Ken Bado, Autodesk

Channel Chief Name	Ken Bado
Channel Chief Title	Executive VP, Sales and Services
Company and Division	Autodesk
Markets Served:	Software
Company's overall 2007 revenue:	$1.84 billion
Percentage of revenue from solution providers:	85%
Number of years with the company:	5
Number of years involved with indirect sales:	15
Number of employees in channel organization:	306
To whom do you report in your organization?	Carl Bass, President and CEO
Does that individual report to your CEO/president?	Yes
Describe your channel organization's major accomplishments over the past year:	In 2007, Autodesk launched several new initiatives to strengthen its relationship with its channel partners. For example, the company implemented the Premier Solution Provider Designation, a way to recognize the top 25 percent of partners who meet rigorous personnel requirements, sales growth targets and customer satisfaction ratings. Autodesk also established the global Partner Incentive Program, which provides partners with additional margins for achieving sales targets set by Autodesk. Both of these programs award partners and grant them priority access to partner benefits, such as marketing funds and volume based rebates, in addition to the branded designation recognized by customers. Additionally, Autodesk continues to place a premium on ongoing professional development of employees and channel partners by enhancing professional development programs with additional coaching workshops, a new onboarding program, and expanded sales and technical training camps for employees and partners. In recognition of Autodesk's efforts, in 2007 the company was awarded the 1st Place Rising Star Award by the Global Technology Distribution Council in the 100 million to 500 million category for growing the company's distribution business and revenue. Autodesk experienced record growth in revenue in the past year, which is largely attributed to the strength of the channel.
List up to 10 of your top products sold through the channel:	Autodesk's top products sold through the channel include: AutoCAD AutoCAD LT Autodesk Inventor AutoCAD Architecture Revit AutoCAD Civil 3D AutoCAD Mechanical Inventor Professional AutoCAD Map 3D Autodesk 3ds Max
Describe how your partner community has grown over the past year:	Autodesk partners have independently grown their services businesses to match customers need for installation, education, support, design, and other assistance. This 'solutions focus' across targeted industries has established the foundation for sustained competitive advantage and profitable growth across the channel. Autodesk acquisitions have similarly expanded the network of specialized sales partners to further accelerate this growth in sales and service capabilities.
Name the one individual who has had the most profound impact on your life:	John Atkins, Bado's college math professor and advisor, demonstrated the importance of supporting, mentoring and coaching in developing someone's competency and preparing them for whatever test they may face. However, once it's time to show what you've learned -- to take the test -- then it's up to you to deliver the results. This has become a mantra of Bado's: 'We're not in the 'best efforts' business; we're in the results business.' Atkins influence is also reflected in Bado's emphasis on professional and leadership development of the sales team.
Please name the single most innovative initiative for which you were responsible for the past year?	a) The most significant innovation Autodesk developed in the last year was an effort we call Path-to-Volume (PTV). PTV is the framework used within Autodesk to improve and refine the product lifecycle management process. The PTV model is used to analyze where a given Autodesk product is in its lifecycle and, based on that mapping, how best to deliver the product to our end customers. PTV is also a key tool for determining how acquisitions fit into the Autodesk product portfolio and associated sales channels. The PTV framework was established from more than two decades worth of Autodesk experience in new product introduction. With this important tool, our corporate and divisional leadership teams can more effectively guide the development and growth of the Autodesk product portfolio over time, and also help determine when it's appropriate to deliver a solution through the channel. This is important because the cost of sales for a product early in its lifecycle -- when the market and product may not be ready -- is expensive. If a product is introduced to the channel too early, it is to the detriment of the channel because it taxes partners unnecessarily. Instead, Autodesk makes the upfront investment to develop the market and then brings partners who can deliver the value a customer needs to be successful, such as support, consulting, training. PTV provides Autodesk with a disciplined, intentional approach to rolling out new products to our channel partners, to ensure a more profitable business opportunity. b) Autodesk also created the Worldwide Channel Review Board (WWCRB). The WWCRB is made up of the key international channel owners and members from key business functions (Operations, Finance, Legal, IT, etc.). The WWCRB sets the global channel strategy and implements many of the channel initiatives, including: • Global Roll out of Partner Incentive Program • The implantation of Market Development Funds • Implemented and branded Premier Solution Provider Designation This team planned and implemented the accomplishments above, fostered consistency and will further enhance channel initiatives in the coming years. This initiative has helped Autodesk expand from a channel centric company with similar channel policies and programs that vary by country or region, to a global channel company that can measure up with future channel acquisitions and the trend towards business globalization. c) Another valuable Autodesk channel initiative is One Team Web (OTW). OTW is the Autodesk channel partner Web portal specially designed to provide channel partners fast, easy access to a wealth of materials, tools, program information and news--just about everything related to channel partner support so partners can stay up-to-date on the information and resources that help them succeed. OTW reflects input from 600 users worldwide and extensive testing to determine the features, structure and function deemed most useful for channel partners. Content is organized by the following categories: News and Events, Sales and Marketing, Exams and Training, Support & Downloads, Partner Programs, Policies & Forms, and event support.
What were the key channel partner investments you made in the past year?	a) Channel Capability -- In additional to traditional technical and sales training, Autodesk has invested in improving channel partner's industry knowledge, business savvy and the onboarding process of new employees. Through web-based and classroom training, Autodesk provides partners with the knowledge and skills they will need to help customers transform their businesses with 3D and digital modeling. For example, Autodesk introduced a 'Foundation for Success' program that helps accelerate the onboarding of new employees hired by channel partners with an intensive week-long training program. (More detail on Foundation for Success is mentioned below). b) Growth Funds: These are non-reimbursable cash disbursements made to partners based upon their business planning submissions. Over $10 million in investments were strategically made to partners in the last year, which fueled the growth of the channel partner and Autodesk. c) Deal Registration System and Process 'ACE' Autodesk Customer Engagement: This is a system with policies, processes and people designed to reward partners for identifying and closing solution sales. This initiative has given Autodesk greater visibility into the 'end user' business in the SMB area, and increased partner margins 20 percent on average for solution sales. This system uniquely utilizes customer feedback to determine the correct partner to register for an opportunity. d) Global VAR Agreement: Autodesk established one consistent worldwide VAR contract with the opportunity for multi-year renewals to allow partners better access to capital investment from financial sources.
How are you attracting the next generation of solution providers?	a) To inspire, motivate and prepare new channel partner professionals for success, Autodesk provides an intensive education in the technical skills and proven sales methodologies that are the foundation for superior service and long-term customer relationships. Foundation for Success (F4S) is a five-day training program that immerses channel partner professionals in the information and techniques they need to gain confidence in the Autodesk ecosystem and reduce their time-to-proficiency for sales. Participants in F4S workshops gain foundational knowledge of Autodesk, Autodesk's technology and the customers Autodesk and its partners serve. This instruction provides channel partners to a wide variety of tools, programs, processes and sales methodology while allowing trainees to put their new skills to the test in a risk-free environment that encourages team work. F4S workshops take place at Q Center, a state-of-the-art, award-winning learning facility designed for optimal learning and convenient to Chicago O'Hare International Airport. b) Autodesk also established a dedicated channel recruiting and on-boarding team. This team focuses on adding key solution providers to grow Autodesk's capacity in under-penetrated markets or areas with untapped opportunity. The team succeeded by targeting solution providers that have complimentary goals and providing them with a presentation of the business opportunity, including a profit calculator. This team was recognized as the Top Presentation for potential partners at Gartner's IT ChannelVision Best of IT Event. d) Autodesk is also continuing to solicit input from partners, and to that end, Autodesk utilizes Walker Loyalty Survey process to survey end users and provide partners with feedback on how their customers rate them in terms of customer loyalty. These monthly reports give channel partners benchmark loyalty targets and suggestions for improving their business processes so their customer's loyalty and profits can increase.
What is the greatest challenge you overcame in the past year?	Autodesk has grown rapidly in recent years, and I believe that 2008 will be another record sales year for the company. One of the biggest ongoing challenges for growing companies is making sure you have the right people in the most appropriate job. This requires having a strong leadership team in place to bring together cohesive teams of people and fully develop the staff. In order to meet this challenge, Autodesk has placed a premium on ongoing professional development of our employees and our channel partners. In the past year, we've continued to enhance our professional development programs with additional coaching workshops, a new onboarding program, expanded sales and technical training camps for employees and partners, and the partner learning portal to name a few.

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