National technology advisory firm Opex Technologies has recruited an executive from its top distribution partner to help drive its operations. Shane McNamara will begin as the company's president on July 16, Opex announced Thursday.

McNamara joins after nearly a decade at Avant, where he most recently served as executive vice president of engineering, operations, and vendor management. His operational expertise will come into play as the technology advisory firm executes on the strategic plan it has developed since receiving a private equity investment from Bregal Sagemount in May 2025.

"I want to bring fresh ideas to a machine that is already running well," McNamara told Channel Dive.

Opex CEO Courtney Humphrey said the company aims to double or triple in size over the next few years. According to Humphrey, its recent acquisition of Intellys will easily double the company's size by the end of 2026.

"Shane is exactly the kind of talent we look for when high-growth companies need to scale quickly," Zuhair Khan, co-head of the Bregal Sagemount Basecamp fund, told Channel Dive in an email. "He has done this before, knows the industry, and understands what Opex is building. We are confident in this new addition to the leadership team."

McNamara is no stranger to Opex, having supported it for years during his time at Avant. Opex has been named Avant's "Technology Advisor of the Year" multiple times, and Avant has been Opex's primary technology services distributor.

"They played a big role in guiding us to the success we have today, and I think we have given a lot back as well, we have been loyal to them, and we will continue that strong loyalty," Humphrey said. "I think Shane will help build that bridge, keep it where it is, and possibly make it even stronger."

Humphrey said McNamara was their team's top choice for the role, even though they thought it was unlikely to happen. Before joining Avant, McNamara worked with Avant's founders at CDW.

"In my mind, Avant is the top technology services distributor in the world, and I received a call from the CEO of what I consider the top trusted advisor firm in the world, asking me to be a key part of its overall strategy," McNamara said. "I thought, 'I cannot not consider this opportunity.'"

McNamara has been a key contact for Opex and a friend of Humphrey. Humphrey said he is known in the industry as a "hard worker."

"I need people who are willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the effort," Humphrey said. "Whether Shane fits that bill is not even a question."

Opex, headquartered in North Carolina, has been willing to hire people over the years, unlike many of its peer technology advisory firms. The technology advisory business relies on incremental growth of residual commission-based revenue streams, which makes allocating new salaries difficult. Humphrey's willingness to do so has helped the company attract executives who require a base salary. The company recently hired a director of data and AI enablement in May.

Vertical shift

It is becoming more common for vendor and technology services distributor executives to move downstream to technology advisory firms, as these firms become more capitalized and able to hire them. Kristy Thomas, senior vice president and channel chief at Vonage, recently joined Datamob.

"What I love about the channel is how talent, innovation, and ideas flow across the ecosystem," Drew Lydecker, president and co-founder of Avant, told Channel Dive in an email. "Shane's move to Opex is a perfect example of that dynamic. Opportunities like this ultimately strengthen the relationships that move our industry forward."

McNamara's departure appears amicable, as multiple Avant executives offered comments to Channel Dive.

"Shane has been one of my best colleagues and closest friends for over two decades," CEO and co-founder Ian Kieninger said in an email. "He leads with integrity, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to our mission—qualities that have earned him the respect of teammates, partners, and customers. He has earned the opportunity to take on this top leadership role, continue growing personally and professionally, and pursue his next chapter. We will miss him as part of the dream team, but I am incredibly happy for him."

Avant's global sales executive vice president Jen Gallego said McNamara has worked across the channel. In addition to his experience at the technology services distributor, he led CDW's carrier sales business and ran XO Communications' channel program.

"Having held leadership roles across the channel—from solution provider and trusted advisor to technology services distribution—Shane has developed a deep understanding of the ecosystem and the people who make it successful," Gallego said.

Opex's strategy

Since announcing the deal with Bregal Sagemount in May 2025, Opex has been relatively quiet. According to Humphrey, that is intentional.

"We did not want to rush. We wanted to be thoughtful and develop the best strategy to make us the top technology advisor," he said.

According to Humphrey, the company had its best sales year ever, driven by growth in its private equity practice. That practice, launched five years ago, helps portfolio companies save money and develop cloud strategies. The practice took time to take off.

"It is a harder area to build trust because you need to go through multiple layers of people," Humphrey said.

According to Humphrey, 40-45% of the company's annual revenue comes from existing clients, with the rest from new clients. Opex wants to deepen its reach within these clients, which are typically enterprises.

"The way the business works is that we bring in 10 to 15 relationships each year that define our year," Humphrey said. "Our entire business is quality over quantity."