Shaun Witherden, Greg Jones, Kaseya

Shaun Witherden, VP of business development at Kaseya is an innovative, accomplished professional with proven ability to manage resources efficiently in order to achieve corporate objectives. Extensive experience providing management and service solutions for medium to large enterprise customers.

An excellent communicator focused on building and maintaining productive relationships at all levels of business.

Proven ability to lead teams in the design and delivery of project management to align business goals.

Building on a career spanning more than two decades in IT service management, making the transition from owning and growing an IT managed services company from $1m to $24m.

Excited to give back to the community from the key learnings from this period. Leading a team of dedicated staff in delivering industry-leading software to customers through the APAC channel. Driving a leadership and management style which are instrumental to the fun, hard-working, and award-winning team culture at Datto.

Number of years in current role:

Just over a year

Number of years in current company:

2

Number of years involved in indirect sales:

15

Reporting to:

Daniel Tomaszewski, executive VP for channel

Describe your personal channel philosophy.

My personal channel philosophy centres on a personalised approach to supporting the MSP community. Prioritise understanding each business's unique needs, tailoring solutions to foster growth. Beyond troubleshooting, I emphasise assisting MSPs in delivering comprehensive end-user education, empowering clients to harness technology effectively.

I believe that our success is intrinsically tied to the success of the businesses we support. By contributing to their growth and resilience, we forge lasting partnerships. Striving for excellence, maintaining open communication, and fostering a collaborative ecosystem, my philosophy aims to not just fix issues but to actively enable the triumph of the entire MSP community.

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

Implemented a dinner "short sprint" format for Kaseya's APAC Locals. Unique and innovative format means partners that attend receive a 3-course meal and drinks as they are given information to help their business succeed. Ensuring that Kaseya's partners stay up to date on the latest industry trends.

How is your company working to build equity and inclusion in the channel?

Kaseya is actively advancing equity and inclusion in the channel through robust initiatives. We prioritise inclusive hiring, offer training programmes, and advocate for diversity in collaborations with channel partners.

By fostering a culture of inclusivity, implementing awareness campaigns, and providing mentorship opportunities, we strive to build a workforce that reflects diverse perspectives. Continuous evaluation of our policies ensures ongoing progress, reinforcing our commitment to creating an equitable and inclusive channel environment.

How is your organisation's market development strategy (MDF) changing this year?

This year, we've strategically doubled the allocation in our MDF programme, and next year, we're poised to invest over 50 per cent more.

Our industry-leading MDF programme is delivering substantial returns, with partners experiencing a remarkable 400 per cent return on investment. Success is evident across various initiatives, including partner lunch and learns, dinners, internal sales kickoff meetings, and digital marketing campaigns.

This consistent growth underscores our commitment to providing unparalleled support and resources to our partners, ensuring mutual success through impactful and results-driven marketing and development initiatives.

What are your top channel goals for 2024?

Increase overall percentage of company revenue that comes through the channel, increase partners' customer satisfaction ratings and Encourage partners to sell a broader part of our portfolio.

What were the key partner investments made over the past year?

Over the past year, we strategically invested in key channel and partner initiatives, notably with Kaseya Locals, a programme incurring a cost of $248,000, ensuring MSPs can attend with no financial burden.

Additionally, we committed to sponsor multiple events, showcasing the robust Kaseya Stack and our dedicated support for MSP growth.

The major highlight was our first Kaseya Dattocon APAC, a three-day conference that drew over 2000 channel partners. Classified as the best conference of 2023, it exemplified our commitment to fostering collaboration, knowledge sharing, and empowerment within the MSP community.