Marcus Harvey, Targus

Marcus Harvey is the regional director for EMEA at Targus. He leads the commercial sales operations and strategy for the EMEA region. He has over 6 years of experience in this role, and over 20 years of experience in the consumer electronics and FMCG industries, working with global brands such as Coca-Cola, Lexmark, Logitech and Targus.

Number of years in current role:

6

Number of years in current company:

11

Number of years involved in indirect/channel sales:

20

Reports to:

Dave Crew, VP global sales

What percentage of overall sales come through the channel?

90 per cent

What is your personal channel philosophy?

My channel philosophy is to empower growth and collaboration between the IT channel and us a vendor. We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive environment where the channel can thrive and reach their full potential.

My key principles are about knowledge sharing, continuous learning, trust & transparency, providing innovation and agility all wrapped up in a supportive customer centric approach. Our aim is to be the partner of first choice for our channel partners.

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

Key accomplishments have been centred around channel expansion by identifying and recruiting new channel partners allowing us to tap into new categories and new markets. Improved partner enablement by implementing a new improved enablement program rewarding sales success and improved capabilities.

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

Partnership and collaboration - we have had multiple examples of the power of collaboration & partnership in the channel. We have improved proactive engagement to create joint solutions, share best practice & leverage each other's space to identify white space opportunities and close significant joint business projects.

Market expansion - we have worked with key partners to expand into new geographical markets which led to new opportunities for growth. Our partner efforts led to significant increases in market share & revenue gains. Winning significant market share in the education vertical across the Nordic countries - Partnering with our key educational resellers we have developed unique products and developed programs to reward their sales efforts - this brought a record level of market share gains of nearly 50 per cent and increased sales.

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

Areas I would like to see channel partners invest would be product knowledge and training enabling them to understand the accessory offerings and allow them to effectively communicate their value to customers & provide exceptional support and guidance during the sales process.

Digital transformation to stay competitive in the evolving IT landscape - AI, IOT being two important areas of investment linked to vertical marketing expertise, encourage resellers in understanding the unique needs and challenges of different industries. lastly is sustainability and green initiatives - highlight the importance and raise the awareness of their vendors that are leading the way.

What are the biggest challenges facing your partners in 2024?

Competitive market landscapes with numerous resellers and MSP's vying for the same customers. Resellers need to be able to differentiate themselves from competitors and showcasing their USPs.

Continued pressures on price and commoditization of certain product categories - all in all impacting margins. Talent acquisition and retention continues to be a challenge - the hybrid office vs the in office debate - how does this impact their ability to recruit.

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

I always promote diversity when hiring new people into the channel team - we continue to review job descriptions to eliminate any bias and always focus on skills and qualifications to attract as diverse pool of candidates as possible.

I lead by example and demonstrate inclusive behaviours and attitudes - I always show respect and seek input from all team members & hold everyone accountable for promoting equality & inclusion.

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

In 2024, our Market Development Funds (MDF) strategy remains inclusive for partners, while prioritising those demonstrating strategic alignment and proactive investment. We're opening up funds to partners committed to the partnership's growth, encouraging investments in competencies, new customer acquisition, and strategic initiatives.

This shift ensures MDF benefits are directed towards partners actively contributing to our collective success, fostering a more collaborative and mutually beneficial channel environment.

What are your biggest channel priorities in 2024?

In 2024, we are prioritising increasing the overall percentage of company revenue that comes through the channel, revamping our existing channel programme and increasing the amount of professional services going through partners.