With the completion of Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s (HPE) $14 billion acquisition of Juniper Networks on July 2, 2025, HPE has named Gordon Mackintosh, recently channel chief at Juniper, as vice president of worldwide channel and partner ecosystem networking sales. He’ll officially take on this role starting November 1, but has already begun collaborating with HPE’s channel leadership.
Mackintosh expressed enthusiasm about leading this new, unified organization. He emphasized that the timing is ideal: the combined scale of HPE and Juniper, along with their shared vision for AI-native networking, creates a strategic industry inflection point.
Crafting a Unified Partner Strategy
What this really means is a holistic partner experience. Mackintosh is spearheading the creation of a unified global partner platform that integrates Juniper’s established channel programs into HPE’s Partner Ready Program. His goals are straightforward:
- Simplification – Make onboarding clean and straightforward, avoiding duplication.
- Enablement – Equip partners to cross-sell both Juniper and HPE offerings with ease.
- Protection – Ensure current investments, certifications, incentives, and deal registrations remain intact.
- Profitability – Build a partner motion that’s intuitive and drives recurring revenue and differentiation.
Synergies: AI Networking Meets GreenLake
Here’s the thing: the merger combines strengths. Juniper brings AI-native networking expertise, while HPE offers GreenLake, a Network as a Service solution with hybrid cloud scale. Mackintosh highlights that this opens the door for partners to:
- Support AI-driven data center modernization
- Roll out next-gen workloads
- Step into managed services with steady revenue streams
In his view, this is not just more products to resell. It’s about empowering partners to take ownership in areas their customers care about.
A Proven Channel Leader
Mackintosh brings extensive experience. He’s been with Juniper since 2020, rising to senior VP of its partner organization and commercial sales. Prior roles include VP of partner-led sales at Extreme Networks and multiple channel-management positions at Cisco over nearly two decades.
He reports to Simon Ewington, HPE’s senior VP for worldwide channel and partner ecosystem since 2023. HPE leadership already shows confidence, Ewington publicly welcomed Mackintosh, calling his vision “compelling.”
Timing and Market Context
The Department of Justice approved HPE’s acquisition settlement at the end of June, requiring divestment of Instant On wireless and licensing of Mist AI code. Final clearance arrived in early July. The conclusion of the deal, along with the completion of an agreement with activist investor Elliott Management, sets a stable stage for growth.
Looking Ahead
In the coming months, Mackintosh and his team will roll out a roadmap to bring Juniper partners into HPE’s partner ecosystem, with new initiatives focused on streamlined onboarding, joint enablement, and cross-sell motions. Onboarding won’t reset existing partner achievements—it will respect current certifications while smoothing the path to more profitable engagement.
Why It Matters
Let’s break it down:
- Partners gain simplicity through a single, integrated program.
- They access AI-forward networking tools and services.
- They benefit from a hybrid cloud and NaaS backbone, ready for modern enterprise demands.
- They’re not starting over—existing investments stay valid.
In short, Mackintosh’s leadership marks a pivotal step in transforming how partners engage with HPE and Juniper, with AI, cloud, and services at the heart of the strategy.
