If Lenovo falters in its bid to become the world’s top two sellers, David Schmoock and Dion Weisler – familiar names within the company – would be the reason.

With the reshuffling of PC leadership at HP earlier this week, Lenovo now must battle the skills, insight and talent of not one but TWO former senior management team members as it seeks to become the world’s top PC seller.

Weisler, who had been a senior vice president for HP (NYSE: HPQ), was named by HP CEO Meg Whitman to oversee PC sales. He spent three years and three months as a vice president and chief operating officer of Lenovo’s Mobile Internet Device and Home (MIDH) group before bolting to HP in November 2011.

Before that, he was vice president and general manager for South Asia from January 2007 to September 2008. 

Schmoock left as head of Lenovo’s North American operations last fall to join Dell, the No. 3 PC seller.

He recently emerged there as president of Global End User Computer Sales. 

A hard-charger and huge football fan as well as a rugby player, the burly Schmoock energized Lenovo’s very successful drive to become a true player in the huge U.S. PC market place. He also was a big advocate for tablets and other mobile devices while helping convince senior management to build a PC production line in the Triad.

Recognizing his efforts, Computerworld recently named Schmoock, who had been based at Lenovo’s executive headquarters in Morrisville, to its “Premier 100” class for 2013.

As for Weisler, he faces the task of bolster HP as the world’s No. 1 PC seller. Whitman committed to keeping the PC business when she took the job last year, and her efforts helped HP stave off Lenovo – but just barely – in shipments, at least through the first quarter of this year. Once data is out for the second quarter ending June 30, that may change as Lenovo has consistently gained market share from its competitors even as overall PC sales have fallen.

“Dion is one of our very best executives and his background is perfect given the challenges we face in the marketplace,” said Whitman when announcing his promotion. 

Weisler has spent 23 years in IT and worked at another Lenovo competitor (Acer). With most of his experience based on wheeling and dealing in Asia, he just might pose an intellectual threat to Lenovo’s dominance in China – its home turf. Weisler replaced Todd Bradley at HP. Bradley hired Weisler away from Lenovo. 

Brian Marshall, an analyst at ISI Group, praised Weisler’s background – and Lenovo insight: “Weisler isn’t a known entity on the street but is battle tested and worked at a high level job at Lenovo.” 

Interestingly, The Wall Street Journal noted that the HP changes occurred as Dell goes through its own buyout challenges.

“The change comes, notably, after Bradley was mentioned on the list of favored potential CEO candidates to run Dell, by the activist investor Carl Icahn.,” the Journal said.

[LENOVO ARCHIVE: Check out eight years of Lenovo stories as reported in WRAL Tech Wire.]