Thread regarding VMware layoffs

Ribert’s message on LinkedIn:

“ After over 15 years at VMware, Broadcom and Omnissa, it's time for me to start a new venture. It has been exciting to lead the Revenue team at Omnissa as we transitioned to an independent business within Broadcom and launched Omnissa in July under KKR. I am honored and privileged to have lead the Revenue team.  I am extremely grateful for what we accomplished as we transitioned from a 90% perpetual business to 90% subscription model over the last few years. 

I am very proud of our recent success with a truly inspiring kickoff in August followed by our Omnissa launches in Tokyo, Dallas and Amsterdam in September and October. 

I want to thank our Customer Success and Professional Services teams that made my promises to customers a reality. I also want to thank our Account Executives that consistently represented our customers requirements and helped us get so many customers.  I also want to thank our Systems Engineers, Pursuit, Subject Matter Experts and Center of Excellence teams who helped us influence customers and got them on board with our vision. 

I also want to recognize our revenue operations, sales enablement and sales strategy teams that helped us forecast, do compensation plans, build our GTM strategy and close the business which was no easy task as we transitioned between companies and launched Omnissa as a private company. 

None of this would have been possible without a strong echosystem of partners from Google, to Amazon Web Services (AWS), IGEL Technology, ControlUp, Presidio, World Wide Technology, Creative ITC, ITQ, SoftBank Group Corp., Fujitsu, 필라웨어Feelaware, Tech Orchard, Schiffel IT and many more. Thank you for your partnership and feedback on how we could be better.

For my customer who bet on me and my team. Thank you for the confidence you placed on our vision and your effort to make work better for your employees. I hope we did not let you down. 

While I have left Omnissa, I believe in building relationships for "life” which transcends the companies I work for.  Stay in touch, I look forward to connecting with you wherever I land.  Until then, have a great week.“

Thank God, what an aashole

No mention on the reasons why he left

Not even the token mention of “spending more time with his family”?

"Our Vice President, Americas EUC was pushed out in September."

Jenkins was incapable of providing guidance or coaching to our team.
Truly worthless as a sales leader.

Shankar's email about Ruelas departure was pathetic, to say the least. No mention on the reasons why he left (or was fired), only creating more and unnecessary uncertainty for the whole organization. Just 3 months ago he was dancing with APJ in Vegas, and all of a sudden he's gone? Ha ha ha, good luck with lifting the already broken spirits in Omnissa.

Quoting/Booking/Orders have been a complete and utter mess for the last 6 months, customers with no trace left of patience, and with good reason. Happy to say I'm leaving Omnissa and it's failed attempt to retain some of the good that existed with VMware!

KKR need replace the entire executive group.

Shankar is on the way out. RR was tagged within the first month after close.

For anyone with direct knowledge of Omnissa sales, how many opps of any decent size are you actually qualifying - WS1 or Horizon? I'm a former SE (now at a partner as an EUC architect), and we haven't had a single notable opportunity for Omnissa in months - net new or expansion. It's like what we saw happen with Citrix in the last 2 years. Most of our UEM customers are looking to migrate to InTune (MSFT is in all those accounts pushing hard for it), and not much happening on the VDI side at all - lot of those customers are looking to even reduce their VDI footprints to serve BC/DR/contractor use cases only and/or using VDI as the "legacy application long term care home". Maybe it's just us.

Yes, it's true, the EUC culture was created by the VMW executive team who led by example. From the most recent all-hands meetings to the clueless and indifferent company-wide emails, there's been a consistent tone of complacency and self-serving acceptance of our current state. We slipped into decline because they simply didn't care.

Trashing euc sales? I'd say no one should do that.....

I mean they wouldn't fare well on a multiple choice test, changing light bulbs, or any task that requires thought, but they still .......i got nothing positive yet.... I'll come back if i come up with something

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlgCiZZsaek

Leadership change is must for EUC to turnaround. We need a a great leader as opposed to a nice person.

Wishful thinking. More pain on the way. Why not start looking elsewhere?

Sure sure sure. Most of you trash talk sales. Now they're supposed save the business?

Leadership change is must for EUC to turnaround. We need a a great leader as opposed to a nice person.

Our Vice President, Americas EUC was pushed out in September. Most will say they were 'nice' people, but few would call them qualified to move Omnissa from decline to growth.

In a turnaround situation, we must have the best sales leaders to set an example.

So far, Norlin has already fired at least one senior sales director, now that Rob is gone. And while I don't doubt that he will cut more low-performer salespeople, I wonder what he's capable of achieving beyond re-staffing. Omnissa sales org will continue to be a revolving door of people coming and going. What happens beyond the re-staffing is still a mystery. Once the recruitment theater is over, can he survive? I have my doubts.

It's true, removing Ruelas was a good start, now KKR must replace Iyer. We need top-down leadership changes that enable us all to believe the turnaround is possible. Anything less is a plan to fail and fall further into decline. That's the reality I fear.

You said, "Omnissa is doing quite well this quarter." What is the source of that info?

Our leaders have already lied about many things. This is one more deception. I'm in sales and we are in a significant decline that I've not seen before. It's going to take a miracle to get us out of this situation. The coasters hope they'll keep their job. In reality, it's hopeless without major changes to the leadership team. That's my truthful outlook this quarter.

"The naysayers here need to take a break and get back to work."

That may be okay for the most meek and complacent, but the few truth-sayers will encourage KKR to seek more qualified executive leadership. End the apathy ASAP.

Omnissa is doing quite well this quarter.

"If you're not sure, going is the better option for the rest of us."

But here's the problem with that mindset. Being sure or unsure is not the defining factor. The majority live in fear of changing jobs, so they stay no matter what happens (e.g. future RSUs were taken away, and the "rest of us" stayed).

But that's the point. It's easy to say you're leaving when xyz happens, but the job market is tough. If the person who said they would leave, stays because the job market is tough, but still harbors resentment, it brings the whole company down. Times are tough, but the complaining doesn't help.

Omnissa's fiscal quarter is wrapping up today and is said to be quite good, so the naysayers here need to take a break and get back to work.

Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit Omnissa ;-)

"If you're not sure, going is the better option for the rest of us."

But here's the problem with that mindset. Being sure or unsure is not the defining factor. The majority live in fear of changing jobs, so they stay no matter what happens (e.g. future RSUs were taken away, and the "rest of us" stayed).

It takes courage to say no, this is unacceptable. Just prove you're not sheep or cattle. If you're not sure you can find the courage, then your stay is better for our competitors.

You should stay for the RSUs, but I forgot you guys got fu---d over. Just leave.

Otherwise, I'm leaving.

I hope you do.

Everybody should more or less constantly evaluate whether they want to stay or go. If you're not sure, going is the better option for the rest of us.

"We need new qualified leadership."

But not just anyone new. It's true, Rob was an old-school sales leader. A nice guy. Now I want to see a proven turnaround champion who is capable of convincing customers to trust us again. Otherwise, I'm leaving.

"KN now global head of sales."

IMHO, Norlin is not qualified to turn around our revenue crisis. Like the other 'nice' members of the leadership team, he's in over his head. I've attended all Kevin's team meetings and have concerns about his prior skills and experience.

We also need better product management leadership. My customers won't pay a premium price for our old and complex technology. And, I can't compete with Microsoft offers of FREE Intune Suite for one year, then big discounts afterwards. WS1 and Horizon need more meaningful differentiation. The bolt-on Lookout security option was not enough to demonstrate competitive benefits.

To KKR team, IT management clowns who advocated for two ERPs (EBS and SAP) while in vmware and doomed vmware like Titanic. Outsourced American jobs to cheap labor offshore. You really need to review their past history.

I agree, we need new leadership talent from outside the company. Rearranging the leftovers from the last layoff won't solve our huge revenue and profit shortfall. We need new ways to fix what is broken. This shouldn't be just a salvage exercise. Wake up KKR!

What comes next? KKR faces the reality.

They acquired a company on auto-pilot. We have no real leadership, only custodians passing their time. Omnissa is full of retired-in-place unmotivated employees that hung around attending internal meetings and reading email for the last 10, 15, or 20 years.

Look around, we're surrounded by the remnants of a failed VMware cult of apathy.

"KN now global head of sales."

For now, but for how long? We need new qualified leadership. Not another empty suite.

Rob su-ked was a good ol boy who was useless.

Those saying to fire the cmo, doubt it.

Now KKR has a huge challenge as they're trying to attract replacement leaders to Omnissa

Wrong.
KN now global head of sales. Other revenue leadership positioned dispersed and organized differently. There is no direct replacement for the CRO. That role doesn't exist any more.

Rob seemed desperate towards the end. Now KKR has a huge challenge as they're trying to attract replacement leaders to Omnissa. They will have to pay big hiring bonuses and guarantee significant exit packages. Anyone that joins will only do it for the short-term financial gain. We're likely all in agreement, our future here is bleak and uncertain.

Good riddance. It's great to see everyone on linkedin promote onmissa propaganda even though they all know there are major problems.

"That next one will be above the head of sales."

I agree, Shankar doesn't have a credible response to his many critics. He must go.

All our senior executives are on the same KKR 'performance improvement plan', and none are achieving their assigned objectives.

If sales doesn't continue to recover, the sales VP is not the next leader to get cut. That next one will be above the head of sales.

I predict the CMO is next

Indians be protected, man.

All our senior executives are on the same KKR 'performance improvement plan', and none are achieving their assigned objectives. Expect more departure announcements.