NetApp's Tom Georgens and Julie Parrish Named 2 of the Top 100 Most Influential Executives in the Industry by Everything Channel's CRN


SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - December 15, 2010) - NetApp (NASDAQ: NTAP) today announced that Tom Georgens, president and CEO, and Julie Parrish, vice president of Global Partner Sales, were named 2 of the Top 100 Most Influential Executives in the Industry by Everything Channel's CRN. Georgens was included on the 25 Most Innovative Executives list for his leadership and focus on storage technology innovation and unparalleled channel commitment. Parrish was included on the Top 25 Channel Sales Leaders list for her role in increasing NetApp's global sales through its partner ecosystem.

The annual Top 100 Most Influential Executives in the Industry list recognizes those executives who have changed the way the channel does business through engineering blockbuster acquisitions, developing breakthrough technology initiatives and spearheading aggressive channel sales expansions to significantly alter the balance of power in the technology business. The 25 Most Influential Executives list salutes individuals who are focused on innovation as well as consistency and those overcoming remarkable challenges; the 25 Channel Sales Leaders list honors hard-charging executives who are driving their indirect organization and partners forward with sales and marketing initiatives; the 25 Most Innovative Executives recognizes individuals who innovate continually on either the technology or business strategy front; and the 25 Mavericks honors executives whose brash and bold thinking is changing the rules of the channel.

"As companies move towards shared IT infrastructures, our channel partners play a crucial role in delivering best-of-breed products and solutions that can be used to build flexible and efficient environments," said Tom Georgens, president and chief executive officer at NetApp. "Collaborating with our channel partners is essential for our joint customers and a critical part of our overall growth strategy."

"These awards are a testament not only to NetApp and its industry-leading channel partner program, but also to the efforts and successes of our channel partners," said Julie Parrish, vice president of Global Partner Sales at NetApp. "We're committed to maintaining strong relationships with our channel partners and supporting their efforts to grow their business. As channel partners prepare their customers for a shared IT infrastructure, we will be there with industry-leading solutions, training, and enablement support programs designed to help them throughout the purchase process."

"As the IT channel continues to evolve, we salute the market influencers leading the charge for improvement to the overall health of the channel. Everything Channel's Top 100 Most Influential list recognizes those executives whose influence and innovation have made a positive impact on channel growth, leading to significant strides in the IT industry. From influential and innovative executives to sales leaders and channel mavericks, these 100 individuals have demonstrated the dedication, foresight, and calculated risk-taking that makes us proud to be a part of the IT channel," said Kelley Damore, vice president and editorial director, Everything Channel.

The Top 100 Most Influential Executives in the Industry were selected by the editors of CRN.

Winners were announced in the November 29th issue of CRN. To read about the Top 100 Most Influential Executives in the Industry, go to www.crn.com.

Additional Resources

About NetApp
NetApp creates innovative storage and data management solutions that deliver outstanding cost efficiency and accelerate business breakthroughs. Discover our passion for helping companies around the world go further, faster at www.netapp.com

Trademarks
NetApp, the NetApp logo, and Go further, faster are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. All other brands or logos are trademarks of their respective owners and should be treated as such.

Contact Information:

Press Contacts:

Jill Aaronson
Everything Channel
(516) 562-7847
Jillian.aaronson@ec.ubm.com

Nathan Phillips
NetApp
(408) 822-7284
nathan.phillips@netapp.com