The 100 People You Don’t Know But Should 2025
Across the channel’s vendors and distributors, these 100 individuals are helping craft the programs and processes to ensure their company’s partners succeed.
Behind every cutting-edge channel strategy is a team committed to providing the resources solution providers need to grow and thrive, whether that’s an innovative new partner program, a strong focus on partner enablement or a slew of creative marketing campaigns.
CRN’s 15th annual 100 People You Don’t Know But Should list puts the spotlight on the program managers, sales directors, marketing managers and other channel leaders who ensure that the right investments are made and delivered to their solution provider partners.
With a passion for helping solution providers find success, these are the go-getters who often toil behind the scenes to ensure the business of the channel gets done and done well.
Across the channel’s vendors and distributors, these individuals are helping to keep the channel engine running, and now is their time to shine.
(By company name)
Michael Reeves
Global Director, MSP Channel
1Password
Reeves leverages his can-do attitude and ability to think critically about partner and customer needs to ensure that 1Password fully and successfully supports its channel. He has also built a strong reputation for his ability to talk about technology and shape his message—from high level to in the weeds—depending on his audience.
(By company name)
Olaiz Abadía
Global Partner Marketing Manager
Allied Telesis
Prior to moving into her global role in January, Abadía served as the driving force behind building a channel partner base in Latin America for Allied Telesis. Through her passion and dedication for doing right by partners, she built a high level of engagement and trust with the channel.
Pedro Marzo
Sr. Manager, Channel Programs, Public Sector
Amazon Web Services
Marzo has his hands in many aspects of building out AWS’ public sector channel programs, including collecting critical feedback that shapes the company’s incentives road map and drives channel adoption. His work contributed to the company’s public sector partners overachieving growth targets two years in a row.
Jalen Heyer
Sr. Sales Analyst
Arctic Wolf
As the sole analytics resource for a channel team known for its data-driven approach and complex analytics needs, Heyer is said to routinely exceed expectations through his dedication and expertise. He played a key role in the development and launch of a partner rebate program and supported the rollout of a new partner relationship management tool. Arctic Wolf teammates say he is indispensable.
Scott Nelsen
Director, Digital Platforms
Arrow Electronics
Nelsen plays a pivotal role in driving innovation and automation across sales and supplier platforms for Arrow Electronics. He is viewed as a key architect of partner enablement and platform adoption for his leadership in supporting multi-cloud and hybrid cloud initiatives, often bringing his expertise in channel strategy and process improvement to bear.
Johnie Rodgers
Director, Sales, AT&T Partner Exchange
AT&T
Recognized as a mentor and motivator with a passion for nurturing MSP and reseller relationships, Rodgers last year spearheaded new sales revenue growth of nearly 40 percent while empowering AT&T solution providers to boost sales, optimize efficiencies and deepen strategic alliances.
Lindsay Faria
Sr. Director, MSP Marketing, Americas
Barracuda
Faria’s insight into what makes partners tick helps shape Barracuda’s channel marketing strategy. Colleagues say she excels at channel recruitment due to her keen understanding of partner needs, and she ensures Barracuda’s internal teams stay aligned.
Yimei Lord
Sr. Manager, Partner Program Operations, Readiness
Broadcom
Lord is known as a good communicator with an ability to transform high-level ideas into actionable, documented processes and policies that ensure seamless implementation and alignment. She is the driver of Broadcom’s partner business planning process, leads the effort behind its enablement dashboard, and has defined and operationalized key VMware partner processes.
Paul Van Lierop
Channel Sales Engineer Manager
Cato Networks
Colleagues say Van Lierop demonstrates unwavering dedication to supporting Cato's partner community, playing a crucial role in the company’s channel success and growth. He is known for consistently providing technical guidance, leading training and advising on panels to evangelize the Cato SASE Cloud Platform, making sure channel partners have the technical chops they need to flourish.
Andy Hawk
Sr. Director, Channel Sales
Celona
Described as having a deep passion for partner success and a laser focus on enabling channel growth in the private cellular space, Hawk has improved Celona’s channel program by spearheading the development of partner tiers; rewarding partners for their investment in the program; and implementing robust sales, engineering and marketing support. His efforts led to a 90 percent increase in channel participation.
Dan Markovits
Director, Worldwide Partner Ecosystem
Check Point Software Technologies
Markovits exemplifies the servant leader, working continuously to improve the partner, employee and customer experience. His elbow grease powered the creation of a complete market analysis for Check Point’s partner program, which laid the foundation for a strategic plan that focused on five key areas of transformation. Then he and his team assisted in implementing the change management strategy to deliver the new program.
Brett Harrison
Director, Global Collaboration Partner Sales Go to Market
Cisco Systems
Harrison leads Cisco’s go-to-market team for global collaboration partner sales, waking up every day focused on how Cisco can make collaboration more profitable for partners, be easier to do business with and continually earn channel mindshare. He is viewed as a tireless advocate for solution providers in the collaboration space.
Teresa Morris
Sr. Director, Global Head Of Strategic Support Alliances
Cloudera
Morris is a behind-the-scenes leader who is reshaping how Cloudera partners deliver value across the ecosystem. She designed and scaled its Strategic Support Alliances organization, led the rebranding of its global support organization and integrated predictive service delivery into partner programs. Her efforts have elevated channel collaboration, simplified partner engagement and fueled measurable outcomes.
Helene Ervin
Sr. Director, Partner Strategy, Operations
Cloudflare
Ervin is a critical thinker with the skills to operationalize the systems and processes that help Cloudflare’s partner organization run smoothly and efficiently. Colleagues describe her as patient, knowledgeable, creative and as a true team player who is the magician behind the curtain.
Joann Rokni
National Partner Manager
Cohesity
Rokni earned kudos for being a caring leader who stepped up when needed to fill the vacancy of a leader for her area. After seeing that through, she then took on more responsibilities, shepherding the relationship with one of Cohesity’s largest partners. She has cultivated a reputation as the teammate colleagues can always count on.
Kandice Cahill
Executive Director, Sales Support, Operations
Comcast Business
After a big organizational shift at the end of 2024, Cahill dove right into the indirect channel and got her arms around the standards of operational excellence needed to drive success for Comcast Business and its partners. She is lauded for her thoughtful approach and her deep understanding of what it takes to guarantee partner satisfaction.
Daniel Kennedy
Director, Global Partner Marketing
Commvault
Colleagues say Kennedy is an exceptional leader who brings infectious energy and a unique ability to build strong connections across diverse teams. By combining his collaborative leadership style with extensive channel expertise, he is credited with driving substantial improvements throughout the Commvault partner organization in a short period of time, including the launch of its Partner Campaigns Hub along with a concierge program to drive its usage.
Jenna (Miner) Stramaglio
Channel Development Manager, Office Technology
ConnectWise
A ConnectWise evangelist within the office equipment dealer community, Stramaglio runs the ConnectWise Office Technology Dealer Advisory Council. She is also a critical influencer on new program tracks within the ConnectWise Partner Program to support the needs of this partner community.
John Hare
Channel Director
ControlUp
Hare is viewed as a true “jack of all trades” who has been instrumental in supporting ControlUp channel partners through their Digital Employee Experience enablement journey. His versatile skill set allows him to assist partners across a range of needs, always maintaining a strong focus on customer success and driving sales outcomes. His commitment to partner support is said to have ensured that partners are well-equipped for success.
Ana Lucia Amaral
Head Of Channel Marketing
Coro
Amaral gets credit for redefining how Coro empowers its partners, spearheading the rollout of the company’s Uncapped MDF Program, which enabled high-impact, customized campaigns, and guiding the adoption of a new partner relationship management system. Her partner-first vision and sharp business acumen have driven initiatives like the Campaign-in-a-Box program, equipping partners with ready-to-use marketing assets aimed at fueling growth.
Colleen Farris
Director, Partner Operations
Cribl
Farris plays a pivotal role in supporting Cribl’s global channel team, introducing a new deal registration system and continually exploring new tools and processes to streamline operations, reducing manual tasks for the channel team and enhancing overall efficiency.
Kandie Bilicki
Sr. Partner, Alliances Business Operation Analyst
CrowdStrike
Dubbed a rising star and an unsung hero, Bilicki is said to work tirelessly to improve the operations and infrastructure that define how partners engage with and experience CrowdStrike. She is viewed as an exceptional team player who is always willing to take on new tasks while maintaining composure under pressure. Colleagues say she is often the calm in the storm and see her expertise, dedication, and collaborative spirit as truly invaluable.
Kari Oldach
Sr. Director, Growth Marketing
Ctera
Oldach has been an innovation engine throughout her career. At Ctera, she is reshaping how partners engage in the secure, edge-to-cloud storage ecosystem by architecting demand generation strategies that create measurable pipeline. She is always working to coach her team, transform partner programs and accelerate the partner ecosystem’s contribution to revenue.
Mandy Remke
Sr. Product Marketing Manger
CyberFox
Remke crafted the go-to-market materials that have proved to be essential for CyberFox partners to be successful. She has led transformative product launches and marketing initiatives—empowering her team and shaping CyberFox’s success—while also serving as a role model for the leadership, innovation and impact she brings to bear on a daily basis.
John Thompson
Sales Manager, National Partners
D&H Distributing
Thompson leads D&H’s national partners inside sales team, inspiring them to be better every day. He exemplifies his team’s core values: Focus on the customer experience, act with a sense of urgency, compete and collaborate every day, and address every email and every phone call.
(By company name)
Kim Brown
Director, Worldwide Partner Development
Darktrace
In the two years since joining Darktrace, Brown has played a key role in transforming the company from direct sales to a partner-led go-to-market model with a strong commitment to educating the field team on the value of partnership. She is viewed as a tireless advocate for partner enablement, profitability and engagement.
Michael Giurgea
Director, Partner Success
Dataminr
Giurgea has earned rave reviews from partners globally for helping them understand the Dataminr platform and build their go-to-market practices. He is known to work all kinds of hours to ensure that partners across the globe have what they need to enable their sales, technical and services teams so they can start helping their customers realize the benefits of Dataminr’s offerings.
Jeremy May
Strategic Global Go-To-Market Initiatives, Programs
Dell Technologies
May plays a pivotal role in shaping and advancing the Dell Technologies Partner Program, driving strategic go-to-market initiatives that enhance the partner experience, boost predictability and foster growth. He uses his deep expertise in channel programs to foster collaboration across the organization, all to the benefit of partners.
Shelly Pippin
Sr. Partner Marketing Manager
Druva
Pippin has significantly impacted Druva’s channel partners through her exceptional communication abilities, ensuring that partners and internal channel teams are informed and engaged across all channels and providing timely updates on partner initiatives and product developments. This consistent flow of information fosters strong relationships and builds trust, allowing partners to feel connected and supported.
Jessica Ryan
Manager, Sales Reporting
Eaton
Ryan has brought her passion for bringing sales and market data to Eaton sellers and marketers to bear for over a decade, building out growth initiatives and driving meaningful engagement with the partner community. She and her team bring critical strategic insight into Eaton’s channel ecosystem on a daily basis.
Hemant Malik
Director, AI Ecosystem Architect
Elastic
Malik has built a reputation as a go-to utility player for anything partner-related. Whether it’s designing client architectures, crafting compelling large-format tech talks, influencing senior executives or nurturing new partnerships, he does it all with ease. He thrives on helping others succeed, a trait his teammates say is invaluable.
Chris Thomas
Head Of Sales
Elisity
A seasoned channel architect who has spent over a decade transforming how cybersecurity companies leverage partner ecosystems, Thomas knows how to drive growth and deliver customer value. He is now helping Elisity punch above its weight, building long-term relationships with key channel partners.
Gayle Minar
Partner Program Manager
Equinix
Minar has developed a reputation as bit of a clairvoyant at Equinix, seeing challenges before they arise and helping the company avoid mistakes to deliver a better partner experience. She regularly recommends process and policy enhancements and uses her position to guide more scalable and simplified ways to support partners with processes, tools, training and systems enhancement recommendations.
Andrew Bryant
Sr. Director, Field Channel Sales
eSentire
Bryant combines leadership, deep industry knowledge and strong relationships to help move eSentire’s channel strategy forward. He has played a critical role in the rollout of the company’s recently launched partner model, which licenses its MDR platform so partners can run a dedicated instance and incorporate their own security offerings.
Liz Jochems
Channel Marketing Manager
ESET
Jochems has worked diligently to propel ESET’s partner recruitment efforts to new heights.
She has brought the right team, messages and energy to the partner community and excels at developing relationships. She is also known for her growth mindset, constantly seeking ways to improve her skills and drive excellence wherever possible.
Peter Stratis
Sr. Director, Service Provider Channel
Exabeam
Through a strategic focus on building and expanding alliances with key service providers, Stratis has enhanced Exabeam’s market presence and solidified its channel ecosystem. He has implemented innovative programs and fostered collaboration to drive partner success. The partners he empowers are delivering robust security solutions, ensuring mutual growth and greater value for customers.
Rob Watson
Regional Sales Director, East
Exclusive Networks North America
Known as a skilled channel sales and business development leader with a strong track record for driving strategic growth and operational excellence, Watson crafts and executes the regional go-to-market strategy for Exclusive Networks. He played a pivotal role in transforming the sales structure in 2024, shifting the organization toward a more strategic, solution-focused model.
Kim Kleintz
Channel Account Manager
Extreme Networks
Kleintz brings deep channel experience and provides invaluable insight into the needs and challenges of Extreme partners, who see her loyalty and dedication to their success as invaluable. She has a reputation for always going above and beyond to ensure partners feel supported, valued and empowered, building trust and fostering collaboration along the way.
Kelly Curnow
Sr. Director, Partner Enablement, Experience
F5
Described as a channel hero who is helping to change the way partners interact with F5 every day, Curnow sticks to her mission to enable the channel “to do anything an F5er can do” through her dedicated efforts to bring tools, technology and enablement initiatives to life.
Shannon Scott
Director, MSSP Channel
Fortinet
Scott’s sales leadership role sees her managing Fortinet’s emerging MSPs, a diverse portfolio that ranges from small early stage MSSPs to large international partners just starting out with the vendor. Scott’s strategy, leadership and enthusiasm have helped build her team and grow partner revenue.
Lexine Odish
Head Of Global Partner Delivery Excellence
Google Cloud
Odish serves as both product manager and programmatic lead for Google Cloud’s Delivery Readiness Portal, shaping a critical resource into a centralized hub that brings partners the knowledge and tools they need to excel. By strategically aligning content, streamlining processes and driving a personalized enablement environment, she is elevating partner capabilities and ensuring consistent, high-quality service delivery across the partner ecosystem.
(By company name)
Megan Hayden
Head Of Partnerships
HaloPSA
Hayden ensures that partners understand HaloPSA’s value in optimizing MSP operations. Her proactive approach in addressing challenges, streamlining processes and simplifying complex features has enabled partners to better communicate HaloPSA’s benefits to MSPs. She also earns credit for strengthening partner relationships, empowering them to drive more effective sales and ultimately boosting their success.
Barbara Hallmans
Sr. Director, As-a-Service Partner Experience, Programs
HPE
Hallmans drives the quote-to-cash processes for HPE, no easy feat in a managed hybrid cloud environment. Leading the internal operation organization to optimize tools and methods, she has helped to simplify the process and reduce the turnaround time by 85 percent, meaning partners can send out first quotes in hours instead of days or weeks.
Alin Vana
Global Head, GTM Data, Insights
HP Inc.
Vana drives the HP Amplify Data Insights expansion effort, AI MasterClass training and updates to the HP Amplify AI program, initiatives that are equipping partners with the tools and knowledge to be future-ready. He earns kudos for his dedication and innovative approach, which significantly contribute to the success of these programs.
Sunita Navile
Partner Experience Transformation Leader, IBM Ecosystems
IBM
When IBM team members need guidance and support in developing operational strategies and business processes to streamline partner interactions, they turn to Navile, a sought-after back-office expert who knows how to create improved experiences that reduce friction and optimize sales.
Kelly Sander
Executive Director, SMB Sales
Ingram Micro
Beloved for her creativity, heart, humor and mind for business growth, Sander continually motivates and enables her team—which oversees more than 20,000 channel partners— to grow Ingram Micro's U.S. SMB sales year after year. Partners say she always has their backs and is 100 percent focused on their needs.
Rory Reichelt
Global ISV Business Developer Manager
Intel
In her role leading the sales and channel business development function at Intel within its Global Partners and Support Group, Reichelt has cultivated a reputation among Intel partners as a consummate professional who combines strategic thinking with a tireless work ethic, always going above and beyond to support her partner community.
Alyssa Moyer
Manager, Marketing Analytics
Intermedia
With responsibility for minding the metrics behind Intermedia’s results, Moyer is the backbone of the company’s data-driven strategy. She uncovers the insight that fuels segmentation and smarter decision-making. Without her expertise and ability to translate complex data into actionable strategies, colleagues say the company couldn’t execute as well as it does.
Matt Scully
Sr. Director, MSP Enablement, North America
Kaseya
Scully has put in the travel miles, flying to dozens of cities to present at various events to help partners find success with Kaseya. Audiences rave about his presentation skills and the quality of the content he provides. He was promoted in March and is now laser-focused on bringing new MSPs into the Kaseya fold.
Tim Lewis
Director, National Channel Solution Providers
Kensington
Lewis is described as “a bull in a china shop in all the right ways.” After joining Kensington, he encouraged changes to ensure the company was getting the most out of its channel while being viewed as a valuable partner. He has also mentored, inspired and empowered teammates.
Andrew Fritz
Channel Sales Manager, U.S. West
Kiteworks
Fritz’s ability to foster collaboration has resulted in impactful campaigns that generate leads and boost partner engagement for Kiteworks. He has also worked closely with sales teams to secure new logos and grow revenue within existing accounts, demonstrating a strategic focus on expanding business opportunities.
Cody Walton
Sr. Director, Sales Engagement
Konica Minolta Business Solutions
After spending two years driving digital transformation sales for Konica Minolta, Walton is now bringing that experience to bear as he leads dealer sales engagement for the company. He is known for taking great pains to thoroughly match partners with the right products and services.
Kaylyn Foote
North America Distribution Route Manager
Lenovo
Foote has a reputation for working with Lenovo’s distribution partners to find new and creative ways to grow business together. She uses strong analytical skills to make informed decisions and provide distributors with recommendations on how Lenovo can help them and solution providers be more successful with the company.
(By company name)
Mikala Vidal
Head Of Growth
Lineaje
Vidal is leading growth initiatives to scale revenue, expand market presences and deepen partner engagement in the wake of a $20 million funding round at Lineaje, which focuses on securing the software supply chain. Her ability to craft compelling narratives, build high-performing teams and execute data-driven strategies has made her a behind-the-scenes force in driving startup success and market innovation.
Brian Stowell
Global Director, Partner Marketing
Logitech
Stowell’s commitment to improving business flow, enhancing partner enablement and fostering a collaborative global culture have been instrumental in transforming how Logitech teams with partners. While managing all aspects of partner operations, he has introduced transparent timelines that help partners plan their investments confidently.
Larry Robinson
Head Of U.S. Sales
Luware
Robinson is a man on a mission when it comes to building direct and channel sales teams as the Zurich-based cloud-native contact center vendor expands into North America. He joined the company in July with an eye toward building out a channel-first sales approach as the company opened its first U.S. office in New York City.
Cody Ekle
Director, Partner Success
Mailprotector
As Ekle has risen through the ranks at Mailprotector, he has developed an innate understanding of the challenges and aspirations faced by solution providers. That skill set fuels his mission: to help partners succeed with Mailprotector’s security tools and thrive as complete technology service businesses.
Umair Najam
Business Strategy Leader, Partner Success
Microsoft
Rather than provide reactive support, Najam works with Microsoft channel partners on proactive engagements. Colleagues say that level of leadership in working closely across Microsoft’s Customer Success solution areas is changing the trajectory of how the company works with channel partners to find mutual success.
Raj Taheem
VP, Worldwide Cloud Partners
MongoDB
Taheem has been called a catalyst for the success and accelerating growth of MongoDB’s strategic go-to-market motion with its cloud partners. He has built trusted technical and executive relationships with the cloud providers, scaling the company’s field sales organization and boosting customer success.
Roda Dela Cruz-Cenido
Director, Partner Care
N-able
Dela Cruz-Cenido leads teams that support over 25,000 MSPs, ensuring their billing, administrative and account questions are addressed daily. Her behind-the-scenes efforts mean that N-able partners can focus on growing their business without being bogged down by operational issues. Colleagues say her dedication and leadership are crucial to maintaining smooth partner experiences.
Melani Winsor
Partner Marketing Manager
Nerdio
Since joining Nerdio in 2024, Winsor has taken ownership of several elements of the company’s channel business, helping to align partner campaigns and field engagements in ways that drive market opportunities, accelerate joint value creation and strengthen collaboration.
Lee Howard
Sr. Director, Strategic Partner Engineering
NetApp
Colleagues say Howard’s leadership and people-first mentality have helped transform NetApp’s partner engagement model from transactional to truly collaborative, leading to measurable benefits for partners’ business outcomes and customer satisfaction. He has built a reputation for solving the big, complex problems others shy away from, and his ability to unite teams across geographies and specialties is unmatched.
JoLynn Hauser
Director, Channel Marketing, Enablement
Nextiva
Hauser is turning heads as the driving force behind several impactful channel programs, campaigns and events that have fueled partner success for Nextiva. Her meticulous planning and strategic execution ensure that every initiative delivers measurable results. She is known for collaborative leadership, a problem-solving mindset and dedication to partner enablement.
Morgan Lohmeier
Channel Marketing Specialist
NinjaOne
Although Lohmeier joined NinjaOne in 2024 without extensive B2B channel experience, she hit the ground running, soaking up as much knowledge as she could and always standing on deck to help wherever she’s needed. As a result, colleagues say she has built a stellar reputation as an indispensable teammate who always leads with a positive attitude.
Tony Ramirez
Manager, Channel Enablement, Training
Nucleus Security
Ramirez is said to be a natural when it comes to training and enablement. His ability to listen to people at all levels of solution provider organizations to understand what they know—and what they need to know—results in successful partners that can deliver solutions to customers smoothly with fewer issues.
Marleen Hendrikx
Chief Of Staff, Worldwide Channel Sales
Nutanix
Hendrikx has transformed how Nutanix shapes its channel investments to focus on solution providers delivering the most strategic outcomes throughout the customer life cycle. This drives new levels of insight when it comes to modeling the performance and impact on its partner ecosystem.
Racquel Eclevia
Sr. Manager, North America Partner Marketing
Nvidia
Eclevia stands out for her work ethic and extensive channel expertise. Her wealth of experience enables her to conceptualize and execute large-scale campaigns and programs with partners, consistently delivering results. Colleagues say her meticulous approach and attention to detail ensure that every aspect of her projects is thoughtfully considered and flawlessly implemented.
Meredith Frick
Head Of Partner Marketing
Object First
Frick played a pivotal role in launching Object First’s first-ever global Partner Portal, which now serves as a centralized hub for deal registration, training, marketing resources and MDF, driving a 7X increase in partner engagement within months of launch. She also led the development and execution of its Hands-On Labs program, a partner campaign designed to generate demand through experiential product demos.
(By company name)
Jason Myers
Cybersecurity Strategist, MSP Partnerships
OpenText Cybersecurity
A technical wiz whose passion for engineering was sparked by programming video games in BASIC as a kid, Myers now answers all the tough tech questions at OpenText, which is growing its MSP business by leaps and bounds as it equips MSPs to deliver cybersecurity in the AI-first era.
Scott Lessard
Sr. Director, Worldwide Partner Program, Services
Palo Alto Networks
With an eye on increasing customer satisfaction and delivering the desired customer outcomes, Lessard is driving a big transformation with Palo Alto Networks delivery partners and their professional services capabilities while continuing to highlight the importance of technical support and evaluating KPIs in support of quality metrics.
Morgan Johnson
Microsoft Programs Manager
Pax8
After starting as an intern at Pax8 in 2021, Johnson has dedicated herself to taking on leadership roles and building programs that have an impact on the company and its partners. She has implemented AI and automation tools to improve data accuracy, reduce manual work and enhance how the company tracks vendor performance.
Cheri Schumacher
Sr. Director, Subscription GTM
Pure Storage
Schumacher is seen as a champion for maximizing the relevance and efficiency of Pure's partner enablement programs, revamping the content and full-year delivery plan to ensure partners are receiving the information they require to meet customer needs, achieve profitability and grow revenue.
Evong Chung
Sr. Director, Technical Sales, Global Ecosystem Success
Red Hat
Known as a fierce partner advocate, particularly when it comes to providing focused support and enablement for partners in critical business areas like virtualization, Chung manages over 100 employees focused on delivering co-created and supported offerings built on open-source innovation to the channel.
(By company name)
Morgan Eriksson
Manager, Distribution, Regional Channel Accounts
Rhombus
Eriksson plays a central role in Rhombus’ rapid channel growth and global expansion, helping to shape and scale its go-to-market strategy through distribution and reseller partnerships. He began by building a strong partner base across the East Coast and Canada, then led the company’s strategic entry into distribution, delivering double-digit channel growth year over year.
Marnie Christenson
Director, Partner Enablement
RingCentral
There’s no one at RingCentral more passionate about equipping partners with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive than Christenson. Her holistic approach, which combines deep expertise in learning and development, organizational performance and go-to-market strategies, has been transformative for the company, colleagues say.
Lauren Kozlovsky
Partner Manager
SailPoint
Whether it’s managing critical projects with precision or supporting partners with dedication, teammates say Kozlovsky consistently goes above and beyond to drive results, even if that means putting her own needs aside to help others. While her contributions often happen quietly, her impact is loud and clear.
Rachael Galey
Regional Channel Manager
Scale Computing
Galley, a channel sales veteran who cut her teeth at Ingram Micro, has quickly become one of Scale Computing’s top channel sales reps. Partners call her a trusted, go-to resource that has come through for them time and time again to help them grow their business.
Laura Hirshman
Sr. Channel Marketing Manager
Scality
From shaping how new offerings are unveiled to influencing how partners are supported in the field, Hirshman has worked across the company to ensure that every product launch or initiative drives partner value and growth. She also led the successful launch of a global partner portal.
Jason Motte
Director, Channel Exchange
ScanSource
Motte is the mastermind behind ScanSource’s Channel Exchange cloud marketplace. He has delivered sales growth year after year, expanding the marketplace’s line card and increasing the sales pipeline. He’s a natural leader who knows that success comes from listening to and caring about partners.
Jesse Casten
North America Channel Sales Operations Analyst
Schneider Electric
Described as incredibly knowledgeable, humble, kind and willing to go above and beyond, Casten gets credit for ensuring partners aways have the inventory they need, playing a crucial role in optimizing distributor inventory and partnering with their buyers on demand planning and sales forecasting.
Mark Fitzmaurice
Sr. Director, National Partners
SentinelOne
The 29-year channel sales veteran has made a big impact in just one year on the job at SentinelOne. Described as a quintessential “behind-the-scenes” leader, Fitzmaurice was instrumental in developing SentinelOne’s first partner-led professional services framework, empowering partners to deliver profitable, “sticky” services around strategic products like AI SIEM.
Jermaine Clark
Lead Sales Manager, AI Readiness, Modern Work, D365, Copilot
Sherweb
Clark is lauded as one of the catalysts for Sherweb’s breakthrough 90-day AI Readiness Blueprint and checklist for MSPs, which has led over 8,000 partners to drive AI adoption. Clark personally led the six-month co-creation of this program, bringing direct MSP feedback into master classes, weekly workshops and white-labeled professional services.
Christian Nysaether
Sr. Director, Partner Strategy, Operations
Snowflake
Nysaether is the behind-the-scenes force propelling the Snowflake partner organization forward, working with his team to architect channel quotas and targets, run performance metrics, and build dashboards and reports to power sales growth. He is recognized as a valuable resource that has kept Snowflake’s cross-functional teams marching to the same channel drum.
Jason Young
Director, Sales, Professional Display Solutions
Sony Electronics
Under Young’s leadership, Sony’s channel business is up 15 percent year over year, and its distribution business is up 38 percent year over year. Colleagues credit Young’s channel fervor, commitment, strong work ethic and a laserlike focus on strengthening engagement with the channel as key contributors to the strong results.
Emily Lombardo
Sr. Director, Sales Operations
Sophos
Lombardo’s behind-the-scenes work is the very heart and soul of the Sophos channel support organization. Colleagues refer to her as the “backbone” of Sophos’ sales operations, driving efficiency through robust systems, insightful analytics and streamlined processes. She and her team are credited with ensuring the sales team performs at its best.
John Serino
VP, Marketing
StorMagic
Serino recently helped lead the launch of StorMagic’s new global channel partner program, designed to better support MSPs, VARs and distributors through simplified tiers, improved enablement and stronger marketing support. Since the program went live, Serino has helped sharpen the company’s channel focus and improved partner alignment across North America and EMEA.
Ray Bahar
SVP, Sales, Strategic Accounts
Supermicro
Bahar brings passion and purpose to his efforts to optimize partner and channel engagement and deliver recurring revenue. He also wins kudos for always looking for ways to mentor teammates and share his experience to ensure Supermicro can deliver customized programs to customers that will differentiate their businesses.
Jeremy Happel
Channel Leader
Tangoe
Described as a natural relationship builder who listens closely to partners and puts integrity first, Happel—who heads up the North American channel team for Tangoe—has led the charge on a number of huge partner wins that have powered double-digit channel revenue growth.
Craig Armiger
Sr. Manager, Connected Solutions
TD Synnex
The 12-year TD Synnex veteran has been singled out as a seasoned innovator in vendor management with a proven track record of driving strategic growth with companies including Apple, Jamf and Ericsson. Key to his success is championing cross-functional collaboration in product strategy, forecasting and solution development.
Dev Rajendran
Global Lead, Partner Enablement
UiPath
The seven-year UiPath veteran consistently goes above and beyond to support partners with the company’s broad set of enablement resources. He has built a reputation for sharing broad insight and developing a proactive approach to improvement that have been invaluable, providing partners with clear guidance and actionable ideas to enhance their experience.
(By company name)
Oren Myara
Channel Leader, Canada
Vast Data
A force who keeps the Vast Data channel humming, Myara is lauded for working closely with sales, channel, finance, marketing and business operations to ensure the company’s Canada business is firing on all cylinders. Colleagues say he does it all with class, efficiency and effectiveness.
Paul Guy
Distribution Sales Manager
Veeam Software
Guy, a14-year Veeam veteran, is the driving force behind the company’s successful public sector business, where he leverages sales skills honed during his tenure as an inside sales rep, channel manager and distribution account representative. Teammates say his wealth of experience and expertise make him an invaluable asset.
Heidi Bowen
Sr. Partner Manager, Enterprise Channel Partners
Verizon Business
Bowen is heralded as a Verizon Business teammate who always goes above and beyond for partners and customers. She has hosted multiple product and training sessions that have led to partner/direct team relationships, resulting in significant revenue growth.
Tim Markart
Director, Enterprise Channel Sales, North America
Versa Networks
A 30-year IT veteran, Markart has defined and implemented a comprehensive strategy to drive growth through the channel. His leadership and strategic initiatives are considered pivotal to Versa’s partner success, particularly improvements he made to attract and retain top partners.
Geoff Grubb
Supervisor, Channel Solutions
Vertiv
Grubb has been singled out for consistently delivering exceptional support to partners in his job managing sales operations for complex high-value deals. His project management and communications skills have been a game-changer for partners. Colleagues say his dedication and attention to detail make him the backbone of Vertiv’s channel success.
Emily Chagnon
Sr. Distribution Marketing Manager
Wasabi Technologies
Chagnon worked tirelessly on behalf of Wasabi’s West Coast partners in 2024 to build enticing marketing programs for VARs, MSPs and distributors to recruit new partners and find end-user sales opportunities. Now she’s putting her know-how to use in helping boost Wasabi’s distribution partnerships.
Lindsey Crowder
Sr. Marketing Operations Manager
WatchGuard Technologies
Crowder is described by colleagues as a “back-office magician" who creates great partner experiences. She manages all of the company’s outbound communications, including incentive initiatives and training programs. Teammates say WatchGuard partners are lucky to have her working diligently in the background on their behalf.
Scott Santelli
Director, Channel Sales
Zebra Technologies
Santelli wins kudos as a transparent leader whose ability to strategize, implement effective problem-solving and share knowledge as a thought leader are driving partner success for Zebra. He also played a key role in defining, implementing and executing the company’s rules of partner engagement.
Jose Garcia
Partner Programs Manager
Zoom Video Communications
Garcia is the driving force behind the new Zoom Up Services Program, designed to empower partners to deliver post-sales services. The goal: to dramatically boost enterprise revenue through the channel. Key to the effort is Garcia’s experience working cross-functionally with support, enablement and customer success teams.
Sarah Peters
Manager, Partner Marketing Campaigns
Zscaler
Peters is the engine behind the Zscaler Partner Demand Center, designed to accelerate partner demand generation efforts. Peters not only led the entire launch but continues to work hand in hand with Zscaler partners and internal teams to scale demand generation efforts and create win-win scenarios.