Equinix's Australian chief leaves post

The managing director of Equinix in Australia is leaving the post to head up Avaya's operations in Australia and New Zealand.

Tony Simonsen will move into the Avaya role from early April. He will replace former Avaya A/NZ boss Tim Gentry, who left the unified communications vendor for a position in the organisation’s US business.

Simonsen has spent the last two years heading up the Australian Equinix operations, during which time he has overseen the US$50 million expansion of its Sydney data centre, and the build of its new data centre in Melbourne.

Avaya said in a statement Simonsen had a “demonstrable track record of significant and sustained success” in the technology sector.

“Simonsen has all the credentials, knowledge and leadership skills to take our business forward strongly,” Avaya APAC president Mike Muller said.

Simonsen has prior experience in the vendor community, having worked across EMC, Cisco and Allied technologies. Prior to his stint at Equinix he spent four years with document and shipping technology vendor Pitney Bowes.

“In such a fast-moving environment, effective sales engagement, a clear focus on delighting our customers, and enhancing the strength of our partner relationships will all be fundamental to our success," he said in a statement. "I am looking forward to delivering cutting-edge technology solutions that help our customers’ businesses grow.”