CRN Sales & Marketing Awards - Finalist Q&A with Tanaz Gould, chief revenue officer at Trustmarque Ultima

Tanaz Gould talks being a finalist at this year's CRN Sales & Marketing Awards

What prompted you to enter the award this year?

Our first Fusion event was held in 2023, and since then it has grown into a monumental happening that unites people, ideas, and expertise. The 2025 event felt like a defining moment for Trustmarque. The focus was sharper, the execution stronger, and the alignment across teams and partners genuinely came together in a way that reflected Trustmarque’s ambition and values.

Fusion Live has become a platform that consistently delivers real value, not just on the day, but before, during and long after the event itself, shaping meaningful customer conversations and long-term partnerships. Customer feedback was outstanding. One attendee described the event as “one of the highest‑value” experiences they had attended, so we knew we had created something special.

For the first time, we also ensured the event was CPD accredited which allowed our NHS customers to use the event as part of their professional development.

What would winning mean to your people and your customers and partners?

For our team, it would be a powerful validation of the work that often happens behind the scenes. It is an ‘all hands on deck’ event from teams across the business. The event takes months of planning, refining content, rehearsing sessions and obsessing over customer experience. Recognition at this level reinforces pride and belief in what the team can deliver together.

For customers and partners, it provides independent reassurance. An award like this signals that Fusion Live is not just well produced, but genuinely respected by the industry.

What has been your company’s proudest achievement over the past year?

Our proudest achievement has been our ability to raise standards while navigating significant change. Over the past year, we’ve brought teams together, aligned ways of working and strengthened our focus, all while maintaining momentum and keeping our customers firmly at the centre of what we do. That combination of progress and discipline has mattered. It’s allowed us to deliver with clarity, consistency, and purpose, raising standards rather than compromise them, even during a period of transition.

Fusion Live is one expression of that wider achievement: a complex, multi‑stakeholder initiative delivered with confidence, a clear message, and a strong link to customer value. It reflects not just what we delivered, but how we now operate as a business.

What have been the biggest challenges this year and how have you overcome them?

This year has required balance. Customers are under pressure, budgets are tighter, and expectations around relevance and ROI are higher than ever. At the same time, our own teams have been adapting to new structures and priorities.

We have overcome this by working more closely across sales, marketing, delivery and partners, and by listening harder. Our partners have played a crucial role too, helping shape content around real world challenges rather than product led narratives.

What are the main opportunities over the next 12 months?

The biggest opportunity lies in helping organisations move from experimentation to confidence, particularly around AI, security and optimisation. Customers are looking for trusted partners who can help them execute against their strategies and see results.

We plan to capitalise on this by continuing to create spaces like Fusion Live where customers can learn from peers, partners and practitioners in one place, grounded in real world experience.

About Fusion Live 2026!

Join 400+ technology leaders at Fusion Live 2026 to see real solutions in action, hear from industry leading voices, and discover what’s working now across productivity, cyber security, connectivity and infrastructure. Register now to be part of the conversation on 17 September 2026 at Magazine London:

Fusion Live 2026 | Discover Technology & Innovation | Trustmarque and Ultima

Be part of the celebration that brings the industry’s brightest talent together. Join us at the Sales & Marketing Awards and experience an unforgettable evening of recognition, networking, and inspiration.

Tables are filling fast – secure yours today and don’t miss the chance to be in the room where excellence is celebrated.