Kore.ai Hires Nextiva, ThreatProtector Vet to Lead NA TSDs
The new channel sales leader is building a new TSD partner program.
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Channel Futures: Why did you want to take this role with Kore.ai?
Carl Katz: I joined Kore.ai because we are the world leader in conversational AI technology. We deliver exceptional experiences for our customers on both voice and digital platforms, and are ranked as a leader of leaders in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for the past two years. Being offered the opportunity to help start up and grow the North American TSD channel program with the top AI company was a no brainer. Most importantly I get to do what I love, work with TSDs and channel partners.
CF: How will your previous experience come into play in this role?
CK: My previous experience will allow me to create a strong program that partners can leverage to assist them in all aspects of our partnership. As I have worked in the agent channel for most of my adult life, I understand the complexities involved with the creation and maintenance of a channel program, and can empathize with the partners on all of their requirements. Partners know that they can trust that I will always do the right thing when it comes to supporting our partnership.
CF: What’s your take on Kore.ai’s current channel strategy and partner program? Any changes needed?
CK: The Kore.ai channel strategy is customer-driven and focused on partner enablement and profitability. The channel program is built around a diverse partner portfolio, allowing customers to buy Kore.ai products and solutions through their preferred partner channel. I am excited to have the opportunity to expand Kore.ai’s partner portfolio, adding the TSDs to the portfolio and channel program. Our TSD channel partners will be able to sell our complete generative AI CX/EX portfolio working in tandem with our professional direct sales organization.
CF: What’s at the top of your to-do list?
CK: Creating a new TSD channel program is challenging, but fun. I have been working with Kore’s various departments and leadership team to create processes and structure to ensure that we will provide excellent support to our partners. Shortly after Kore signs our first TSDs, our partners will have access to many processes provided by more mature programs, including a partner portal, deal registration and marketing support.
CF: What are Kore.ai partners’ biggest needs and how will you address those?
CK: Selling complex solutions requires partners to understand the customers’ current environment and how generative AI solutions can assist in increasing productivity while potentially decreasing their operating costs. Constant education on the generative AI market, including advances in technology, is critical to partners creating opportunity. Kore.ai already has amazing learning tools to leverage, which will ultimately be transitioned into certifications.
CF: What opportunities does Kore.ai’s conversational AI technology present to partners?
CK: The Kore.ai XO Platform will allow partners to move up market and have deeper conversations with their customers, thereby enabling them to sell higher revenue deals. The Kore.ai XO Platform empowers businesses to build advanced virtual assistants that generate natural responses with minimal development efforts, meaning minimal or no coding. By harnessing the power of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI technologies available in over 100 languages, our platform assists in every step of intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) development, thereby reducing operational efforts and achieving significant results in a shorter time.
CF: What opportunities does Kore.ai’s conversational AI technology present to partners?
CK: The Kore.ai XO Platform will allow partners to move up market and have deeper conversations with their customers, thereby enabling them to sell higher revenue deals. The Kore.ai XO Platform empowers businesses to build advanced virtual assistants that generate natural responses with minimal development efforts, meaning minimal or no coding. By harnessing the power of large language models (LLMs) and generative AI technologies available in over 100 languages, our platform assists in every step of intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) development, thereby reducing operational efforts and achieving significant results in a shorter time.
Enterprise conversational AI platform Kore.ai has hired Carl Katz, previously with Telesystem, as partner sales director of North America tech services distributors (TSDs).
Kore.ai’s Carl Katz
Katz co-founded ThreatProtector Cybersecurity Advisors and was its senior vice president of partner sales. He then joined Telesystem as cybersecurity advisor and strategist when it acquired ThreatProtector in fall 2022.
Before that, Katz was Nextiva‘s North America channel sales leader.
Here’s our list of channel people on the move in August. |
In July, Kore.ai announced a new partner program to bolster the support it provides to its indirect sales channel. The Kore.ai channel partner program established a new tiered structure for channel partners and solution providers, and commits investments for each partner covering go-to-market (GTM), enablement and marketing support while providing additional resources.
Kore.ai’s conversational AI-first platform and solutions help enterprises automate business interactions for their customers, employees and contact center agents. More than 400 Fortune 2000 companies use Kore.ai’s experience optimization (XO) platform and technology to automate their business interactions for more than 200 million users globally.
See our slideshow above for more from Katz about his new role with the conversational AI provider.
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