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Mark Romano, WatchGuard Technologies

Channel Chief NameMark Romano
Channel Chief TitleDirector, Global Channel and Field Marketing
Company and DivisionWatchGuard Technologies
Markets Served: Security
Company's overall 2007 revenue:~$100 million
Percentage of revenue from solution providers:70%
Number of years with the company:1
Number of years involved with indirect sales:16
Number of employees in channel organization:9
To whom do you report in your organization?Eric Aarrestad, VP of Marketing
Does that individual report to your CEO/president?Yes
Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:WatchGuard prides itself on being 100% channel focused and has grown the channel revenues by nearly 20% year on year. Through increased communication WatchGuard has worked with its partners to launch significant global promotions into the marketplace assisting this growth. We have also developed a new online channel sales training portal now providing both sales and technical channel certifications.
List up to 10 of your top products sold through the channel:Firebox X Edge FireBox X Core Firebox X Peak SpamBlocker WebBlocker Gateway AntiVirus with Intrusion Prevention LiveSecurity
Describe how your partner community has grown over the past year:Our channel sales organization has grown revenues by nearly 20% over the previous year. WatchGuard continues to grow its VAR base which currently stands at nearly 7000 participants world wide
Name the one individual who has had the most profound impact on your life:My wife and friend. She always provides me with another point of view, a different way of looking at things before making a decision that will effect others. The perfect sounding board.
Please name the single most innovative initiative for which you were responsible for the past year?1. The developoment of a consistent promotions process allowed WatchGuard partners to select the promotions which best served their market and growth goals 2. The availability of turn key marketing materials, available in 7 languages.
What were the key channel partner investments you made in the past year?1. Lead generation activities 2. Regional trade show participation 3. Consistent VAR council events 4. Consistent channel communication 5. Increased training
How are you attracting the next generation of solution providers?WatchGuard is constantly on the look out for opportunities to assist our current channel partners in their business growth while adding new partners to the WatchGuard Secure Partner Program. We provide excellent program benefits including product discounts, lead distribution, priority 2nd level tech support, and training certification opportunities
What is the greatest challenge you overcame in the past year?WatchGuard was a public company prior to 2006. It was sold to a private equity firm, Vector Capital, and had flat sales for a number of years. 2007 launched with a new team of executives, including myself, to a channel that had lost its confidence in the company. The channel marketing team had to regain that confidence with the channel partners, commit and exceed publicly stated goals, reinvest in the channel and ultimately show growth at the end of 2007. We were able to meet all of these objectives and continue to solidify our relationships moving into 2008.
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