Name: Claudia Hebden
Role: Senior manager, Alliances Partnership, CrowdStrike
Spirit animal: Lion
Walk-on song: Sweet Dreams (Are made of This)
How would you summarise CrowdStrike's channel philosophy?
CrowdStrike was designed as a partner-first company. The CrowdStrike Falcon platform was purpose-built in the cloud and enables CrowdStrike partners to deliver solutions through a single, lightweight agent spanning endpoint security and XDR, cloud security, identity security, data security, managed services, security and IT operations, threat intelligence and log management at scale and without friction. CrowdStrike provides partners an opportunity for specialisation and differentiation. This allows partners the flexibility to engage with CrowdStrike the way their business requires.
Tell us about CrowdStrike's partner programme in 100 words or fewer…
As a partner-first company, partners are a core part of CrowdStrike's business — they allow us to reach more customers and meet the global demand for our technology. Our Elevate Partner Program is an elite cybersecurity ecosystem delivering expertise and solutions to stop breaches. Through our partner program, partners can build solutions with the CrowdStrike Falcon platform that solve customer challenges and help them stay ahead of adversaries.
How many partners do you work with in the UK?
Starting from the beginning of CrowdStrike's presence in the UK market, we have made a deliberate effort to focus on partners which support our mission in stopping breaches and driving successful outcomes for our clients. CrowdStrike evaluates and onboards new partners each year and has most recently seen significant growth of new MSSP partners in the UK market.
Are you looking either to expand or reduce that? If so, what partner profile does this apply to?
We will always ensure that we maintain value for our existing partners by not spreading our business thinly. There continues to be a massive market growth opportunity though our core platform and excitingly even more still as we expand into new solution areas such as XDR, cloud and identity - therefore we continue to look for partners who are positioned to take advantage of incremental market opportunity
Have you made any major changes to your partner programme recently, or are you about to?
We always keep our partner programme under review and listen to our partners to ensure that all of our partner types have adequate representation of how we go to market together. We are identifying the necessary investments to support our partner base even better and are looking to increasingly leverage technology and automation capabilities to accelerate how our partners work with CrowdStrike.
Our current programme has been in place for several years and has yielded well for us in terms of customer growth. There have been a couple of minor changes to the programme that revolve around providing more open access to our partners who wish to resell CrowdStrike services, ensure teaming price advantages and some changes to further protect the incumbency of partners.
These changes have been directly driven by the feedback and direction of our UK partners over the last two years through the newly created Partner Advisory Board. CrowdStrikes strives to have a leading partner program and through our partners' direct feedback, we are able to shift the focus of investment, local CrowdStrike resources and enablement courses to ensure we drive partner profitability.
We are seeing an increase in more partners offering services and also partners who previously didn't sell security entering the space
Describe your perfect partner?
CrowdStrike is laser-focused on delivering the solutions, intelligence and expertise required to combat today's advanced cyber adversaries and help customers stop breaches. When you find partners as committed to the mission as you, customers win, plain and simple.
In which areas would you most like to see your partners invest over the next 12 months?
There is diversity across the UK on how partners want to go to market and we are seeing an increase in more partners offering services and also partners who previously didn't sell security entering the space.
What are your priorities for the next 12 months?
CrowdStrike is laser-focused on delivering the solutions, intelligence and expertise required to combat today's advanced cyber adversaries and help customers stop breaches. When you find partners as committed to the mission as you, customers win, plain and simple.
Is direct-channel conflict ever an issue in your partner ecosystem, and if so how do you mitigate that?
CrowdStrike is a channel-first company by design.
Name one trait you prize highly in partners, and one you deplore?
Prized: Honest, open communication and collaboration working closely together to solve our mutual customer's problems.
Deplore: Any activity which doesn't keep the customer experience and success at the heart of how we work together.
How do you feel CrowdStrike's margin proposition stacks up against your peers?
CrowdStrike aligns our partner value and margin through our partner programme including deal registration and teaming protection and always look to align our programs for mutual success
What's the most challenging aspect of being a channel leader?
CrowdStrike is growing so fast, and along with it, so is our partner community. It's important that we have the right tools and resources to be able to meet the needs of our partners and customers.
Tell us something about yourself most people won't know
When I was younger I wanted to be a weather presenter which is one of the reasons I did Physical Geography as a degree. Definitely no regrets in my career choice and always handy to understand the climate!
What is your spirit animal?
Lion - not just because of my hair but also determination, dedication and leadership
What would be your walk-on song, and why?
Sweet Dreams (Are made of This) by Eurythmics, not only is this my karaoke song but it's got a beat that you can't help but want to move.
