2003 Channel Chiefs: 1-10

By CRN Staff

12:18 PM EDT Mon. Oct. 20, 2003
From the October 20, 2003 issue of CRN

1	MIKE BORMAN, General Manager, Global Business Partners, IBM WHY? In his first year as global program leader, Borman has overseen a massive restructuring and consolidation of IBM's programs and product offerings tailored for the small-business market. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: One-third of worldwide revenue for 2002 CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: Increase planned. TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: 90,000 worldwide; 40,000 in North America ELITE PARTNERS: Premier level: 1,800 worldwide, 600 in North America; Advanced level, 4,500 worldwide, 1,200 in North America RECRUITING TRENDS: Partner ranks have remained steady. AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: 10 GOALS: Increase IBM and Business Partner growth, profitability and market share. Improve partner satisfaction. REPORTS TO: Mike Lawrie, Senior Vice President and Group Executive, Sales & Distribution, IBM
2	ALLISON WATSON, Vice President, Worldwide Partner Sales and Marketing Group, Microsoft WHY? Spearheaded a redesign that will see 54 separate programs rolled into one program launched early October, under which partners will be classified according to points they earn in certain areas. Encouraged development of better support for ISVs. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: 96% of worldwide sales are through channel CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: $1.5 billion annually; Watson encouraged incremental investment of $500 million in past two years. TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: 775,000 worldwide; 33,000 Certified Partner organizations, including 6,000 for Microsoft Business Solutions ELITE PARTNERS: 2,000 Gold Certified Partners RECRUITING TRENDS: NA AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: NA GOALS: Help partners capture opportunity with innovative technology, marketing and partnership across Microsoft all coming together. Take a business framework approach to mapping tools and resources for partners at each step of their business cycle -- including planning, enabling, creating demand, selling and service. REPORTS TO: Orlando Ayala, Senior Vice President, Worldwide Small and Midmarket Solutions and Partners
3	ALLYSON SEELINGER, Vice President, North America Channels, Symantec WHY? Revamped training and certification to accept resellers' investments in vendor-neutral security certifications. Streamlined exams. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: NA CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: Growth planned TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: More than 20,000 ELITE PARTNERS: A few hundred RECRUITING TRENDS: Ranks up over 2002 numbers AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: 4 to 6 GOALS: Continue building partner loyalty. REPORTS TO: Steve Messick, Vice President, North America Sales and Marketing
4	PAUL MOUNTFORD, Vice President, Worldwide Channels, Cisco Systems WHY? Launched Value Incentive Program, designed to reward partners focused on IP telephony and security practices. Partners focused on IP telephony grew business almost 30% from 3Q to 4Q in Cisco's fiscal year ended July 31, 2003, while security business grew 15% in same time frame. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: Cisco derived more than 92% of its worldwide revenue from the channel from Aug. 1, 2002 to Aug. 1, 2003, up 2% year-over-year. CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: Increase planned TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: More than 40,000 authorized resellers, 3,400 certified partners ELITE PARTNERS: 400 Gold partners RECRUITING TRENDS: Number of authorized resellers was roughly flat year-over-year, although ranks of certified partners decreased from 6,600. Ranks of gold partners AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: 8 GOALS: Drive mutual profits and success. REPORTS TO: Rick Justice, Senior Vice President, Field Operations
5	STEVE DALLMAN, Director, Channels and Distribution, Intel Americas WHY? One of the most engaged, and engaging, channel executives in the industry, Dallman is accessible and upfront. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: Don't break out by geography; more than 40% of sales worldwide. Channels sales are up year-over-year. CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: Increase planned TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: 40,000 ELITE PARTNERS: 300 Premier Providers RECRUITING TRENDS: NA AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: Meets with 100s of channel members a year and talks with several "even on a slow week." GOALS: Support channel in anticipated refresh of desktop systems and continued growth of servers. Ensure channel is poised to participate in mobile/wireless movement. REPORTS TO: Tom Lacey, President, Intel Americas
6	FRANK VITAGLIANO, Vice President, Distribution Channels Management, IBM WHY? Launched ThinkVantage education and training to help solution provider boost the services portion of their business. Also helped orchestrate pact between IBM Global Services and Ingram Micro's VentureTech network of SMB VARs. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: Approximately 60% of PCD revenue in 2002 CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: Increase planned TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: 7,000 in North America, 17,500 worldwide ELITE PARTNERS: 200 in North America, 700 worldwide RECRUITING TRENDS: Ranks growing AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: Meets with at least one top distribution executive monthly and will meet 2,000 U.S. solution GOALS: Extend ThinkVantage program REPORTS TO: Deepak Advani, Vice President, Marketing, PCD.
7	MARK SMITH, Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Netscreen WHY? Security solution providers point to him as a model vendor channel executive, accessible and responsive. Examples include Netscreen's mobile demonstration center, which was used by VARs in 75 cities this past year, and the JumpStart training and certification program. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: Close to 100% CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: Tied to channel revenue growth TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: 400 ELITE PARTNERS: 5 Platinum level, 45 Preferred (down slightly from previous year) RECRUITING TRENDS: Ranks have decreased slightly AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: 5 to 10 GOALS: Exceed growth expectations while supporting strong margins REPORTS TO: Netscreen CEO Robert Thomas
8	KEVIN GILROY, Vice President and General Manager, Commercial Channels -Americas, Hewlett-Packard WHY? After feedback that the PartnerOne program structure posed challenges for smaller VARs, Gilroy created a new specialization level to support solution providers focused on SMB accounts. More than 2,000 partner branches are now registered for this program. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: Two-thirds of HP Americas revenue CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: Continued incremental investment planned in demand creation programs TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: 21,000 (U.S.) ELITE PARTNERS: Several hundred in Platinum and Gold levels RECRUITING TRENDS: Overall number is flat, but participation in elite levels has grown AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: Talks to partners every day GOALS: Use Collaborative Business Development process to help identify new vertical solutions opportunities in conjunction with partners. REPORTS TO: Mike Larson, Senior Vice President, Personal Systems Group, Americas
9	GARY GRIMES, Vice President, Partner Management and Sales, Sun Microsystems WHY? Broadened Sun's distribution reach through Tech Data and CDW, adopted programs to help support loyal partners, such as the recently introduced Opportunity Registration system. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: NA CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: "Significant within Sun." TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: NA ELITE PARTNERS: 50 Storage Elite, about the same number of Strategic iForce Partners RECRUITING TRENDS: Number of elite partners has increased. AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: In touch with distribution partners on a weekly basis and a varying number of iForce solution providers. GOALS: Grow revenue and ensure partner health and profitability REPORTS TO: Bill Cook, Vice President, U.S. Sales
10	MARGO DAY, Vice President, U.S. Partner Group WHY? Instrumental in Microsoft's Go-To-Market strategy initiative, which has aligned marketing and training investments with specific solution providers. Centralized the partner readiness engine with technical training and assessments. PERCENTAGE OF REVENUE HANDLED BY U.S. CHANNEL: 95% CHANNEL PROGRAM BUDGET: Growing TOTAL NUMBER OF PARTNERS: 300,000 total for Microsoft's U.S. subsidiary; 11,000 certified ELITE PARTNERS: 600 (U.S.) RECRUITING TRENDS: Ranks of Gold and tier-one resellers are growing. AVERAGE # OF PARTNERS MET ON A WEEKLY BASIS: 10, spends between 30% and 35% of her time meeting and working with partners GOALS: Integrate partners more tightly into selling and marketing programs. REPORTS TO: Darren Huston, Corporate Vice President, U.S. Small and Mid-Market Solutions and Partners (SMS&P)

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