has gained experience working in key verticals such as healthcare, retail, energy and finance, as well as worked with several government agencies as part of a public sector practice. He is a graduate of Auburn University, where he received a Bachelor of Computer Science degree with a minor in business in 1997.