Microsoft partner Avanade has appointed a former chemist to head up its UK&I operations.
Prior to a 15 year-stint at Microsoft, Paula Panarra spent the same amount of time in leadership positions at Procter & Gamble.
Her degree is in Chemistry and Biotechnology from Instituto Superior Técnico de Lisboa.
Panarra joined Avanade in April as its General Manager, Iberia. She will take up her new post as GM for UK&I on 1 December.
Panarra is just the latest in a string of women appointed to top jobs at large UK channel partners.
In October, CDW unveiled Penny Williams as its UK MD (see here), with Littlefish unveiling Ursula Morgenstern as its new CEO in September and Bytes Technology Group appointing Sam Mudd as its CEO in May (see here).
Panarra’s appointment comes after Avanade – which ranked 14th in this year’s Oxygen 250 – launched a new suite of services targeted at the mid-market to help them achieve their ambitions in AI.
Avanade’s majority owner Accenture also recently announced it has teamed up with Avanade to create a 5,000-strong Copilot practice.
“We’re at a pivotal moment for AI – when done right, technology can achieve impactful, far-reaching results that transcend traditional solutions,” Panarra stated in a canned comment.
