GTIA chief hails ‘Channel Effect’ as a position of power for the industry

CEO Dan Wensley opens 2026 ChannelCon EMEA with a rousing call to action, a pledge to focus even more on community building and collaboration, and unveils a raft of AI initiatives

“Change has never been more constant in our industry and there has never been a more important time to connect as a community.”

GTIA chief Dan Wensley was on a mission in his keynote at the 2026 ChannelCon EMEA conference as he talked up the Channel Effect and the importance of working together.

“We have dealt with [change] for decades, from continued technology innovation, evolving customer needs and ongoing transformation of service delivery and business models. They have always demanded us to come together as an industry to collaborate, partner and grow together,” he said.

“This is what makes our industry unique. Innovation has never moved this quickly or dramatically. It is impacting every corner of our ecosystem.”

“Customers are navigating technology and business demands that are changing faster than ever before.

"The SMB and mid-market businesses you serve are relying on you to understand what matters, where to invest and what to do next,” he added.

Citing GTIA research that revealed 49 per cent of IT service providers identify the number one driver for channel health this year is the growing complexity of technology and the demand for skills and expertise that come with it, Wensley said it creates a huge opportunity.

“That puts us in a powerful position,” he said.

“The fastest way to turn that demand into opportunity is to do it together.

"The Channel Effect is what happens when this industry shows up – when we sit at the same table everything speeds up – ideas move faster, partnerships form, standards get shaped and everyone leaves stronger than when they arrived.”

It was then he turned to AI, which he said is shaping every conversation on a global level

“Every conversation we have had – AI was raised. When every employer, competitor and our kids are all talking about the same thing – that is not hype anymore, it is reality.”

AI initiatives announced at ChannelCon

Wensley handed over to MJ Shoer, chief community officer at GTIA and Nancy Hammervik, chief channel officer at GTIA, who revealed in turn the key AI initiatives being launched in the coming year.

The first initiative launched was the Managed Intelligence Alliance (MIA) formed with a number of technology partners including Microsoft, Pax8, Cynet, CrowdStrike and NinjaOne with aim of providing an independent programme that helps IT service providers deliver secure and scalable AI solutions to SMBs.

The founding members will work together to help develop research, standards, accreditation frameworks and best practice across the entire IT industry.

“Right now there is no broadly accepted standards for AI and no definition of what good looks like,” Shoer said.

Hammervik unveiled a new AI training/certification partnership with CompTIA, and also revealed that GTIA has been selected by the UN to host AI for Good – a series of events in the US and UK that will help technology providers drive responsible AI innovation and standards.

The announcements went down a storm with attendees.

Mike Barron, MD of Synaxon UK, told CRN that ChannelCon was a great opportunity to network, but also that covered what the channel wanted to hear.

“I have met many potential new clients today just by grabbing ten seconds of their time,” he said.

“It is great to be able to speak to people face-to-face. A lot of people are sceptical about AI and how it affects channel sales and marketing, and what is great about the content and initiatives at GTIA is that it is all relatable.”

David Tulip, director of the EMEA MSP division at Egnyte said the GTIA has evolved to another level since it spun out from CompTIA.

“I think what GTIA is doing is refreshing and there is a different vibe since the CompTIA days. GTIA has the mandate, money and the people to deliver everything they have talked about today,” he said.

“MIA is a very positive step – we need the guardrails around AI and for someone to create standards around it and I think we have exciting times ahead.”