Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

The relationship between channel chief and partners changed dramatically in 2023. As vendors and disties leaned more on their channel over the course of the year, some leaders shone with the trust and attentiveness they demonstrated to their partner orgs and the innovative channel programmes they designed.

Beyond introducing a services tier or a silver, gold, platinum classification, the channel leaders on CRN's Channel Chiefs EMEA/APJ 2024 list went above and beyond for their partner orgs.

Here are ten of the most notable manoeuvres...

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Paul Flannery, Epicor Software

"Alongside Epicor's development, product management, sales consulting, marketing and channel teams, we created a rich programme designed with partner success in mind and at the forefront.

"By focusing on three core streams of competency, capability and capacity, we empowered our partners with the assets, training, and support they needed to win new contracts and enable our mutual customers to execute on their digital transformation strategy.

"The programme also offers increased investment in joint go-to-market activities, one-to-one business and go-to-market planning, marketing tools and programmes for generating leads and demand, early access to Epicor solutions, and best practice with Epicor marketing subject matter experts.

"This programmatic approach has led to a 20 per cent increase in channel generated pipeline year on year."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Patricia Murphy, Palo Alto Networks

Patricia Murphy, Palo Alto Networks

"Customers want to buy from trusted consultants that help them solve complex security problems all the way through deployment to lifecycle management. By incorporating Palo Alto Networks technology with the expertise of our ecosystem partners, we are delivering world-class managed cybersecurity service to our customers.

"Combining Palo Alto Networks Prisma SASE, with the connectivity and integration capabilities of service providers means that customers can meet the challenge of a rapidly evolving threat landscape with a fully managed SASE solution.

"Through investment in our partnerships and enablement in EMEA LATAM, particularly in the area of managed services, we are empowering our partners to deliver industry-leading networking and security that is simple to deploy, easy to scale and manage, and delivers best-in-class performance.

"We also unveiled our new partner compensation model to provide a balanced approach that rewards partners for the value they deliver to our customers. We are making profitability more predictable so our partners can make better business decisions. As a result, we are strengthening our most sustainable competitive advantage our partners."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Santosh Wadwa, Fujitsu
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Santosh Wadwa, Fujitsu

Santosh Wadwa, Fujitsu

"In 2023, our most innovative initiative was the Fujitsu Ecosystem Platform. This dynamic space fosters collaboration and innovation among diverse partners, enabling the generation of new business value through shared competencies.

"By bringing together partners of various types and sizes, the platform facilitates the creation of holistic Ecosystem solutions to address critical organisational challenges swiftly. It provides partners with dedicated time, space, and focused support to achieve specific outcomes aligned with their strategic needs.

"The initiative encourages the exchange of perspectives, ideas, and collaboration among partners and Fujitsu's experienced experts. The impact on our partner community has been transformative, fostering a culture of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation that has elevated their capabilities and enriched the value they deliver to customers."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Andrew Fisher, Pure Storage
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Andrew Fisher, Pure Storage

Andrew Fisher, Pure Storage

"One thing that we really set out to do in 2023 was to increase our engagement with the partner community and we hit the road hard with Partner Roadshows and Purely Technical events.

"Through these events, we doubled the number of partners registered for the events from 2022. The feedback from the partners attending these events were phenomenal.

"One partner said this: ‘Pure's channel strategy is the Gold standard for channel partnering. Events such as this are part of what makes it so good.

"These activities also resulted in a 50 per cent increase in the number of channel sales and pre-sales certified on Pure Storage's solutions."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Aric Ault, Infoblox
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Aric Ault, Infoblox

"Our channel strategy will provide an excellent opportunity for our partner community for years to come.

"This year included the launch of Infoblox's new Skilled to Secure Trusted Partner Program and the transition to drive a significant increase in our partnership with the hyperscalers while ensuring that we protect our existing value-added resellers and distributors in unlocking this new route to market potential."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Michael Herman, Netskope
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Michael Herman, Netskope

"The Netskope MSP programme launched in 2023, which has provided our partners with the unique opportunity to reach the mid-market with feature-rich, easy to consume services, designed to enable full SASE adoption.

"Driving incremental margin and revenue for our MSP partners, we have seen tremendous interest from our channel community, which we have harnessed and accelerated with those partners who are keen to offer Netskope as a Service.

"Our local solutions engineering and enablement teams have worked effectively and tirelessly to provide the knowledge, experience, training, and hands-on coaching to ensure our are self-sufficient.

"Our vision to create cohesion with these outcomes ensures that we not only facilitate a smoother journey for our partners, but actively stand behind and demonstrate our commitment to innovation and strategic programme development."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Sam Callaghan, ConnectWise
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Sam Callaghan, ConnectWise

"In 2023, our team has achieved remarkable success by redefining our strategy for operating with our channel partners. By taking a non-traditional approach within ConnectWise, we have witnessed outstanding results, including triple-digit new business growth.

"One of the key factors behind this success has been our focus on supporting and empowering our value-added distributors to cultivate communities within their respective regions. This innovative approach has yielded excellent customer satisfaction (CSAT) and net promoter scores (NPS), indicating the robust health of our growing partner channel across Europe.

"By providing additional resources and fostering collaboration within these communities, we have created a thriving ecosystem that drives mutual success for our partners and us.

"Through this strategic shift, we have achieved impressive business growth and strengthened our relationships with partners, enhancing their overall experience and satisfaction."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Dion Smith, Zoom

"We spearheaded an innovative initiative by introducing the Partner Elevation Programme, a comprehensive channel development strategy integrated with Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS). This initiative aimed to empower and elevate our partner community by fostering collaborative growth.

"The Partner Elevation Program leveraged Zoom's cutting-edge UCaaS solutions, offering partners a suite of advanced communication tools and cloud services. This not only enhanced the partners' ability to deliver seamless and integrated communication solutions but also provided them with a competitive edge in the market.

"Through targeted training, certification programmes, and joint marketing campaigns, the initiative facilitated knowledge transfer and skill development within the partner ecosystem. This resulted in partners being better equipped to address evolving customer needs and deliver customized UCaaS solutions.

"The impact on the partner community was profound, leading to increased revenue streams, enhanced customer satisfaction, and strengthened long-term partnerships. The initiative not only solidified Zoom's position as a leader in UCaaS but also demonstrated a commitment to the success of our partners, fostering a collaborative ecosystem that thrived on innovation and mutual growth."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Phylip Morgan, Pax8

"At Pax8, we pride ourselves on a human approach to our operations and have a close community of channel partners. We regularly host masterclasses serving as a valuable resource, particularly for those who don't have access to education and training.

"These events are hosted regularly and showcase our commitment to sharing knowledge and skills of key topics within the IT channel. In March this year, we hosted our first cybersecurity masterclass in Zwolle, Netherlands where 13 local Dutch partners attended. Every business left feedback and on average, the event scored 8/10 and the value of the content delivered scored 7.77/10.

"Meanwhile, more than 90 per cent of those who attended, agreed that the cybersecurity masterclass would have a positive impact on their business. Our close-knit community is provided with the best solutions for their customers and given key pieces of advice to enrich them to enhance the value of the robust security solutions in the Pax8 Marketplace."

Ten regional channel chiefs list their most innovative initiative

As part of CRN's Regional Channel Chiefs 2024, we asked channel leaders to share their most transformative strategies of the past year

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Eamon O'Doherty
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Eamon O'Doherty

"Our most innovative initiative has been the revamp of our partner programme, now called Logitech Connect. The new programme offers a multitude of benefits, including access to our full B2B product portfolio, a consistent worldwide experience, flexible partnership tracks, new incentives like the LEAP growth rebate, specialisations to address specific customer needs, and expanded data sharing for better visibility.

"On the Logitech side, we've deployed new automation tools for streamlined interactions so our partners can spend more time being productive and less time on administration.

"The new partner programme is more than just a simplification and revenue growth initiative. It serves as the foundation for Logitech's evolving indirect go-to-market strategy in the enterprise space. Offering a comprehensive and tailored approach to working with partners is a win-win for both Logitech and our partners and designed to drive future growth for everyone involved.

"There are three tracks: Premier is an open track that allows partners to participate at a base level of commitment and performance. Elite track is for more engaged partners that invest in Logitech performance, capabilities, and collaboration engagement. The Principal track is for high-performance, highly committed partners that includes access to more resources and support."