Introducing Channel Futures’ Channel Influencers for 2022
We’ve identified a select group of channel leaders from vendors, technology solutions brokerages and tech distributors.
February 23, 2022
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Rich Hume
CEO
TD-SYNNEX
“I consider it a blessing that I had that opportunity to start at the very bottom of the organization and make my way through the management and executive management. I continue to have that perspective, from understanding top to bottom how an organization runs and some of the challenges that exist at different levels.”
Rich Hume started his 40-year career in tech in an entry level position with IBM. Today he is CEO of TD SYNNEX. Knowing first-hand how organizations run — from the bottom to the top — has been instrumental in helping him oversee the integration of Tech Data (where Hume had been CEO) and SYNNEX into TD SYNNEX. The new company has more than 22,000 employees, serving businesses in more than 100 countries across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific with a portfolio of more than 200,000 product offerings.
Creating a smoothly integrated entity that posted $15.6 billion in revenue in its first quarter of revenue is just part of the reason Hume was named a co-Channel Influencer of the Year for 2022. To find out more, read his full profile in the digital issue spotlighting the 2022 Channel Futures Channel Partners, available for download on Friday, Feb. 25.
Christopher Trapp
CEO
Upstack
“Any agent you speak to put significant blood, sweat, and tears into their businesses, and those sacrifices are what made them successful. Upstack is no different.”
When Christopher Trapp moved from the data center/colocation space into the partner space, it was to build “the most valuable agency in the world.” He and his team invested a considerable amount of time and money into building technology that streamlined the sales process. And then they discovered the real challenge was going to be driving adoption.
Upstack slowly acquired clients, agents and some investments. When they had scaled enough, private equity investment firm Berkshire Partners provided them with what was described as the “largest equity investment in the IT agency space.” That gave Upstack a credibility boost as well as funds to accelerate their growth through acquisitions, resulting in one of the largest and fastest expansions the channel partner world has ever seen.
You can find out more about this co-Channel Influencer of the Year in the digital issue spotlighting the 2022 Channel Futures Channel Influencers, available for download on Friday, Feb. 25.
Jon Arnold
Principal
J Arnold & Associates
“Analysts tend to focus on the offerings vendors are bringing to market, along with the challenges those offerings are addressing for end customers. Channel partners are often in the middle of all this and represent the crucial link between buyers and sellers. Technology change impacts all links in the value chain, and channel partners have their own challenges to manage. Not only do they have the pulse of the buyers and end users, but they know the realities facing each vendor in their orbit. As my practice evolves, understanding the needs of channel partners is becoming just as important as these other segments of the market, and being recognized as a Channel Influencer provides great validation that I’m on the right track here.”
Toronto-based Jon Arnold began his career as an analyst in 2001, working for Frost & Sullivan. Four years later, he founded J Arnold & Associates which provides thought leadership and go-to-market counsel, primarily on the business-level effect of communications technology on digital transformation. Since then, Arnold has become nothing short of ubiquitous. In addition to his widely-read JAA’s Analyst Blog, he provides daily commentary on Twitter and LinkedIn, as well as a monthly podcast and newsletter. He also regularly contributes to industry media, including authoring reports and hosting webcasts for Channel Futures. Arnold’s knowledge of the industry and his understanding of the role the channel plays make him a well-known and highly respected thought leader and valuable resource for the channel. And his band the SIPtones is pretty good, too.
Kelli Ballou-McMillan
Director of Global Partnerships (Channels)
Five9
“Multiple technology services brokers, business resource groups, various partners and suppliers have created internal and/or external programs to ensure the impact is forward-moving. I’m excited to continue these conversations into 2022 where we can address microaggressions, unconscious bias and leveling up on respectfully interacting with each other as we move into post-COVID environments.”
Kelli Ballou-McMillan is kicking off 2022 with a promotion after a successful year.
Five9’s director of global partnerships played a big part in a growing company and a growing channel program. The CCaaS provider built a new partner portal and drove awareness for its intelligent virtual agent (IVA) and AI products.
Ballou-McMillan also continued to lead the channel in DE&I conversations. As the founder and CEO of Xposure Inclusion & Diversity Council, Ballou-McMillan spoke on numerous panels last year and helped multiple companies launch DE&I initiatives. She said the channel has embraced the movement to make a more inclusive and respectful community.
Scott Barlow
Vice President, Cloud MSP & Cloud Alliances
Sophos
“Since we built and launched the MSP Connect Flex program in 2016, our focus has been and continues to be helping MSPs lower their costs, improve their operational efficiency and accelerate their revenue. I expect more of the same in 2022, and with our partners’ continuous positive feedback and openness to improvements, we will continue to innovate and be the best security vendor any MSP is proud to call their partner.”
Scott Barlow, Sophos’ vice president of global MSP and cloud alliances, has his finger on the pulse of MSPs in cybersecurity. He also keeps a sharp eye on the latest threat landscape trends to make sure Sophos and its partners stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. In addition to his channel leadership role with Sophos, he’s vice chair of CompTIA’s board of directors, providing IT industry thought leadership.
Mark Barrenechea
CEO & CTO
OpenText
“We’ve spent the last two years doubling down on the OpenText Cloud, and you can see this in our road map. Our battle cry is every 90 days … we bring thousands of facets and features to market, and we do this automatically now.”
Mark Barrenechea has proven his mettle as OpenText’s CEO and CTO. “Aggressive” would be an understatement of his company’s performance under his leadership. Last November, he launched OpenText’s new “Bye Bye Blue” initiative, saying it’s time for everybody to drop IBM and choose it instead.
“We are in the upper right quadrant of Gartner for innovation in the CSP market,” he said. “IBM has moved lower left. Any lower left and they wouldn’t even be on the chart. We’re talking about a technology platform to drive your future of growth.”
OpenText has also been aggressive in its acquisition strategy, racking up big names like Webroot, Carbonite and Zix. All eyes will be watching what Barrenechea does this year.
Tim Basa
Vice President of Sales
AppSmart
“A business wants its B2B buying experience to be as easy and streamlined as its B2C experience. In the same way, people default to Amazon, Etsy, Walmart or E-Trade, business leaders are beginning to default to marketplace experiences. Channel partners aligned with marketplaces that make it easy to find, buy and manage business services will start to dominate the space.”
AppSmart’s Tim Basa has helped introduce a new way for channel partners to do business.
The former BullsEye Telecom and Telegration executive has carved out a role for himself at AppSmart following AppDirect’s acquisition of Telegration. Basa said he has navigated change in all 27 years of his channel experience, and the last two years have been more of the same.
AppSmart has been working with its agent partners to move them to a digital-first plan, as the modern technology purchasing process evolves.
Jason Beal
Senior Vice President, Global Channels & Partner Ecosystems
AvePoint
“Through our global channel program, we’ve enabled our partners to expand their business by providing collaboration security solutions to their customers. From evangelizing via online platforms to engaging with partners face to face, I’ve seen tremendous excitement and possibilities that this massive opportunity provides to the channel ecosystem worldwide.”
When AvePoint, one of Microsoft’s largest ISV partners, decided it wanted to create its own channel program, the company turned to Jason Beal. The industry veteran, who helped launch the Ingram Micro Cloud over a decade ago, landed at AvePoint in late 2020 after leading Palo Alto Networks’ commercial channel business and global distribution.
Beal arrived at AvePoint with a sense of urgency. AvePoint had just announced an IPO, made possible when special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Apex agreed to acquire the SaaS provider. AvePoint determined the fastest approach to growing revenue was to build out a channel program, rather than expand its direct salesforce. Everything came together last July, when AvePoint launched its first global partner program, just two weeks after officially becoming a public company.
Besides building the program from scratch, Beal helped expand AvePoint’s presence beyond the Microsoft ecosystem, aligning with the Google Workplace and Salesforce partner base.
Ruba Borno
Vice President, Worldwide Channels & Alliances
Amazon Web Services
“We are … seeing the channel become less transactional and instead focus on true partnership. This is a trend that will continue as organizations and partners recognize the impact each other’s success has on their own organization. This in mind, we’ll see deeper investment in co-selling initiatives, educational/certification programs, and mutual growth goals that benefit all parties across the channel.”
That comes from Ruba Borno, who late last year took over leadership of the world’s largest cloud partner program. That achievement alone qualifies her as a 2022 Channel Futures Influencer. But landing the top channel role at AWS isn’t Borno’s only significant accomplishment. No, Borno holds a doctorate in electrical engineering, served as chief of staff to Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins (before taking on other big responsibilities at the company), spent six years at the prestigious Boston Consulting Group, and more. It’s only fair to assume that this impressive resume promises to inform Borno’s guidance and vision for the AWS channel.
Dany Bouchedid
Founder & CEO
COLOTRAQ
“I never really saw myself as an influencer in the channel per se. When I started my nonprofit work and social activism nearly 10 years ago it wasn’t very ‘fashionable.’ I actually received some ridicule when I started a CSR page for the COLOTRAQ website. So if it’s because of my work in that realm that I was chosen, I’m just happy that it could have inspired others to step up and do better for our industry, our community and the world as a whole.”
Dany Bouchedid is more than a bit of a disruptor. In 1999, he founded COLOTRAQ, the industry’s first colocation broker. Today he is CEO of the company which has a global network of more than 400 service providers in 1,200 markets across 140 countries. Bouchedid is a familiar face in the channel, serving on a number of advisory boards (including the Channel Futures DE&I Advisory Board), speaking at industry events and contributing to industry publications.
He’s changing things up outside the channel, too. Born in war-torn Beirut, Bouchedid has witnessed the effects of hunger and homelessness and experienced the difficulties of being an immigrant. Frustrated in his attempts to find the best organizations with which to work, he founded The Bouchedid Foundation, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit charitable organization whose goal is to fund the most immediate and worthwhile causes that are affecting the most underprivileged and neglected groups.
Jon Bove
Vice President Channel Sales
Fortinet
“The evolution and growth of the Fortinet channel is incredibly exciting, and it’s been a team effort, with strong collaboration among our sales, technical and marketing teams to make sure our partners can deliver the solutions customers need for their dynamic environments. Being named to the list is a highlight of that teamwork and momentum. I am proud to represent the Fortinet team.”
Jon Bove, Fortinet’s vice president of channel sales, will be one to watch in 2022. Outside of a brief stint at Proofpoint, he’s been a Fortinet channel leader for more than 10 years. He’s focused on encouraging and helping to build services opportunities and capabilities for partners to better support and meet customers’ digital acceleration challenges. The evolution of Fortinet’s MSSP program is also top of mind to drive more opportunity both in the Americas and globally.
Rob Cato
Vice President, North American Channels
Lenovo
“Our channel-first goal remains: to provide the critical support our partners need to be successful in transforming their businesses.”
Channel veteran Rob Cato last year gained more stature in the partner community when Lenovo elevated his role. While Cato was already North American channel chief for Lenovo’s Intelligent Devices Group (IDG), the company created the Lenovo 360 framework, resulting in a unified channel organization that brought together its Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG).
In his expanded role, Cato is now North American Channel Chief for the consolidated channel organizations. In the works throughout last year, the Lenovo 360 framework went live in January. Lenovo 360 gives access to a common set of programs across the two groups, incentivizing them to offer solutions and services that may require technology from the respective groups.
Cato says Lenovo 360 is an outgrowth of the way customers are purchasing solutions, allowing partners to benefit from those changes. “This exciting new approach has realigned our people, programs and tools to better support channel partners and help them take advantage of the opportunities the changing market offers,” Cato says.
Omer Choudhary
Founder & CEO
Truffle
“It’s an honor to be named as a Channel Influencer for 2022. I envision that digital transformation and opening new revenue markets in non-traditional industries are key to success and innovation for the MSP ecosystem. I also want to thank my team who are a key part in us achieving this vision.”
Omer Choudhary is a shining example of what leading a company that has been through a storm looks like. About five years ago, Truffle had their worst year on record and almost went under. In that year the leadership team hunkered down and reviewed every aspect of the business and made dramatic changes to digitize and automate the business. This resulted in a 50% year-over-year increase in productivity, of sales and services. Seeing the success they had internally, the company set out to help their clients who were also struggling. Truffle analyzed their customers’ operations and architected full solutions to digitize and automate their business, helping one customer gain a 40% efficiency rate during the pandemic.
Since taking the reins at Truffle, Choudhary has continued to lead the team to success, landing the company two special Channel Futures MSP 501 awards in 2021 – the Digital Innovator award and the third place MSP of the Year award.
Rodney Clark
Corporate Vice President, Global Channel Sales & Channel Chief
Microsoft
“We’ve seen our customers become increasingly digital, not only with their solutions, but in their hiring. They are hiring more application developers today than they ever have, and so our partners have to actually come in with much more of a focused technical agenda in how they service and support and build with our customers.”
When Microsoft veteran Rodney Clark was tapped last year to succeed longtime channel chief Gavriella Schuster, he came to the role with three commitments to partners: strengthen Microsoft’s digital capability, deepen partners’ technical capability and streamline engagement to drive profitability.
In a Microsoft Partner Network blog earlier this year, Clark reported on the progress that had been made in meeting those commitments. From a redesigned partner center to the first-ever Certification Week and lowered marketplace transaction fees, Clark and his team are delivering on his commitments and plan to do more. That’s not the least of the reasons Microsoft was the leader in enterprise IT sales in 2021. According to Synergy Research, Microsoft earned $120 billion in enterprise sales last year, compared to $75 billion for IBM and $60 billion for Amazon.
Rola Dagher
Global Channel Chief
Dell Technologies
“In 2022 our partners will continue to move away from transactional modes of business to a transformational mindset. Cutting edge technologies like Edge, 5G, AI, ML, multi-cloud and as-a-Service will open the door to new possibilities, it’s important that we enable our partners with the tools, trainings and technology to get it right. But it isn’t enough to just transform through innovation, we also need to transform in ways that make an impact in our communities and throughout the world.”
Dell Technologies’ global channel chief, Rola Dagher, returned to the company in 2020 after three years as president of Cisco Systems Canada. She oversees Dell’s channel ecosystem as the company transitions further to offering ‘everything-as-a-service’ with its Apex launch in 2021.
Len DiCostanzo
CEO
MSP Toolkit
“I believe the goal of an MSP to deliver positive outcomes for their clients using technology has not changed since I started out almost four decades ago. What has changed is the level of solution complexity for the MSP and their clients. With thousands of SaaS apps on the market, shadow IT running amok, bad actors attacking technology infrastructure and the pace of technology evolution speeding up as we speak, influencers, vendors and thought leaders need to match the knowledge of the experienced MSP partner, marry it to what’s next and bring it to the masses in consumable bite-size chunks. It’s amazing is how many MSPs have changed the lives of their peers by developing solutions to fill gaps in their stack, then getting acquired by vendors, only to bring that knowledge into the vendor world and begin to influence the next generation of MSPs. That cycle will surely continue to evolve the channel and the world of the MSP.”
Think of Len DiCostanzo as the former pro sports player turned broadcaster. If Cowboys great Tony Romo comes to mind you are on the right track. DiCostanzo has spent his career in the managed services channel first as a founder of a technology services firm, then working for tech suppliers and vendors who focused on the MSP channel before assuming his role as a consultant.
Romo and other former players in the booth have credibility because they played the game. DiCostanzo quickly gains the confidence of those he works with because he too has played the game, having built and then sold his MSP business. Because of that experience, when he speaks people listen. Many in the channel got to know “Len” when he was just a kid from Staten Island, New York, building his MSP business. Perhaps that’s why he has such a great following. He’s never stopped helping his fellow MSPs understand how to grow their businesses, bolt on new tech suppliers or figure out what to charge for their services.
“What I really enjoy is when an MSP comes up to me at an event or anywhere and thanks me for changing their lives,” he said. After nearly four decades in the industry, the master of the MSP market shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.
Dave Dyson
CEO & Chief Strategist
Eclipse Telecom
“In 2021 I am most proud of being a part of the large group of people working to make the tent larger for our industry by working to create a more welcoming and inclusive environment for all,” he said. “This is the beginning of an era of abundance that will only be fully realized when we bring in new perspectives and voices.”
Dave Dyson witnessed the channel evolve on multiple fronts in 2021.
On one hand, Dyson’s firm Eclipse and fellow consultancies reached enterprise customers with never-before-seen success in 2021. As this growth took place, many of Dyson’s peers chose to participate in private equity-fueled agent rollups. Dyson helped drive conversations between partners to help entrepreneurs get the information they need about consolidation.
“The channel will be tumultuous in 2022 as many partners choose to sell their companies and those who do not reimagine and reinvent themselves to compete with the newly amalgamated super-agencies,” Dyson told Channel Futures.
Moreover, Dyson said he took the most pride in participating in conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion in the channel.
Juan Fernandez
Co-Founder
MSP Growth Coalition
“I am truly honored to be included alongside such illustrious leaders and recognized for my unique contributions in giving back to the channel community. I am deeply moved by the expression of confidence and can’t tell you how humbled I am to be selected. One of my driving passions is to help others succeed and #makeadifference. This award is representation, that if you follow your passion, you too can make a difference.”
“As we step toward the future, I am most excited for a new era for channel partners, vendors, and services providers. There have been noticeable signs of evolution in the channel, and we are seeing more and more of is a unification and shifting focus from individual success to a mutual success model aligned for customer success deliverables. This unified approach is creating new worlds of opportunity that are refreshing and as these new relationships are forming, they are allowing for a creation of new types of offerings such as: secure by design solutions, business operations-as-a-service, customer experience-as-a-service and with all that are arising new innovative marketplaces creating unique customers experiences delivering these solutions to the modern buyer. This is a very exciting time to see the channel moving forward, and I am honored to be recognized as an influencer that is part of moving the channel forward and making a difference.”
“Cheers to all and to a channel that is better together!”
Juan Fernandez is widely respected and admired in the channel, and has been a long-standing champion and supporter of Channel Futures initiatives – especially the MSP 501 award program. Fernandez’s 26-year career in the IT industry is a testament to his investment in improving business outcomes with technology and developing the IT industry. His entire career has been dedicated to improving service delivery by embracing effective and efficient use of technology through a vision of technology, security, and compliance for small business, government, education, healthcare, and financial industries. Fernandez has created effective business models for delivering IT-based services such as DaaS, SaaS, DRaaS, HaaS, XaaS, and promoting online development opportunities to increase individual self-service capabilities and leading strategic initiatives to effectively transform technology to be simple, flexible, adaptable, and responsive to the customer needs. He has focused his career on educating customers and companies on his Making “IT” Simple approach.
Fernandez could not more closely embody the title of channel influencer. He has been instrumental in spreading the word about the MSP 501 awards and Channel Futures/Partners programs as a whole, and is well-known in the industry for his innovative ideas and initiatives.
Marc-André Fontaine
Vice President Sales & Marketing
Sherweb
“The Sherweb team and I put our hearts and souls into the success of the channel community. It’s great to be recognized by the industry, it means we’re having an impact. It gives us the fuel to continue and accelerate what we started at Sherweb 20 years ago. I say ‘us’ because it’s not just about me. I definitely share this achievement with my larger team. Everything Sherweb does has to bring value to the channel. Partners can expect even more hands-on, impactful tools and solutions to grow their cloud business faster with higher profitability.”
Marc-Andre Fontaine, Sherweb’s vice president of marketing, revenue and growth, will be one to watch in 2022 as his company focuses on helping partners grow their cloud business, expand their offerings and maximize their value. He’s been with Sherweb for more than 13 years and his top priorities are growing the cloud marketplace provider’s customer and partner base, empowering them with cloud solutions and helping them accelerate their success in the cloud.
Bobby Hall
Global Vice President – North American Channels
8×8
“Businesses today need the ability to seamlessly support their customers and employees, regardless of location, especially as they shift to remote and hybrid work models. And they have realized the importance of moving to cloud solutions that offer cohesive, integrated communication, collaboration and engagement experiences both internally and externally. A single vendor solution allows channel partners to provide organizations with a highly tailored communications experience, across any device or location, with enhanced management, productivity, companywide collaboration and real-time engagement capabilities. Ultimately, by understanding the changing landscape and providing their customers with a solution that meets their unique business requirements, partners gain a competitive advantage and the ability to grow alongside their customers as their needs change and expand.”
As vice president of North America channels for 8×8, Bobby Hall is responsible for accelerating business growth through the company’s award-winning channel partnership program. According to colleagues, Hall “gets” people. Known for his ability to recruit top performers, he is equally adept at building strong teams and developing long-term relationships with team members, customers and suppliers. A 20-year channel veteran, Hall has been with 8×8 since 2018. His decades of experience were especially useful when in August 2021, he found himself thrust into the position of interim global channel chief after the unexpected departure of John DeLozier. Hall made a near-seamless transition, leading sales partners through the successful launch of 8×8’s Front Desk XCaaS platform.
Sandy Hogan
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Commercial & Partner Sales
VMware
“No one can sell or deliver value alone. Now is the time for all participants in the indirect channel to capitalize on … changing dynamics and capture the opportunity afforded by the cloud economy. This requires building and leveraging an interconnected network that enables success for all types of partners and business models. We see the future as enabling a ‘cloud-smart’ ecosystem — a combination of strategies, programs, processes, and resources that enable partners to accelerate growth, expand capabilities, and capitalize on exceptional revenue opportunities.”
Sandy Hogan has led the VMware channel since April 2020. Over these past two years, she’s stood out as one of the (few-ish) vendor execs openly talking about a new way to compensate partners — not just at the point of sale, but throughout the customer life cycle. This proves critical in a cloud world, where the game no longer means selling one-and-done hardware. A continuous compensation model represents a major change for the channel, and challenges vendors and partners alike to reframe when and how money is earned. As one of the leading voices championing this shift, Hogan has earned a spot as a 2022 Channel Futures Channel Influencer.
George Hope
Worldwide Head of Partner Sales
HPE
“A key focus for thriving organizations is to enable partners to deliver the exact outcomes their shared customers want, wherever they want and need their workloads to be. Whatever the partner’s business model is, they can then add value through their own services and unique expertise, acting as trusted advisors and shifting the conversation from features to experiences.”
Appointed worldwide head of partner sales at HPE in 2020, George Hope describes his leadership style as “collaborative”. He is spearheading channel activity as HPE pursues its vision of becoming “the edge-to-cloud platform as-a-service company.” Central to that strategy is HPE’s GreenLake offering, which promises customers an alternative to the public cloud. The vendor updated the offering in 2021 to make it more channel-friendly.
Kevin Ichhpurani
Corporate Vice President, Global Ecosystem & Channels
Google Cloud
“The role of channel partners is evolving. Increasingly, customers are turning to the channel to provide valuable services and even IP rather than leaning on partners as pure resellers. My advice to the channel is to go deep. … To thrive in the (near) future, partners need to develop expertise in particular product and solution areas like data and analytics, artificial intelligence, machine learning, data center modernization, or other areas that will be foundational for customers’ digital transformations. Of course, there will always be a market for resellers, but the partners who will thrive in the future are the ones building deep expertise today.”
Kevin Ichhpurani is no stranger to Google Cloud partners but he is new as head of the channel at the world’s third-largest cloud provider. Ichhpurani took over from Carolee Gearhart in January. While no reason was given, we speculate that as the more of the cloud industry embraces the much-discussed “ecosystem,” people with more rounded experience will emerge to lead the channel programs. And Ichhpurani, after all, holds that coveted ecosystem keyword in his title, and has for five years. Now, he will be pressed to put that expertise into action for partners, furthering the channel growth Gearhart spearheaded for almost four years. This automatically gives Ichhpurani a distinguished place among Channel Futures’ 2022 Influencers.
Danny Jenkins
CEO
ThreatLocker
“I’m ecstatic that the effort and hard work we’ve put into ensuring that ThreatLocker delivers value to the channel is being recognized with such a great honor. The ThreatLocker team and I will continue to deliver high value and innovate in ways that bring effective enterprise class security to everyone.”
Danny Jenkins was the face of zero trust security across the channel last year. At last November’s MSP Summit, he encouraged the MSP audience to think about zero-trust in terms of applications, not just users.
“The application has access to everything that we have access to,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if you’re a local user or a domain administrator. It doesn’t matter if you’re running Angry Birds or Microsoft Office. Everything we run can see everything that we see.”
Therefore, zero trust for Jenkins means ensuring that certain applications don’t connect with each other. It doesn’t mean you distrust those applications, but the shift to zero trust removes some of their privileges. Those policies can make a big difference.
Jenkins will be one to watch as he continues waving the zero trust banner in 2022.
Christopher Jones
Associate Vice President of Channel Sales
AT&T
“I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish while repositioning ourselves with the tech distributors. I’m extremely excited about the improvements and changes we’ve made.”
Chris Jones has led by listening.
The associate vice president of channel Sales for the AT&T Alliance Channel and ACC Business helped realign the company’s channel program based on partner feedback. Specifically, he made inroads with the agent and TSB communities after listening to extensive recommendations and concerns from partners. Jones shared that the feedback took a great deal of patience and humility to receive, especially when partners complained of rigidity in the AT&T channel organization. AT&T went on to differentiate the way it engages with subagents and TSBs, and it hired people from other channel-focused vendors. All of the changes have led to what Jones calls a change in AT&T’s perception in the market.
Jones said AT&T will keep its focus on cybersecurity in 2022, as the IT and telco channels continue to merge.
“There’s a blurring of the lines between hardware/software and connectivity, resulting in additional opportunity for the channel to be involved in more and unique types of technological solutions,” he said.
Michelle Kadlacek
Vice President, Spectrum Enterprise Channel Partner Sales
Spectrum Enterprise
“Moving into 2022, our priority is to continue to position our fiber internet access product and sell more strategic products which also include managed services and DDoS.”
Michelle Kadlacek and her team at Spectrum Enterprise have worked to build new opportunities with sales agents.
Spectrum in 2021 gave its direct-selling agent partners access to its partner portal. It also added new tools that give partners greater visibility into their fiber orders and a partner relationship management platform. Moreover, the company bolstered its channel staff to include a managed services specialist. These program changes occurred as Spectrum made moves to expand its technology portfolio beyond traditional cable offerings.
Ian Kieninger
CEO
Avant
“In 2022, we’re looking forward to more consolidation within the trusted advisors and service distributors space, along with selling more enterprise business in the channel than ever before. We also expect security to become our fastest-growth product category and expect to see the average deal size grow more than 30% year-over-year.”
Ian Kieninger’s Avant continues to bet on cloud communications.
The Chicago-based technology services distributor and its partners drove more revenue through UCaaS than any other product. Moreover, CEO Kieninger said he wants Avant to lead the channel in selling CCaaS.
Kieninger listed Avant’s strategic partnership with Pamlico Capital as a major highlight of 2021. He said the private equity investment will help Avant expand its tools and invest more in its partners. Specifically he said, Avant will pour “seven figures” into developing its Pathfinder sales enablement application.
Kieninger predicted M&A, security growth and increased enterprise traction in the upcoming year.
Eric Kohl
Vice President, Cyber Security & Data Center
Ingram Micro
“We’re staying focused on education and enablement and advocating for the channel partners to embrace standardization, automation and scale. Standardizing your IT security solutions and introducing automation will lend to greater security, greater scale and a greater overall experience for employees and customers.”
Eric Kohl says Ingram Micro’s focus on education and enablement were evident in 2021. “Together with our vendors, we shared more insights, developed more resources, and uncovered more opportunities for our partners to add more value and help better protect their own house, as well as their customers. Simultaneously, we focused on end-to-end solutions, introducing new brands and complementary technologies to help our channel partners deliver a complete, managed, best of breed security solution.”
Dennis Kozak
Senior Vice President, Global Channel Sales
Avaya
“I am honored to be recognized. It’s a reflection of the hard work that the Avaya channel team have done over the last year to bolster and reinvigorate the Avaya Edge partner program, strengthen relationships with our partners and build out the technology solution broker route to market for our Avaya OneCloud portfolio of offers.”
Dennis Kozak took the reins as Avaya’s senior vice president of strategic operations and global channel sales in October 2020. One analyst recently pointed out that transitioning from on-premises PBX to CPaaS-enabled platforms was not an easy task. Avaya not only has succeeded, it has prospered. In 2022, Avaya will be rolling out more Avaya OneCloud CPaaS offerings in the channel. When combined with Avaya OneCloud CCaaS and Avaya Cloud Office, that will give partners a broad range of innovative and differentiated solutions to win new business.
David La Rose
General Manager, IBM Partner Ecosystem
IBM
“Focusing on the deployment of our [IBM] platform is an important area we are looking at … we are looking to extend it on both ends so when [a partner] influences a client’s decision, and when they deploy, they can really give a full lifecycle experience around our program and incentive stack.”
Now that IBM has spun off its Global Technology Services (GTS) business, Kyndryl, the company has a much greater need for its partners, says David LaRose, general manager, IBM Partner Ecosystem. As such, IBM is set to further modernize its PartnerWorld program in 2022. A key focus will be on “activating this managed services element of our partners to help build on and integrate the IBM platform into our clients.”
Christine Lee
Chief Strategy Officer
Texas Systems Group
“I am beyond words at being named an Influencer this year by Channel Futures. I enjoy working to assist TXSG and by extension its clients to grow and improve. Recognition from outside our company is icing on the cake. I look forward in 2022 to deepening our relationship with our vendor partners as part of a new vendor program I am leading.”
To begin with, Christine Lee was the winner of the Channel Futures MSP 501 Executive of the Year award in 2021. She has led the charge to create Texas Systems Group’s strategic plan and departmental budgets while holding leadership accountable for meeting company goals. She established the company’s new virtual CIO and project management roles and trained and documented key processes. Lee also leads Texas Systems Group’s leadership team’s professional development by facilitating multiple leadership book reviews and discussions, which have given the company’s leaders new tools and processes to better connect and lead their teams, especially during the 14-month-long work-from-home operations.
In 2019, Lee designed the company’s work-from-home disaster response and tested it during the migration to their new office building. This proved to be critical for the rapid transition to work-from-home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Lee also created and fine-tuned the template, policies and processes of having remote employees working from market expansion cities. This allowed Texas Systems Group to provide their onsite managed services in locations throughout Texas as they fulfilled their long-term strategy.
Zane Long
Senior Vice President Global Partner Sales
RingCentral
“We respect our partners’ reputation in their communities. They’ve worked tremendously hard to build a business from the ground up, so we make sure to always put their relationship with the customer first. It’s simply good business. Over time, with that respect comes rapport, which leads to trust. I’ve always been a fan of playing the long game, and the best partnerships are those that are built on a history of mutual success.”
Zane Long takes channel harmony seriously — so much so that RingCentral made it the centerpiece of its partner program. Long, who has served in leadership roles at Genband, Cbeyond and Level 3, oversees an organization that generates more than $500 million annually, making him one of the most influential channel leaders in the industry. The core of Zane’s channel strategy at the $1.5 billion UCaaS and CCaaS provider is to have partners and RingCentral’s internal sales force work collaboratively. “The partner (can) assume whatever size role they choose. All we ask is that they bring us qualified leads. We can take it from there, or the partner can consult throughout the sales process.” He is quick to point out that RingCentral’s strategic partnerships inked with Avaya, Atos, Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise and, most recently, Mitel give channel partners more paths to solutions for customers across a variety of platforms.
Jay McBain
Principal Analyst – Channels, Partnerships & Ecosystems
Forrester
“The ecosystem mindset will involve finding the right partners, providing them with the tools and motivation to grow their businesses and orchestrating a trusting environment that encourages value creation, co-innovation and taking advantage of network effects. Balancing investments in customer experience, employee experience and partner experience will be the winning calculus for these leaders in 2022.”
Jay McBain is a three-peat. And why not? Last year’s Channel Influencer of the Year is one of the most visible and respected thought leaders in the global channel. He is often sought out for industry guidance and future trends. McBain is renowned for his expertise in the people, communities, processes, programs and technology that drive the partner ecosystem. He has spent his 28-year career in various executive channel sales, marketing and strategy roles within IBM, Lenovo, Autotask and ChannelEyes before assuming his current position with Forrester, one of the most influential global research and advisory firms in the world.
Joyce Mullen
President & CEO
Insight
“As leaders, we’re in a unique position to help our teams see the art of the possible. I seek every opportunity to directly engage with our clients, partners and teammates to understand their needs and how I can play a role to help them fully deliver on their purpose.”
Joyce Mullen’s philosophy is that we’re living in a world of a rapid pace of change, and there are a whole lot of opportunities — through automation, AI, the intelligent edge — to take touch points and cycle time out of processes along a digital journey. Many organizations often lack the skills or haven’t dedicated the time to think about how to transform the business, but Mullen is a big proponent of stepping in to help clients shape their strategy and execution toward their digital business ambitions.
Richard Murray
Co-Owner & COO
Telarus
“The channel will see increased interest and investment this year as suppliers are recognizing the overwhelming value that technology advisors bring to the end customer. 2022 will be another banner year not just for Telarus, but for the entire channel.”
Richard Murray continues to grow his influence in the channel.
Murray sold CarrierSales to Telarus in 2017. It’s business as usual for Murray more than four years as Telarus’ chief operating officer. Whether he’s helping steer Telarus through its Columbia Capital-driven growth initiative or leading fellow TSBs in conversations about branding, Murray has established himself as a source of knowledge.
Murray said Telarus will work to expand their breadth of services and help its partners grow.
Rob Rae
Senior Vice President of Business Development
Datto
“A channel leader, in essence, is the identity for an organization. As vendors get larger, as you call the 1-800 number, as executives churn in and out, it’s important to have a consistent face of the organization — that’s been my goal. When people think of Datto, they think of me. If things go bad, they know to call Rob. You have to be willing to answer tough questions for your community and to get yelled at.”
This is the second time Rob Rae has been named a Channel Influencer. Brought on board by Datto in 2013 to forge deeper relationships with its MSP-only sales force, Rae today is instrumental in developing Datto’s go-to-market strategy.
He’s a familiar face at industry events — Datto’s and others’. On the keynote stage, moderating a panel, in a conversation group or one-on-one with a colleague, Rae is engaging and charismatic. He is a master of the art of IT hardware and software sales. And key to that art is the human connection. Rae is known in the channel for leaning in and really listening. He knows sales are more about people than products. There’s a good chance that’s why, even in the midst of a pandemic, Datto’s MSP partner ranks grew to more than 18,200 and the company realized successive quarters of record-setting revenue growth.
Michelle Ragusa-McBain
Global Lead & Channel Community Evangelist for MSP & XaaS
Cisco
“We are all the sums of various influences in our lives, professionally and personally. In the technology channel ecosystem, influence is a matter of earning and building trust to make an impact. It truly is as much about listening and learning the needs of your partners, stakeholders and customers as it is about driving results for mutual success.”
Michelle Ragusa-McBain is an absolute force of nature, injecting passion and intelligence into everything she does. Ragusa-McBain is a well-known channel advocate and, combining that advocacy with her virtuoso social media skills, she has become a recognized thought leader in the industry — and a familiar face. In addition to online and in-person appearances at Cisco events and industry conferences, she frequently creates and posts “quick-bite” informational videos on a wide range of topics. That range reflects her extensive involvement throughout the channel as well as her dedication to diversity. A member of the Alliance of Channel Women and Women in Technology, she is chair emeritus of Advancing Women in Tech for CompTIA and co-founder of Tech World’s Half, a nonprofit dedicated to encouraging and keeping women in the technology industry. In 2021 she was named to the Channel Partners Circle of Excellence, was a member of the inaugural Channel Futures DE&I 101 and received an Advancing Women in Technology award from CompTIA.
Frank Rauch
Head of Worldwide Channel Sales
Check Point Software
“Channel influence has to be bilateral. As a channel leader and influencer, you need to influence not only externally but internally. I have had meetings with our CEO and board and teams to explain the value that partners can bring. You need to show how the channel has evolved as some people might not understand how the channel has changed over the past 10 years.”
When it comes to channel influence, Frank Rauch wrote the book. And its most important chapters are the ones covering how to make sure senior leaders and peers of your organization understand the value the channel brings and about spending time in the field with partners building trust.
Rauch has spent a career focused on building channel programs for the industry’s biggest tech vendors and helping partners succeed. His experience spans serving as regional leader for Compaq Computer, then as HP’s enterprise channel leader and then VMware’s successful America’s Partner Organization before landing at Check Point in 2019. During his tenure, he has built some of the most enviable relationships and friendships with channel partners because he has put their needs ahead of all other priorities.
There are some who call Rauch the Godfather of the channel because so many emerging and established leaders seek his counsel and wisdom. He is more than generous with his time. A glance at Rauch’s social feed will often find him spending time at a partner’s sales kick-off or a special function. He builds relationships with partners where they live and work. He is the defining link to how influence worked in the past to its future.
Tony Safoian
CEO & President
SADA Systems
“The role that partners play is fundamentally different, more critical and more impactful than ever in this world of consumption economics. When a customer buys cloud, that’s the beginning of their journey and our service obligation — not the ‘mission accomplished’ moment of the past. Traditional SIs have a role to play, sure, but specialized teams, with not just commercial but with professional services and customer-success capabilities, are able to win customers and grow them for life. It’s absolutely the best customer experience.”
Tony Safoian might well be one of the most frank and open leaders in the cloud managed services world. His willingness to talk tough industry issues sets him apart from the many who shy away from the hard stuff. At the same time, Safoian never wavers in his devotion to Google Cloud, the provider SADA chose in 2019 as its exclusive vendor. To that point, Safoian continues to model for peers how innovation can be done. Between a key acquisition that gives SADA a foothold in APAC, teaming with Intel and launching the SaaS Alliance, taking part in the inaugural Channel Partners & Expo cloud roundtable, and more, Safoian just in the last year showed the level of influence we look for in a Channel Futures Influencer. And we predict to see even more from him in 2022.
Jamaal Savwoir
Vice President of Partner Experience
Intelisys
“In 2021 I was honored to be named to the DEI 101, and to serve on the executive board of Xposure Inclusion & Diversity Council as we engaged the community to drive awareness, advocacy and action toward equitable growth in the channel. I also joined Intelisys, a ScanSource Company, as vice president of partner experience. We are bringing a full portfolio of hardware, software, connectivity, and cloud services solutions to market that enable our sales partners to deliver transformational business outcomes. As I look forward to 2022 and beyond, I see the channel ecosystem differentiating and multiplying the value of technology orchestration. That value can’t be matched by impersonal digital marketplaces or direct sales alone. Partnerships will power the future! “
Jamaal Savwoir advocated for partners and the channel as a whole last year.
Many people in the channel knew about Savwoir before 2021. He had been directing channel sales engineering for 8×8 and was one of Xposure Inclusion and Diversity Council’s driving members. He ramped up his activity in 2021, landing on the Channel Futures DE&I 101 due to his advocacy in the industry. Moreover, he joined Intelisys as vice president of partner experience. He now helps partners sell hardware, software, connectivity and cloud services, tapping into the large resources that is the hybrid distributor ScanSource.
Savwoir said the channel will keep growing in the face of new business models that threaten to cut into its customer base.
Janet Schijns
Co-Founder & CEO
JS Group
“Influence is not built overnight by what you say, but rather it is constructed step by step by delivering value and building trust in the channel. This award as a result means the world to me as it reflects on my efforts over the years to always do what’s best for the channel.?
Seriously now. Did you really think Janet Schijns’ name wasn’t going to come up in a discussion of channel influencers? You do know that her Twitter handle is @channelsmart, don’t you?
The CEO of JS Group and a former C-Suite Fortune 500 executive, Schijns is a visionary leader who, through innovation and transformational plans, gets real results. Her clients regularly increase their revenues by more than 40% and achieve the highest levels of growth in market share in their categories. Last year alone, JS Group built $1.2 billion in funnel with partners.
Among the first group of Channel Influencers named in 2018 and Influencer of the Year in 2019, Schijns’ dedication the channel is rivaled only by her dedication to the advancement of women in the industry. She is widely known for her mentoring, coaching and counseling endeavors.
Craig Schlagbaum
Senior Vice President & Channel Chief
Comcast Business
“We want to keep our strong sales momentum up especially in the midmarket space by closing more large opportunities with our direct sales team in places where it makes sense and partnering is preferred.”
One of the agent channel’s godfathers continues to make his mark on the space.
Craig Schlagbaum’s team celebrated its 10th anniversary of joining the channel last year. The Comcast Business channel program reported sales records in 2021 and expanded its headcount. Now Schlagbaum looks to continue Comcast’s midmarket growth and get its partners selling advanced solutions that it obtained by acquiring Masergy. In addition, Comcast Business is working to integrate the Masergy channel team.
Schlagbaum said channel partners are gaining larger and larger customers and expanding the security and networking solutions they sell.
“These are common needs now with all the UCaaS implementations, and the partners are now driving more in this direction,” Schlagbaum told Channel Futures.
Schlagbaum also predicted that investment and consolidation will lead to more sophisticated partners with stronger support tools. Moreover, he forecasted that IT-focused partners will make a larger migration to the agent channel than ever as vendors like Cisco start offering recurring commissions.
Karl Soderlund
Senior Vice President, Worldwide Channel Sales
Palo Alto Networks
“Being named as a Channel Futures 2022 Channel Influencer is a direct reflection of the hard work and superior execution of our global team, which of course includes our partners. Our commitment to our partners to listen, learn and act as we build the partner of tomorrow has not wavered. But the business dynamics we have had to adapt to definitely have. The past two years have presented challenges and opportunities, unlike anything I have seen during my tenure in the channel. Still, our partners had another banner year in fiscal 2021, setting record highs in deal registered bookings, pipeline, new customers and more than 17,000 partner certifications completed. Most importantly, they met the cybersecurity needs of our joint customers and provided unparalleled value. It is an honor to lead this team.”
Karl Soderlund has more than 25 years of experience driving revenue results in the enterprise software, hardware and infrastructure markets. Palo Alto Networks recently achieved a major milestone, joining the Nasdaq 100. It’s among the top 100 largest domestic and international non-financial companies on the Nasdaq exchange based on market capitalization. The vendor was added as part of the index’s annual reconstitution.
Mobolaji Sokunbi
Director, Small Business Alternative Routes to Market
Dell Technologies
“I am truly honored by this award/recognition. I am ardently fueled by Martin Luther King Jr.’s quote, ‘Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, “What are you doing for others?”’ Whether it is serving as a mentor or promoting DE&I initiatives in the channel, my daily desire whether personally or professionally is to level and open up the playing field because representation matters.”
Mobolaji Sokunbi’s vocation and avocation both focus on helping others turn challenges into opportunities. As director of small business alternative routes to market (ARM) for Dell Technologies, he helps clients refine their competitive edge. During his more than 10 years with Dell, Sokunbi has held key sales, digital marketing, merchandising and leadership roles across the consumer, commercial and small business divisions.
An advocate for DE&I within the channel, Sokunbi is a member of the Channel Futures DE&I Advisory Board and was among the honorees on the inaugural Channel Futures DE&I 101. Outside the channel, his dedication to equal opportunity has led him to co-found The 234 Project, a platform dedicated to inspiring Nigerian youths to make a difference; work with the State Department-sponsored mentorship program Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange Program; and serve on the board of directors of Sharing Life Africa, which works to provide children in low-income African communities with educational opportunities.
Wendy Taccetta
Senior Vice President for Nationwide Small Business & Channel Chief
Verizon
“None of this would have been possible without my team who focuses on keeping the customer at the center of everything we do. I’m incredibly fortunate to have a passionate team and partners who want to build the future together. I look forward to continued success in 2022, and we are focused on delivering solutions that unleash the power of business in our new hybrid world. And we look forward to continuing to build a better program every day.”
Wendy Taccetta stepped into her role as the face of Verizon’s unified partner program with gusto. She took the lead of Verizon’s channel program in late 2020, as the vendor announced its plans to bring its wireless and wireline offerings into the same program. Taccetta vowed to improve the partner experience and expand Verizon’s sales distribution, and her team has worked hard to do so. During Taccetta’s tenure, her company has launched a partner portal, a partner accreditation program and new branding for the Verizon Partner Network.
Matthew Toth
Founder & President
C3 Technology Advisors
“In 2021, we proved to that we can go way upmarket. We have the experience, people and processes that give our largest clients confidence that we can handle their needs.”
Matthew Toth and his company have given fellow channel partners a strong growth story to emulate.
C3 Technology Advisors, a Michigan-based consultancy, grew both in terms of sales and people. The company landed Avant’s award for top performance in SD-WAN, and it accelerated its hiring through the appointment of a recruiter.
Toth said C3 will emphasize operational excellence and process refinement in the upcoming year.
“When you’re a small company, it’s easy to continue to do things that don’t scale. We have grand ambitions, so we need to put processes in place that support these plans,” Toth told Channel Futures.
Fred Voccola
CEO
Kaseya
“I’ve been called many things in my life, but never an influencer! Joking aside, it’s an incredible distinction to be named a Channel Influencer. It’s an honor I must share with Kaseya’s global team for their unwavering commitment to our MSP and channel partners. We are driven to see our customers succeed and are continuously innovating to make them more profitable. This recognition reinforces that we are on the right track!
“In 2022, we will announce some exciting acquisitions to keep supercharging our IT Complete platform. Also, M&A activity continues to dominate, and we plan to expand our educational offerings to support our clients as they navigate through the process. It’s an exciting time to be an MSP, and we are pumped for another successful year!”
Fred Voccola is undoubtedly a force in the industry. He has a track record of over 20 years as a technology executive, with repeated success building and managing sales, product, marketing, R&D and business development organizations. He also has extensive experience in communications, SaaS, enterprise software, MSP as well as telecommunications industries.
In addition to being an executive leader and entrepreneur, Voccola is a creative business thinker, is very process driven and has showcased strong leadership skills throughout his career.
Voccola has been chosen as a channel influencer due to his collaboration and teamwork-centric approach to executive leadership, creative and out-of-the-box approaches to business issues, process-oriented solution implementation skills, and above all, his desire and ability to actively listen to his customers’ wants and needs.
Pat Watkins
Vice President of Partner & IoT Sales
T-Mobile
“What I’m really looking to do is to make this more of a collaborative effort between the partner channel and our direct team.”
It’s been slightly more than a year since T-Mobile announced that Pat Watkins was stepping into the role of vice president of channel sales and IoT for T-Mobile. She came to T-Mobile after spending 14 years with Sprint, which T-Mobile acquired in April 2020. Watkins approached her channel chief responsibilities with a three-prong strategy for building a more collaborative and responsive channel program: listening to channel partners about how their experiences with T-Mobile can be improved, making it easier to do business with T-Mobile and offering channel partners unique benefits. T-Mobile exceeded its own targets on growth and profits in 2021, no doubt due in part to a reinvigorated channel. Next up: helping the company further penetrate the business and government markets.
Chris Werpy
President
PlanetOne
“Lines will blur and new lines will be drawn. Traditional competition will thin out and new competitors will surface. The importance of partnership — with whom you choose to do business and why – will show its value and its challenges in 2022.”
Chris Werpy influenced the tech advisory channel on multiple fronts in 2021.
For starters, Werpy oversaw strong growth for technology sourcing partner PlanetOne, which expanded its team and launched a business intelligence platform. These advancements came during Werpy’s short tenure as COO, before he earned a promotion to president.
On the other hand, Werpy has functioned as a whisperer of sorts to partners making difficult business decisions. In particular, he has used his experience working with private equity at Masergy to offer agents advice about M&A. Werpy predicted the channel to see increased “consolidation, capital and collaboration” in 2022.
Raquel Wiley
Vice President of Marketing
NetFortris
“I am truly honored to be amongst this group of amazing individuals that are committed to moving the needle within our industry and more specifically within the channel. Although I’ve been very fortunate to have been a recipient of other awards, this one is near and dear to my heart. It’s been my desire to be the change that I want to see and experience in life. I’ve been encouraging others within our industry, especially those in leadership, to do the same. I am a true believer that ‘You can’t just talk about it; one must BE about it’. This award is like my report card/progress report – it tells me that I’m moving in the right direction, and it encourages me to continue to do even the more.”
Raquel Wiley is soft-spoken, but she is a force to be reckoned with. A 25-year veteran of the telecom industry, she is equally dedicated to marketing and DE&I. A results-oriented technology marketer, Wiley leads NetFortris’ direct and indirect channel marketing programs and initiatives. At the same time, she is a rising voice for DE&I in the telecom channel and a sought-after expert and frequent speaker on DE&I topics such as gender and racial diversity. Wiley is a former officer and member of the board of directors for Alliance of Channel Women (ACW) and serves as chair of ACW’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. In addition, she serves on the Channel Futures DE&I Advisory Board, was a member of the inaugural Channel Futures DE&I 101
Raquel Wiley
Vice President of Marketing
NetFortris
“I am truly honored to be amongst this group of amazing individuals that are committed to moving the needle within our industry and more specifically within the channel. Although I’ve been very fortunate to have been a recipient of other awards, this one is near and dear to my heart. It’s been my desire to be the change that I want to see and experience in life. I’ve been encouraging others within our industry, especially those in leadership, to do the same. I am a true believer that ‘You can’t just talk about it; one must BE about it’. This award is like my report card/progress report – it tells me that I’m moving in the right direction, and it encourages me to continue to do even the more.”
Raquel Wiley is soft-spoken, but she is a force to be reckoned with. A 25-year veteran of the telecom industry, she is equally dedicated to marketing and DE&I. A results-oriented technology marketer, Wiley leads NetFortris’ direct and indirect channel marketing programs and initiatives. At the same time, she is a rising voice for DE&I in the telecom channel and a sought-after expert and frequent speaker on DE&I topics such as gender and racial diversity. Wiley is a former officer and member of the board of directors for Alliance of Channel Women (ACW) and serves as chair of ACW’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee. In addition, she serves on the Channel Futures DE&I Advisory Board, was a member of the inaugural Channel Futures DE&I 101
You’ll notice a substantial change in Channel Futures’ Channel Influencers for 2022.
Since launching in 2018, the Channel Influencer Awards have recognized the people, technologies, trends and organizations expected to shape the channel in the next year. But we’ve revamped the awards for 2022. The technologies, trends and organizations categories have been eliminated. Instead, the focus is solely on individuals, with the list of influencers expanded from 10 to 50 honorees.
And not just any honorees. This exclusive lineup of 50 leaders represents the entire channel. It’s a diverse group that includes key decision-makers from top vendors as well as technology solutions brokerages and traditional tech distributors. We hand-picked them for the list because of their past accomplishments and the impact we expect them to make in the future.
“Channel chief” is a job title. “Channel leader” is an accolade earned for demonstrated dedication to the channel paired with an ability to inform, innovate and inspire the entire community. No matter what their job title, these 50 individuals have provided the vision and vitality to keep the channel moving forward.
Co-Influencers of the Year
TD Synnex’s Rich Hume
Upstack’s Christopher Trapp
Another change for 2022: There are two Channel Influencers of the Year. One from the traditional IT channel — Rich Hume, CEO of TD Synnex — and one from the traditional agent channel — Christopher Trapp, CEO of Upstack. M&A and private investment in the channel were the hot topics this year and both gentlemen found themselves in the thick of it — and flourished.
You can read more about Hume and Trapp in the 2022 Channel Influencers digital issue available for download on Friday, Feb. 25. But first, scroll through the gallery above and find out who made the list, why they made it and what they have to say
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