US SuSe Division Makes Top-Level Changes

By Brian Proffitt,
LinuxToday

The latest restructuring of SuSE Inc., has not meant just
lay-offs for the U.S. subsidiary of SuSE Linux AG. There are going
to be some changes at the upper levels of SuSE Inc. as well.

A spokesperson for SuSE Inc. announced today that SuSE Linux
AG’s Chief Technology Officer Dirk Hohndel will begin serving as
President of SuSE Inc., replacing current President Volker Wiegand.
In addition, Holger Dyroff has been appointed Director of Sales
North America.

The addition of these two executives from the parent company is
part of SuSE’s commitment to “intensify its focus on the U.S.
operations and to more closely integrate the international
management,” according to a statement made to the press today.

Wiegand’s departure, however, was not part of the official
restructuring plan. Since his assignment as president of SuSE’s
U.S. division, Wiegand has missed being away from the work he feels
most comfortable doing: that of providing service directly to the
customer. Wiegand also missed being with his family, whom he had
left behind in Germany.

The decision to transfer Hohndel to the president’s slot came as
good timing for SuSE’s plan to renew its American division’s
revenue through stronger sales.

Prior to this position, Dyroff successfully managed the Sales
department in SuSE’s headquarters, and has worked with SuSE since
the company’s inception.

“With Dirk and Holger as management team we feel ideally
prepared to focus on sales of our… SuSE Linux operating system in
the U.S. and Canada, as well as adding additional push to our new
business solution software like the SuSE Linux eMailServer II,”
said Roland Dyroff, CEO and Co-Founder of SuSE Linux AG in a
statement to the press. “Dirk has been responsible for our
activities in the U.S. for several years, which is now better
documented in our management structure as well.”

Wiegand will return to Germany to work in the company’s SuSE
Linux Solutions AG division.

“After doing a great job in Oakland in the past year, I respect
Volker’s wish to return to his family and to focus on SuSE’s
successful professional services business in Germany,” Hohndel
said.

The transition is expected to be a fluid one, a company
spokesperson said. The official changeover is today, but Wiegand
and Hohndel are planning to work together during the next six weeks
to make the transition smooth.