Dell shuffles management deck; Focuses on global units

Dell ended 2008 with a management shakeup.

The company said Wednesday that it has realigned its business to focus on four global groups: Large enterprise, public, small and medium sized business and consumer, which is already set up as a global unit.

Here's a look at the shakeup (statement, Techmeme):

• Mike Cannon, president of Dell's global operations will retire on Jan. 31. Cannon was Dell's supply chain guru. CEO Michael Dell hired Cannon from Solectron when he returned as chief executive. In many respects, Cannon has given Dell what it needed--insight into contract equipment manufacturing vendors, which are used more by Dell. Cannon will be replaced by Jeff Clarke, who leads the company's business client product group. Clarke will become a vice chairman, global operations.
• Mark Jarvis, Dell's marketing chief, will leave at the end of Dell's fiscal year and become a consultant. Jarvis came from Oracle and his move out may indicate that Dell is comfortable with its messaging today--previously the PC maker's marketing was muddy at best. Jarvis' job was to restore lust for Dell's products and overall there is some yearning, but it's far from unanimous. Erin Nelson, vice president of marketing, will become the chief marketing officer.

Along with those departures, Dell rejiggered its global units. Here's a look at the executives that have consolidated power.

• Steve Schuckenbrock, currently president of global services and chief information officer, will lead Dell's large enterprise unit.  It wasn't immediately clear how Schuckenbrock will juggle those roles.
• Paul Bell, president of Dell Americas, will lead the unit focused on the public sector.
• Steve Felice, president of Dell's Asia-Pacific and Japan business will become leader of an SMB group.