Lumen Channel Leaders Talk Program Evolution, C-Suite Sponsorship, TSD Consolidation

Lumen Technologies channel leadership is emphasizing a customized approach to the vendor’s partner program.

Lumen’s Dave Young

Dave Young, who last summer assumed responsibility for the Lumen partner program, says Lumen shouldn’t engage uniformly with partners. He says the Louisiana-based service provider is evaluating its partners’ strengths, weaknesses and goals as its distribution partners consolidate and private equity overtakes the channel.

“They’re all embracing technology at different rates and different types of technologies,” said Young, Lumen’s senior vice president, enterprise East, financials and indirect channel. “And it’s up to us to understand where they’re navigating in their futures as well, that we can bring something that’s just not one-size-fits-all.”

Lumen’s Sara Seegers

Young last month started a new position, which decreases his focus on the system integrator, hyperscaler and digital ventures groups. The change, he said, will allow him to focus more on building bridges between direct and indirect sellers.

Lumen also earlier this year appointed Sara Seegers as regional vice president of indirect channel sales and opportunity management. She previously was vice president and general manager for Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, North Dakota and South Dakota.

Young and Seegers shared how the company’s partner program is getting more attention and expectations from the Lumen C-suite. Young also updated Channel Futures on the digitization plans he mentioned a year ago. Furthermore, he and Seegers touched on the company’s relationship with technology service distributors and its recently inked partnership with Upstack.

Scroll through the 11 images above to the read the conversation.