Later today, Midwich Group will announce a restructuring of its North American leadership organization, Commercial Integrator learned exclusively this morning. The move, the company says, is designed to better leverage the combined strengths of Midwich US and SFM (a Midwich Group company). Moreover, it will enhance service and support across the U.S. and Canadian markets.
The new structure formalizes a holistic approach to regional leadership, while still maintaining the distinct business models, local leadership teams and operational independence that drive success in each market. Midwich US and SFM will be better positioned to strengthen partnerships, expand market reach and deliver greater value to customers and vendors throughout North America.
Midwich North America Leadership Team Restructuring
The company’s restructured North American leadership team includes the following appointments, effective immediately:
- Ghyslain Berger has been named chief executive officer for North America, assuming regional CEO responsibilities. Berger has been part of SFM’s executive team for over seven years, six of which as COO, and more recently as president.
- Chantal Baraniuk Morin assumes the dual role of chief operating officer and chief financial officer for North America. In this expanded capacity, all Finance, HR, IT, and Operations functions for both Midwich US and SFM will report to her leadership. Baraniuk Morin brings over six years of experience with the organization.
- Monique Rezaei joins as chief revenue officer for North America. A familiar face within the AV industry, Rezaei brings extensive channel experience from senior leadership positions at HP/Poly and, most recently, Microsoft. All Sales, Marketing, and Services functions will report to Rezaei’s leadership while continuing to be managed at the local level.
- Tyler Brebberman has been appointed chief vendor officer for North America, taking on leadership responsibility for all Business and Brand Management functions across the region. Brebberman brings over 10 years of experience with Midwich to this role.
- Randal Tucker transitions to the role of executive advisor to the CEO, In this strategic capacity, Tucker will advise on matters of strategy and overall direction with particular interest in Professional Services and other strategic global business initiatives.
Bobby Swartz will be departing his role as CEO of Midwich US to pursue a remarkable opportunity within the industry. “I would like to express my deep gratitude for Bobby Swartz’s significant contributions to the progression of the US business over recent years,” Tom Sumner, chief strategy officer at Midwich Group, says.
In exclusive comments to Commercial Integrator, Swartz says, “I’ve spent 17 years here with Midwich Group, and we leave on the best of terms. And honestly, seeing what we’ve built, but then seeing where we’re going, makes me really excited.”
He continues, “At the end of the day, this is what pushes it forward. This is [about] the people who I’ve worked with for a decade and longer [and] leaving them in better hands than where I leave off and start a new journey. And I think, to me, it’s exciting to be able to watch.”
Midwich Leadership Restructuring: Strategic Vision for North America
In further exclusive comments to Commercial Integrator, Ghyslain Berger, CEO for North America, stresses that this leadership restructuring is not a homogenization effort. In fact, it’s much more about coordinated regional leadership that will allow for coordinated strategy and shared best practices.
“The Midwich Group really sees North America as a key growth vector for the future of the organization,” Berger tells Commercial Integrator exclusively. “There’s a lot of strengths on both sides of the border, and I want to make sure we can keep those strengths but [can help] each other with the relationships and what we do so well on both sides.”
According to Berger, “These organizational changes will enable us to more effectively leverage our combined capabilities, delivering enhanced value throughout the region, while preserving the unique strengths that drive success for each business in their local markets. Our guiding principle of ‘think global, act local’ will remain at the heart of our North American strategy as we move forward.”
Midwich Leadership Restructuring: Maintaining Operational Independence
This move formalizes the company’s current approach of sharing best practices where it makes business sense. However, Midwich US and SFM will continue to operate in their respective markets under their distinct business models, go-to-market strategies and value propositions supported by their individual business systems. With strong management teams in place at both companies, Midwich Group is confident in their capability to continue driving business success and delivering exceptional customer experiences at the local level.
SFM
- Website: https://www.sfm.ca/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sfm
Midwich US
- Website: https://midwich.us/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/midwichus/
Editor’s Note: Later this week, Commercial Integrator will present extended, in-depth insights on this leadership restructuring emerging from an exclusive interview with Berger and Swartz. These never-before-seen comments will add further texture to this breaking story, explaining the reorganization’s implications for Midwich’s partners and the industry overall.
