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Avnet named Kevin Summers its chief information officer on December 6, 2016. He reported to CEO William (Bill) J. Amelio and was responsible for Avnet’s global IT strategy and enterprise effectiveness initiative. Summers succeeded Steve Phillips, who left Avnet after 11 years. Avnet later named Max Chan CIO in 2019; Chan remains the CIO identified in the company’s 2025 proxy statement.
Who did Avnet name as its new CIO?
The announcement named Kevin Summers as Avnet, Inc.’s CIO on December 6, 2016. It came as the company was transforming its business after acquiring Premier Farnell and Hackster.io. Avnet said IT was central to serving customers across the product lifecycle.
CEO William J. Amelio described technology as an enabler of that business strategy and said Summers would develop an IT roadmap intended to differentiate Avnet as a technology leader. Summers said he would work with Avnet’s IT team and business leaders on digital transformation across the technology supply chain.
What was Kevin Summers’ background?
Avnet said Summers had more than 25 years of experience leading technology organizations. His previous CIO roles included H&R Block, Lowe’s, Whirlpool and The Coca-Cola Company. He had also held senior executive positions at AT&T and GE.
The role called for applying cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and big-data analytics to Avnet’s e-commerce, supply-chain and retail-sales operations.
Who is Avnet’s CIO now?
Avnet promoted Max Chan to CIO on July 18, 2019. Before the promotion, Chan had led global information solutions since November 2018. The 2019 announcement gave him responsibility for all IT areas across Avnet, as well as strategic business IT and digital-transformation initiatives.
Rank #2
Avnet’s leadership biography says Chan leads IT, cybersecurity, digital strategy and transformation. The company’s 2025 proxy statement lists Leng Jin (Max) Chan as senior vice president and chief information officer as of September 22, 2025, and says he has served as CIO since 2019 and senior vice president since 2021.
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How did the 2016 and 2019 CIO appointments differ?
| Detail | Kevin Summers appointment | Max Chan appointment |
|---|---|---|
| Appointment date | December 6, 2016 | July 18, 2019 |
| Reporting line | Reported to CEO William (Bill) J. Amelio | Not stated in Avnet’s 2019 announcement |
| Predecessor | Succeeded Steve Phillips, who left Avnet after 11 years | Succeeded Kevin Summers |
| Stated IT scope | Global IT strategy and the enterprise effectiveness initiative | All IT areas across Avnet, strategic business IT and digital-transformation initiatives |
| Prior executive experience | Avnet cited CIO roles at H&R Block, Lowe’s, Whirlpool and The Coca-Cola Company, plus senior executive positions at AT&T and GE | Avnet said he had led global information solutions since November 2018 |
| Stated priorities | Develop an IT roadmap and apply cloud, IoT and big-data analytics to e-commerce, supply chain and retail sales | Maintain an efficient IT environment while building technology solutions for future growth; Avnet also assigned strategic business IT and digital-transformation work |
Why did Avnet change CIOs?
Avnet’s 2016 announcement said Phillips left after 11 years and presented Summers’ appointment in the context of the company’s transformation following the Premier Farnell and Hackster.io acquisitions. The available announcements do not state a reason Summers later left the CIO role, so it would be inaccurate to attribute his departure to a specific cause. Avnet announced Chan as CIO in 2019 after he had led global information solutions from November 2018.
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