Lenovo names Silke Barlow to lead Australia

Lenovo has appointed Silke Barlow as general manager for its Australian operations.

She previously spent over a decade with the company from 2005 to 2015 in several executive roles across Europe and Australia, and returns after eight years away from the company.

Barlow moves from her role at Fujitsu where she has been head of Uvance vertical/industry solutions Asia Pacific since November, and previously led the partner and sales ecosystem.

“As general manager, I look forward to working with the team in Australia and across the wider region to capitalise on the unique strengths of each business unit and to amplify our collective success," Barlow said.

“I am excited for this unique opportunity to return to Lenovo. I have a deep understanding of the culture and our roots but now bringing a broader experience on how to lead the Australian team through this new chapter of growth.”

The announcement follows the promotion of Lenovo ANZ’s former managing director Matt Codrington, who moved into the role of regional general manager for the greater Asia Pacific region.

Barlow was selected for the position as she has more than two decades experience in the IT industry and experience in key executive roles for Lenovo across Germany, France, and Australia.

Prior to Fujitsu, Silke worked at Unisys as its vice president of public sector sales APAC from 2016 to 2018.

“I’ve been keenly watching Lenovo go from strength to strength, diversify its portfolio of offerings and become increasingly more relevant to our customers and partners,” Barlow said.

“I believe there is untapped potential in Australia across the different business portfolios, and I’m focused on building upon our partner ecosystem to unlock further growth potential. We’re only as strong as the ecosystem that helps us deliver these outcomes, and I look forward to increasing our partnership with the channel and our customers,” added Barlow.

Last month, Lenovo ANZ appointed Luke Skinner as head of commercial channel and distribution for Australia and New Zealand.

Update July 6:  The story has been amended to clarify that Barlow's role is for Australia only.