CRN Channel Awards 2023: Q&A with Karlton Gray, Schneider Electric
CRN talks to the 2023 channel chief of the year, Karlton Gray, channel director, Schneider Electric UK&I, on winning the award and what his predictions are for the year ahead
CRN: What does winning a Channel Award mean to you?
KG: When I saw the initial nomination for Channel Chief, I was blown away and thought that was as good as it could get, that being nominated was more than I even could have expected. The truth is that I really didn't expect to win, and I can honestly say it is my greatest professional achievement.
To that effect, I'll always look back at the awards and the achievement with great fondness and be grateful to my colleagues and our channel partner community for all the support they've given me. To see my teams' faces as they announced me as the winner made me realise what we have created at Schneider Electric and with our channel community is something very, very special.
CRN: Why are the Awards important in the channel today?
KG: Personally, I'm really passionate about people, and relationships, and fundamentally believe that prioritising both is essential when looking to establish a long-term career in sales. In a highly competitive market, today, channel businesses must also have the determination to work through challenging times together, and to stay true to their ethos, which we at Schneider Electric have done through many of our new launches and partner programs, and ty championing sustainability.
Going to the CRN UK Channel Awards reaffirms all the key reasons that the IT channel is an exceptional place to work. It's about the people, the community, and the awards itself has established an excellent reputation for recognising the best of the best in that sense - the businesses and people leading and driving change.
As an organisation, we have worked collaboratively with our partners to drive growth, and going to events like this is important for the industry, as it allows us to gather in one room and recognise each other's achievements, whilst having the opportunity to listen to the opinions of different businesses and the challenges the industry is experiencing.
CRN: What has been your company's biggest achievement this year?
KG: Sustainability is at the heart of everything we do at Schneider Electric and recognising the channel partners, customers and suppliers who are making a sustainability impact is very important to us.
I think one of our biggest achievements must be the Schneider Electric sustainability impact awards which were launched in 2022, where many of our UK channel partners secured accolades. This goes back to my point, and how by working collaboratively and learning from each other, we can identify new and innovative solutions to work faster and smarter for a greener future. Those moments also give our partners and customers a chance to showcase their reputation for exceptional work.
I believe this is key to help reinforce and build on the already strong relationships we have, but also to demonstrate to potential partners and customers why sustainability is vital, and how by pushing for higher standards they can drive growth while making a positive impact on the environment.
CRN: What are your Top 3 priorities for 2024?
KG: Right now, we're in the midst of the AI curve growing, and we're yet to see how this will impact the IT Channel. However, it's already exceeding expectations in several spaces, from SMBs and enterprise, to, cloud, data centres, and at the software layer.
Personally, I believe it will catalyse growth for the channel due to the demands it places on physical infrastructure requirements, the specialist skills it requires to deliver a technology stack built for AI, and the increased need for sustainable and resilient power solutions.
Looking forward, AI will be a majot priority for the channel. Diversity and inclusion are also really important, and this is best-illustrated in my team where women represent 60% of our workforce. It is this inclusive environment that I want to continue to foster and build on and makes a real difference to the way in which we solve and address key industry challenges together. Building an inclusive environment has allowed the team to establish fruitful and diverse relationships with out customers, thinking outside of the box and placing health and wellbeing at the centre of their channel strategy.
This approach has not only empowered my team to achieve double-digit sales but has allowed them to engage and grow the company's managed base of clients across the zone simultaneously. It is this out of the box thinking I want to continue to prioritise, and surrounding myself with the right people is essential to achieving that. Finally, customer demands for sustainable, resilient and energy efficient technologies, remains high, especially given current the macroeconomic environment, the arrival of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) and our customers' buying trends. Having this understanding of the market requirements has been a key differentiator and driver of growth for us at Schneider Electric, and as we move forwards, it's critical that we listen to our customers' needs to ensure that as a team, we can drive sustainable, together.
CRN: What has been the biggest lesson from 2023 so far?
KG: This year has been an important one for me, both personally and professionally, and I'll always look back at what I have learnt as one of the pivotal points in my career.
As a business we have worked collaboratively with our partners to drive growth in what might be perceived as a challenging market, especially when compared to previous years, and I'm glad to say we've reached some key milestones within our team - helping to drive greater diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) in an industry that's heavily male-dominated. Continuing to learn how we work together successfully is a really important one for success.
Personally, winning the Channel Chief of the Year award and having my team and our partners cheer me on is testament to how we have succeeded and learnt together as one unit. Throughout that time I have stayed true to myself and my belief that people should be treated with kindness and respect no matter their role. Seeing the impact that's had on our team, our channel and learning that other people have supported my approach has been very humbling.