Dion Smith, Zoom
Dion Smith is the head of channels, EMEA at Zoom. He joined Zoom in January 2022. Prior to joining Zoom, Dion was leading the global strategic partnerships group at AWS, where he was responsible for AWS's multi-billion dollar go-to-market with GSIs.
Dion started his career with IT in 1992 and for the last 30 years has been building and transforming partner ecosystems for HP, DELL, Samsung, DXC, Veritas and AWS. He built the first managed services channel for HP, the first EMEA Channel for DELL, took Samsung from #15 to #1 in B2B market share via channels, globally separated the Symantec/Veritas partner ecosystem and grew the AWS GSI's from $1.5bn to $3bn. He has lived in Europe, North America and Asia.
Dion is a graduate of business and holds a master's from Brooklands, Surrey. He is ardent about child and animal welfare and sits on the boards of Action For Children and the RSPCA.
Number of years in current role:
2
Number of years in current company:
2
Number of years involved in indirect/channel sales:
29
Reports to:
Graeme Geddes, chief sales officer
Number of employees in channel organisation:
Declined to disclose
What percentage of overall sales come through the channel?
40 per cent
What is your personal channel philosophy?
At the heart of partnerships and ecosystems lies a fundamental truth: trust is the cornerstone. Without trust, we risk settling for a transactional ecosystem instead of one that adds real value.
The utopian objective is for your channel to become a 'force multiplier,' making clarity indispensable. Whether it's expanding reach through distribution or tapping into specialised partners for industry frameworks, verticals, or expertise, every partnership you sign should compliment and align to the organisations overall strategy.
The endgame is not just partnerships; it's the creation of an ecosystem where trust prevails, and value multiplies exponentially.
What were your biggest personal channel accomplishments over the past year?
Dion built ZOOM's first distribution network for EMEA & first specialist partner ecosystem for Zoom Phone, Contact Centre, AI and Rooms. Signed multiple strategic partnership agreements (i.e Talk Talk). He EMEA channel sales & distribution teams across all of EMEA. All of the above has driven EMEA's channel contribution from 14 per cent to 51 per cent.
What were your organisation's biggest channel accomplishments over the past year?
We executed a channel contribution increase from 14 per cent to 51 per cent in EMEA. We identified, supported and helped close the largest deal in EMEA for Zoom. We increased by 90 per cent all contact centre deals closed by the ecosystem we have built this last year.
What areas would you like to see your channel partners invest in in 2024?
In 2024, I would like to see partners demonstrating unparalleled excellence in technical enablement by obtaining certifications and accreditations across the entire Zoom product portfolio.
Also partner sales teams using our sales enablement to elevate their expertise on our product and become platform specialists across unified communication, and a commitment to understanding how Zoom will enhance their customers employee experience.
I would also like to see partners actively contributing to our growth by skilfully driving demand and awareness generation, ensuring a robust and sustainable pipeline utilising our deal registration mechanism.
What are the biggest challenges facing your partners in 2024?
In 2024, channel partners will face an important challenge of educating their teams on the rapid integration of AI technologies.
Adapting to AI-driven solutions and with advanced AI navigating the understanding of how artificial intelligence into existing workflows will be a key sales differentiator when it comes to unified communications.
In what ways do you use your role to build equity and inclusion?
Leading an EMEA team offers a unique opportunity to champion equity and inclusion, fostering diversity within the team and dismantling systemic barriers. By actively cultivating a rich tapestry of perspectives, I not only enhance team dynamics but also contribute to a more inclusive organisation.
Beyond the local impact, I leverage these experiences to guide and support colleagues in other countries, sharing lessons learned and successes achieved. This collaborative approach ensures that the commitment to equity and inclusion becomes a shared value, creating a positive ripple effect across our global organisation, influencing organisational culture and performance worldwide.
What are your biggest channel priorities in 2024?
As we expand our channel's contribution, we're amplifying investments in partnerships. With the launch of Zoom 2.0, heightened support goes to partners scaling their Zoom investments. Additionally, we're elevating our presence at industry events, actively engaging in new product segments added to our platform.