Channel Advocate Gary Gillam Honored for a Lifetime of Achievement

If you say Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, it’s likely that the majority of people will know who you’re talking about, or at least able to name the companies they were instrumental in building. Both are often described as “legends” or “royalty” in the eyes of the IT community, individuals who made their mark in the computer industry and, through their efforts, changed the lives of millions of people. Achieving a level of career distinction in the IT channel is extremely different, with the largest contributors often going unrecognized. While usually admired by colleagues and co-workers, few of those who give so freely of their time and energy ever receive accolades for their accomplishments.



That description fits Gary Gillam to a “T.” As if his influence and contributions as vice president of North American Channel Operations for the Xerox Corp. weren’t enough, his quantity of volunteer work and the never-ending mentoring activities he engages in should be commended.

And at the recent CompTIA Annual Member Meeting, that recognition was afforded to Gillam as he received the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award. This prestigious accolade has been presented only twice before: to Vic Melfa, CEO and founder of The Training Associates and John Venator, former president and CEO of CompTIA. Each played an instrumental role in the association’s success, serving key leadership positions and recruiting and mentoring future influencers. Gillam’s involvement with CompTIA has been extensive, serving in a number of leadership roles, including:

• Member of the Board of Directors from 1996 to 1997 and from 2001 to 2007,


• Secretary of the Board of Directors in 2002 and vice chairman in 2003,


• Chairman of the CompTIA board in 2005 and


• Board of Directors member for the CompTIA Educational Foundation (now known as the Creating IT Futures Foundation) from 2008-2010.

The CompTIA Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges the recipients’ support of the association as well as the sum of their philanthropic and industry-advancing activities. “From leading industry-wide initiatives like managed print services, to chairing the CompTIA Board of Directors to leading our charitable foundation, Creating IT Futures, Gary has given of himself for the good of the IT industry, the IT channel, CompTIA and Xerox,” said Bob O’Malley, chairman, InFocus® Corporation, and former chairman of the CompTIA Board of Directors.

Following the awards ceremony at AMM, CompTIA CEO Todd Thibodeaux sat down with Gary Gillam to reflect on his career and contributions, with some great insight captured in the following video recording.