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Jay McBain surprised many people when he left his job as director of Lenovo’s SMB channel last year to join Autotask as head of strategic development and communities. Today, he’s surprising the channel again with news that he’s leaving the professional services automation vendor.

As MSPmentor first reported, Autotask CEO Mark Cattini sent an email to partners announcing McBain’s departure, effective Aug. 31. No indication was given why McBain is departing or where he’s going. Cattini’s note only stated that McBain would continue to work on an as-needed basis and his Autotask email account would remain active through December 15.

McBain confirmed his departure this morning on his Facebook page. While he gave no explanation for his departure, he did provide a teaser of his future plans.

“The story is correct and if I were a betting man, more details will be revealed in 30 days at SMB Nation in Las Vegas,” he wrote, referring to the MSPmentor article.

McBain’s departure is rather surprising given his increasingly higher profile with Autotask since the departure of founder Bob Godgart in May. When Godgart left operational control in the hands of Cattini, McBain’s stature rose as he took over community management.

We could speculate on McBain’s next move, but suffice it to say he has many options. He’s considered one of the rising stars in the channel executive set. He often calls himself a “futurist,” or someone who studies trends and anticipates future states of technology and opportunity. Colleagues and peers often describe him as smart and capable, and a rational manager and leader.

McBain’s latest project was the Autodesk “Community on Tour,” a multi-city roadshow highlighting Autotask product capabilities, partner synergies and peer networking. No word on how his departure will affect the tour.

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Lawrence M. Walsh is CEO and president of The 2112 Group, a technology business advisory service that specializes in optimizing indirect channels and partner relationships. He’s also the executive director of the Channel Vanguard Council. He is the former publisher of Channel Insider and editor of VARBusiness Magazine. You can reach him at lmwalsh@the2112group.com.

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Larry Walsh:@lmwalsh2112| Channelnomics: @channelnomics