Sam Callaghan, ConnectWise

Sam Callaghan is the VP sales EMEA at ConnectWise. With over 13 years of experience in the IT channel industry, Sam has made significant contributions in various roles within revenue organisations at ConnectWise.

For the past nine years, Sam has been an integral part of ConnectWise, starting as a Channel Account Manager and quickly advancing to lead the EMEA Revenue division. In this role, Sam has successfully managed teams and fostered key business relationships across the EMEA region.

With a proven track record of driving growth and delivering results, Sam's expertise and leadership have been instrumental in the success of ConnectWise in the EMEA market.

Number of years in current role:

2

Number of years in current company:

9

Number of years involved in indirect/channel sales:

13

Reports to:

Gregg Lalle, SVP international sales

Number of employees in channel organisation:

3500

What percentage of overall sales come through the channel?

Declined to disclose.

What is your personal channel philosophy?

Technology promises a brighter future, providing solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. In the channel, teamwork is essential to drive this positive change, with each part playing a crucial role in dreaming, innovating, and implementing a better future.

The key lies in building strong relationships and partnerships, prioritising people, outcomes, aligned values, and delivering delightful experiences at every level. By understanding how to empower partners and their customers to become the heroes of their stories, we can ensure that the gears of progress continue to turn, propelling us towards a better tomorrow.

What were your biggest personal channel accomplishments over the past year?

I have strengthened ConnectWise's partnerships with key EMEA VADs, driving rapid growth in our business. By focusing on regional teams and collaborating with stakeholders across departments, we have built a strong foundation for scaling our partner base, improving partnerships at a programmatic level, and enabling partners' competitiveness in new markets.

What were your organisation's biggest channel accomplishments over the past year?

In 2023, our partner organisation and partners achieved remarkable milestones. The Cybersecurity Partner programme experienced significant growth in both recruitment and performance. Our partners transitioned from viewing cybersecurity as an ad-hoc add-on to recognising it as a consistent revenue driver month after month.

As a result, the ConnectWise channel doubled its cybersecurity revenue compared to 2022, solidifying cyber security as a core revenue driver for both our partners and us. Our Northern European team made impressive strides by increasing the number of MSP partners working with ConnectWise by over 50 per cent in the Benelux region. This expansion led to a notable improvement in their operating maturity and drove strong revenue growth in that area.

These accomplishments highlight the effectiveness of our partner programmes and our teams' dedication. By prioritising cyber security and expanding our partnerships, we have increased revenue and enhanced our partners' operational capabilities and success. We are proud of these achievements and look forward to supporting our partners in their growth and success in the future.

What areas would you like to see your channel partners invest in in 2024?

To maximise success, partners must invest in operational maturity. Understanding the fundamental mechanics that drive their businesses is crucial for scalability. Investing in growing segments like cybersecurity and infrastructure management, including cloud services, is essential.

These areas offer ample opportunities for partners to capitalise on increasing demand. By allocating resources and expertise to these sectors, partners can meet evolving customer needs and achieve long-term success. Being proactive and adaptable allows partners to leverage these investments, driving growth and expanding their customer base in the channel market.

What are the biggest challenges facing your partners in 2024?

In 2024, our partners will face ongoing challenges in cybersecurity. The rising regulatory and compliance demands for partners and their customers will drive the need to adopt new cybersecurity services.

To navigate this landscape successfully, it is crucial for partners to focus on delivering the right messaging. Instead of pitching products and features, they should prioritise education and continuous development. Partners can create scalable revenue streams that adapt to the evolving threat landscape by providing valuable insights and knowledge. This approach will not only meet the increasing demands but also establish trust and long-term partnerships with their customers.

In what ways do you use your role to build equity and inclusion?

An active advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion within our organisation from a hiring and education perspective. I actively look for opportunities to support our partners in doing the same. For example, we are collaborating with one partner this year to educate young people from socio-economically challenged backgrounds and provide opportunities that may not be ordinarily available, providing space for them to meet and resources and expertise from across our teams to deliver content and engage with school-leaver-age students.

Describe how your use of market development funds (MDF) is changing this year?

We are investing further into MDF and Co-Op with our channel partners. We are expanding the number of eligible partners to receive MDF and engaging deeper with these organisations, not just in accruing MDF but in maximising their use and ROI to deliver further growth and opportunity.

There is a general concept that the available MDF is underused within the channel. One of our core KPIs is around the consumption of this MDF and ensuring our partners make the best use of this resource â€" which is supported through the Partner Development Executive team.

What are your biggest channel priorities in 2024?

Increase partners' customer satisfaction ratings and increase the amount of net new accounts coming through partners.