Meet the Chiefs: Tony Fallows, Versa Networks
This week on Meet the Chiefs, we get to know Tony Fallows, VP of Global Sales and Operations at Versa Networks.
![Meet the Chiefs: Tony Fallows, Versa Networks Meet the Chiefs: Tony Fallows, Versa Networks](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt10e444bce2d36aa8/bltff5f91a08ffcad82/65246526ddd9b8ba29c7dfa5/Handshake_Abstract_Thinkstock_5_0.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
As VP of Global Sales and Operations, Tony is responsible for the overall strategy and direction of Versa Networks' channel program. He has 20 years of experience in the global telecoms market in varying roles, having launched and grown networking companies and product lines for over twenty five years in a range of roles from system engineer to CEO.
Tony brings a wealth of experience in sales, business-development, marketing, and product-management, including executive management roles. Tony has developed teams for early-stage businesses and has experience of developing new markets.
Before joining Versa Networks, Tony had most recently served as CEO and Member of the Board for Aria Networks. His resume also holds Vice-President roles at Ericsson, Marconi Corporation and Riverstone Networks.
Number of channel partners: Versa has roughly 20 channel partners and major IT vendors selling our solution, as well as more than 10 large Tier 1 and 2 service providers selling it as a managed service.
Age of partner program: 18 months
Percentage of revenue driven through channel: Nearly 75%
I find training and enabling service provider and system integrator sales team members with the ammunition they need to sell services based on Versa SD-WAN and SD-Security software to be incredibly rewarding. These are senior professionals at the largest carriers in the world. I truly enjoy the process of getting them trained and efficient in selling their service based on our underlying solution.
Given the large (and rapid) influx of service providers selling Versa-based services, as well as several new reseller partners, my biggest challenge is scaling and integrating strong channel-smart talent at the rate that our business is growing.
I would love to grow our pre- and post-sales technical and account teams even faster than we are today.
My chief role will really be dual-focused as we scale business over the next 24 months. I’m going to continue to recruit new large channels (both system integrators and service providers) and, as a channel champion, I’m going to ensure each partner is fully trained, understands the differentiated value props and is winning deals.
I strongly believe that software is truly changing the world of IT and telecom infrastructure, and the network has been late to the game. I want to tell channel partners today that the time is right to strike now and seize the $50 billion plus world of managed network services and the billions of network infrastructure product sales that can be yours for the taking.
I think it comes down to the fact that we’ve built our product and pricing to be extremely managed service provider friendly. Instead of costly and monolithic hardware products like routers and firewalls that require CapEx and inventory management, we offer software that is multi-tenant, runs on commodity low-cost hardware and is based on subscription pricing that gets charged based on actual usage. Those capabilities and attributes completely change how a system integrator or service provider builds and operates a managed service. It radically improves margins and increases top line and bottom line revenue.
Everyone needs to understand that to become successful in this industry, you need to establish long-term relationships. You must make channel organizations your partners and treat them with respect, timeliness and an open flow of communication that aligns with your and their business goals.
“You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.”
—Wayne Gretzky
I like this quote because it illustrates that fact that if you want to win, you have to go hard and be confident.
“You miss 100 percent of the shots you never take.”
—Wayne Gretzky
I like this quote because it illustrates that fact that if you want to win, you have to go hard and be confident.
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's real thoughts on the state of the channel. 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 Editor-in-Chief Kris Blackmon at [email protected] for more information.
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