12. Distributor Ingram Micro Acquired By Chinese Logistics Giant For $6 Billion

It was a year of significant change and several blockbuster news stories in the distributor arena. One of the most important was the acquisition of Ingram Micro, the world's largest IT product distributor with annual sales of $46 billion, by Chinese logistics company Tianjin Tianhai, for $6 billion.

The acquisition by Tianjin Tianhai, part of the $29 billion HNA Group, was announced Feb. 17 and completed on Dec. 6, just days after Chinese antitrust authorities approved the deal.

Ingram Micro executives said having HNA Group, a China-based transportation and shipping company, as a parent would help the distributor build upon its global logistics and supply chain operations. The acquisition of the Irvine, Calif.-based company also resulted in some executive departures, including president and chief operating officer Paul Read, CFO William Humes, and executive vice president Larry Boyd, leaving CEO Alain Monie in charge.