Specialism: Cybersecurity
Key vendors: Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, Rubrik, Mimecast, Thales, SentinelOne, Netskope, Gigamon, Forescout, Infoblox
UK revenue: £591.1m (+7%)
UK headcount: 256
Active UK reseller/MSP base: 1,300
“You could add up our three or four nearest competitors – your Arrows, Westcons, Distologies and e92s – and they’d be the same size as us in cyber,” Exclusive’s Northern European VP Rob Tomlin told IT Channel Oxygen in June.
This was fresh from Exclusive becoming the first cybersecurity VAD to break the €1bn revenue runrate barrier in the UK&I.
Dusty old calendar 2023 accounts show Exclusive’s UK revenues rising 7% to £591.1m (its 2024 numbers are due out imminently).
Having been listed on the Euronext Paris stock exchange for four years, the Paris-based VAD completed a take-private move in March.
New UK Country Manager Adam Williamson picked out SASE as a particular sweet spot for Exclusive in 2025 (see Q&A below).
“High-profile breaches will definitely have focused minds”
Quickfire Q&A with UK Country Manager Adam Williamson
What’s your top priority over the next 12 months?
Our priority always has been and always will be helping build a more secure world. Our specialist cybersecurity expertise, market leading portfolio and our relentless attitude towards service delivery, secure ecosystems and MSSP, will enable us to continue our mission.
What’s the most under-rated facet of your business?
As a business, we don’t underrate any part of our strategy to deliver on the support our vendors and partners need of us to meet their business growth. What is often easy to unde-rate is the drive and determination of our people to deliver that business growth. As a distributor we have built a unique culture where that drive to succeed and deliver real value comes from within.
Name a vendor or technology area that’s been a hit for you in 2025.
SASE – The momentum has been building for some time, however the shift is real and rather than talking we’re seeing SASE strategies being implemented on a daily basis.
Are you expecting to grow in this calendar year?
Yes, despite the market still being challenging we’re seeing cyber and data security not only a focus but a real “boardroom” discussion…which is exactly where it should be. High-profile breaches hitting mainstream media headlines will definitely have focused some minds.
How do you feel that one company featured in this report took out a full-page New York Times ad in March blasting the term ‘distributor’?
We’d rather invest our marketing budget into activities that help generate real, tangible opportunities for our partners.
On a scale of 1-10, how optimistic are you about the IT distribution market right now?
A very positive 10. Our vendors work with us as their ‘primary partner’ which is a significant shift in mindset over recent years, away from a basic transactional mechanism to a more transformational relationship. Times are changing – we see it, we feel it, and we are ready for it!
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