Westcon-Comstor appoints Erna de Ruijter-Quist as Chief People Officer

Westcon-Comstor, a global technology provider and specialist distributor, has appointed Erna de Ruijter-Quist in a newly created role as Chief People Officer. Based in the UK, de Ruijter-Quist joins the company's executive leadership team and will report directly to CEO David Grant. She will be responsible for all people-related functions within the company, underscoring a strategic commitment to driving digital transformation.

Erna de Ruijter-Quist has an extensive background in leadership within global industries. Her previous roles include spearheading major organisational redesign programmes at FTSE 100 enterprise software provider Sage, as well as holding international leadership positions at HSBC, Virgin Media, Liberty Global, Sony, and GE Capital. She has a distinguished track record of driving organisational change and is a trustee of The Legacy Project, a charity aimed at facilitating positive global change.

At Westcon-Comstor, her responsibilities will include leveraging her expertise in business redesign, organisation design, and change management to speed up digital transformation. The firm is shifting towards a software and subscription-based recurring revenue model. Through her leadership, de Ruijter-Quist will continue to promote a culture that champions diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), driving employee engagement and instituting programmes around innovation, internal mobility, and learning and development.

"I’m thrilled and honoured to be joining Westcon-Comstor," de Ruijter-Quist says, "I can’t wait to make a positive impact, empowering our 3,500-plus people around the world to innovate, learn and grow. 91% of Westcon-Comstor employees would advise a friend to apply for a job here, so there is clearly already a strong culture and sense of belonging and purpose."

David Grant, CEO at Westcon-Comstor, expressed his delight at the appointment, stating, "Erna’s passion for building great leadership teams and helping individuals, teams and organisations be their best shines through and is one of the main reasons we chose to appoint her to this important role."

In addition to its significant appointment, Westcon-Comstor’s commitment to achieving net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050 has been validated by the internationally renowned scientific entity, Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This validation makes Westcon-Comstor one of the first technology distributors to secure this recognition, further cementing the company's position as an industry leader in sustainability.

"We’re extremely proud to achieve SBTi validation of our target of achieving net zero by 2050," says Mark McLardie, Head of ESG at Westcon-Comstor. "The longevity of our business relies on the planet’s sustainable future," added David Grant, CEO at Westcon-Comstor. "With climate action becoming more urgent, we’re working tirelessly as a responsible business to find innovative, data-driven solutions to reduce our environmental footprint."