Kaspersky Lab U.S. Head of Channel Focused on SMB Market Expansion

Kaspersky Lab has promoted Matthew Courchesne to head of channel for the United States.

In this role, Courchesne is responsible for driving channel sales programs, growing the company’s partner community and leading a team of sales professionals to increase market share in the corporate sector. He reports to Maxim Frolov, managing director of Kaspersky Lab North America.

Courchesne previously was director of sales for North America at Kaspersky, and before that,  senior sales manager for North America at SmartBear Software.

Kaspersky Lab’s Matt Courchesne

In January, Kaspersky Lab launched a new global partner program, Kaspersky United, designed to attract new types of partners and create conditions in which all of its partners can earn money by working with the company. The new partner program aims to provide an opportunity for partners to develop “in-depth knowledge” in specific products to offer customers specialized IT security solutions and services. Kaspersky Lab encourages its partners to earn certifications to master techniques that can enhance their ability to best sell the company’s products.

“It is an exciting time for the channel at Kaspersky Lab with the launch of Kaspersky United and Matthew joining our leadership team,” Frolov said. “I am confident that with Matt’s innovative thinking and commitment to growing the business of both Kaspersky Lab and our partners, we will continue to drive growth and enhance the partner community.”

Kaspersky Lab has been facing challenges since President Trump signed legislation that banned the use of the Moscow-based company’s products within the U.S. government. Last November, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals dismissed the company’s challenge to a federal district court’s decision upholding the ban.

In a Q&A with Channel Futures, Courchesne talks about how he plans to tackle problems faced by Kaspersky Lab partners, and what he wants to accomplish in the months ahead.

Channel Futures: Why did you want to join Kaspersky Lab?

Matthew Courchesne: I previously sold Kaspersky Lab solutions, so I’ve always loved the product and heard about how great of a company it was. When I was looking to make my next career move, it was the people, the culture and the product all brought together that made me feel like it was the place that I belonged. After investigating further and seeing Kaspersky Lab’s vision, it aligned well with my career aspirations.

CF: What all does your new role entail, and how will your previous experience come into play?

MC: I am leading SMB and channel sales across the U.S. for Kaspersky Lab, helping to grow the company’s partner community and expand our SMB market presence. A big focus will be on Kaspersky United, our new global partner program, and educating partners on how to best utilize the program. I’ve been with Kaspersky Lab since April 2018, when I was hired to manage the North American inside sales team. Having more than a decade of sales and management experience in the channel, I’ll be able to use my past experiences building relationships to grow the number and quality of partners that we work with.

CF: What challenges are Kaspersky Lab partners facing in the United States and what is your role in addressing those?

MC: The past few years have had their challenges for Kaspersky Lab partners, but we have still maintained year-over-year positive growth in the region. This is a testament to the hard work of our partners and sales teams, as well as the fact that our technology stands for itself as the best in the business. I’m excited about the direction that our channel program will be taking this year as we’re able to focus on what’s most important — meeting the rapidly changing technology needs of all of our customers.

CF: Are you planning any changes in Kaspersky Lab’s channel strategy and/or partner program?

MC: In January of this year we rolled out our new global partner program, Kaspersky United. This program includes some significant changes that we’re really excited about. For example, partners now have the ability to receive certifications in particular solutions, like hybrid cloud security or fraud prevention, or specific services, like managed detection and response provider. They will see not only monetary benefits but also more educational opportunities. It’s a great program for helping our channel grow, as we can attract new partners in …

… specific competencies that may not have previously had a strong incentive to work with us.

CF: What’s at the top of your to-do list? What have you accomplished since starting this role?

MC: Supporting my team is always a main priority. In addition to the changes rolled out with the new Kaspersky United program, we’ve also restructured the partner account manager (PAM) team in the U.S. Instead of focusing on geographies, our PAMs are now looking at serving specific types of channel partners – distributors, LARs, VARs [and so on]. This helps us to offer solution providers better support for their specific cybersecurity needs.

In addition to the growth of the Kaspersky United program, I’m excited to educate our partners and customers about the automated endpoint detection and response (EDR) capabilities that are built within our endpoint protection platform.

CF: What do you hope to have accomplished a year from now?

MC: In the next year, I am looking forward to seeing success with Kaspersky United and working with partners that are just as focused as we are in providing the best solutions to customers; furthermore, supporting my team and continuing our business growth in the U.S. are top priorities for the coming year as well.