'We are changing the rules of the game': Philips Monitors UKI sales boss

Paul Butler discusses the organisation's new reseller strategy, navigating market uncertainty and the growing impact of AI ahead of the CRN Channel Awards

What prompted you to enter the CRN Channel Awards this year, without giving anything away of course?

Over the past few years our team in the UK has worked incredibly hard to build Philips Monitors into a brand the channel knows, trusts and enjoys working with. This year we have also started doing things a little differently for mid-sized resellers. With this new approach, we believe that we are changing the rules of the game for that section of the market. I won't say more than that for now! Our partners know they can rely on us to help them deliver the best solutions for their customers, and I wanted the team to get the recognition that their work deserves.

What would winning this award mean to both your teams and your customers/partners?

It would mean a huge amount. For the team, it would be a real pat on the back after many long days and hundreds of miles travelled. It would also be proof that the effort has been noticed well beyond our own four walls. For our partners, it would confirm what they already experience day to day: the relationships we have built together are solid and worth investing in. Recognition from an independent panel of industry peers carries real weight, and it would be a win we share with every partner who has backed us.

What would you say is your company's proudest achievement over the past year?

Being awarded EcoVadis Platinum again in 2026, which places us in the top 1% of companies assessed worldwide for sustainability and supply chain standards. That doesn't happen by accident. It is the result of years of precise, consistent work to reach an incredibly high bar and then keep reaching it. It is also a good reminder that what we achieve in the UK is built on the backing of a great head office, and their support is a big part of why we can deliver for our partners here.

What have been the biggest challenges of the current year so far and how have you overcome them? How have your people/partners helped with that?

Between global uncertainty and steep price rises across memory-related products, it has been a turbulent year for everyone. Our approach has been to keep our feet firmly on the ground and offer structured, reliable propositions that partners can plan around. In a market where things change at the drop of a hat, consistency has become one of our biggest strengths, and our partners have rewarded that with more business. I'd also like to thank our PR team. For more than ten years, they have been making sure that our market approach and our team are visible across every sector. They get our message to exactly the right people. And I’m grateful to our Marketing Support Agency for making every event a memorable occasion for us and our guests – thus solidifying our relationships.

What lessons do you think the industry has learned over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?

The big one is that you can never rest on your laurels. Doing the same things over and over simply isn't enough anymore. The industry has to take stock, adapt and move forward as the environment changes. AI is probably the steepest learning curve business has ever faced. Most companies have barely scratched the surface so far, but sooner or later everyone will need to embrace the changes AI is bringing to every part of the market. The ones who start learning now will be in a much stronger position later.

This article is sponsored by Philips