Meet the Chiefs: Sam Koury, ShoreTel
This week we got to know Sam Koury, senior vice president of Sales, North America, at ShoreTel, a telecommunications vendor specializing in unified communications solutions.
![Meet the Chiefs: Sam Koury, ShoreTel Meet the Chiefs: Sam Koury, ShoreTel](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/bltd54b1d56f55b70d4/652469af15d9f57310bc443b/Screen_Shot_2016-03-22_at_11.58.04_AM_0.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
Sam Koury, Senior Vice President of Sales, North America, at ShoreTel
Koury: I grew up in a small town in the western suburbs of Philadelphia called Pottstown.I worked as a dishwasher in a fine dining establishment. I used to work a lot of very early mornings, preparing for Sunday Brunch, as well as very late nights. This was good prep for being in sales!
The VAR Guy says:
Koury: My dream car is a Shelby Cobra.
The VAR Guy says: Elegant, iconic and fast as all heck. You can't go wrong there.
Koury: On the Gulf Coast of Florida. The family vacation was more of a retreat – we spend time on a very small, quiet island in the Gulf of Mexico that can only be accessed by boat or single engine plane that needs to be willing and able to land on a grass air strip. We do a lot of running, biking, swimming, fishing and cocktails at sunset. I go there to get away from the city-hopping that I do on a weekly basis and reconnect with my family.
The VAR Guy says: It's always good to go on a retreat every once in a while, especially after so much business travel. And Florida is pretty much the perfect place to get away and soak up some rays.
Koury: "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer.
The VAR Guy says: Jon Krakauer's book "Into Thin Air" documents the disaster-ridden 1996 climb of Mt. Everest that resulted in the deaths several climbers. The incident was recently chronicled in the major motion picture "Everest," but Krakauer has said the movie is not an accurate depiction of the real event.
Koury: An eight-foot bean bag chair for my kids.
The VAR Guy says: Wow! Either your kids are really tall, or they really like bean bag chairs!
Koury: None – I watch TV for sports and a little news.
The VAR Guy says: Wait, you can watch the news on TV? We thought cable was only good for watching crime procedurals and zombie shows!
Koury: I always wanted to be a dad and never worried much about how I would pay to raise my children.
The VAR Guy says: It can be hard to imagine how much starting a family actually costs – but it's all worth it in the end, if you ask us.
Koury: "The Shawshank Redemption." It’s simply a terrific movie about making the most of an extremely difficult situation and a fantastic lesson in strategic thought and patience winning the day!
The VAR Guy says: Did you know that "The Shawshank Redemption" originally released in theaters more than 20 years ago? It feels like just yesterday we were watching Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins plot their escape from jail for the very first time.
Koury: "The Shawshank Redemption." It’s simply a terrific movie about making the most of an extremely difficult situation and a fantastic lesson in strategic thought and patience winning the day!
The VAR Guy says: Did you know that "The Shawshank Redemption" originally released in theaters more than 20 years ago? It feels like just yesterday we were watching Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins plot their escape from jail for the very first time.
This week we got to know Sam Koury, senior vice president of Sales, North America, at ShoreTel (SHOR), a telecommunications vendor specializing in unified communications solutions. Although he doesn't bear the traditional channel chief moniker, Koury was responsible for launching ShoreTel's new Champion Partner Program and oversees the company's indirect sales efforts.
Prior to taking on his current role in July 2015, Koury served in several other senior-level positions at ShoreTel, including vice president of sales for the Eastern US, Canada and the Caribbean.
What is Meet the Chiefs?
Meet the Chiefs shines the spotlight on the channel’s head honchos and offers an opportunity to learn a little bit about the person beyond his or her company profile. Click on each photo to learn more about the channel chief you’re viewing.
Want to be included in an upcoming Meet the Chiefs? Send an email to The VAR Guy Associate Editor Michael Cusanelli at [email protected] for more information. He’s really good at answering emails on time, we promise.
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