Prior to joining Brocade, where he will report directly to Ian Whiting, Senior Vice President of Sales, Soto served as Vice President and General Manager of HP ProCurve in EMEA since late 2006. Plechschmidt, in turn, joins the team of John McHugh, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer (CMO).

Soto's appointment is key to Brocade's global Ethernet strategy, which announced new initiatives in the first two quarters of fiscal year 2010. Alberto Soto's extensive networking experience will be invaluable to Brocade's expansion plan in the EMEA market, particularly as it will strengthen relationships with key partners and distributors. According to Forrester Research, the IT segment in EMEA represents a business opportunity of nearly $500 billion*.

Soto has a long track record in IT, primarily in networking companies. Before joining HP ProCurve, he served as General Manager of 3Com for Spain and Portugal, where he drove annual growth of over $200 million. Previously, he was General Manager of Madge Networks for Iberia, where he developed a top-tier channel program for the region. He has also made his mark at companies such as Digital Equipment Corporation, Bull, and Sener.

Soto also boasts extensive academic credentials, including an Executive MBA from IESE Business School in Madrid, as well as a Master's degree in Computer Engineering and a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, both from Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.