GTIA Chair Scott Barlow: ‘We Are Focused On Delivering Member Value’

“We’re growing GTIA,’ says GTIA Chair Scott Barlow. ‘We are focused on delivering member value, and we are looking to help advance the global channel.’

Global Technology Industry Association Chair Scott Barlow and GTIA Vice Chair Rob Rae Tuesday urged hundreds of XChange August 2025 attendees to join the association as it ramps up its drive to be the place “where the IT channel connects and grows.”

XChange is hosted by CRN parent The Channel Company and is being held this week in Denver.

“We’re growing GTIA,” said Barlow, who is leading the charge on the membership recruitment offensive. “We are focused on delivering member value, and we are looking to help advance the global channel.”

The recruitment drive comes after the creation of the new GTIA in January in the wake of its spinoff from the CompTIA certification business earlier and the appointment of highly respected MSP pioneer and entrepreneur Dan Wensley as CEO of the organization just three months ago.

Barlow, who is also chief evangelist and global head of community for security software maker Sophos, said the proceeds from selling the CompTIA certification and testing business to private equity powerhouse Thoma Bravo and H.I.G. Capital has been funneled back into GTIA to fuel expanded offerings and charitable giving.

“That endowment is now dedicated to the actual membership,” he said. “Before, we were worried about growing the revenue to fund the membership. Now it is 100 percent about the membership.”

The mission statement of GTIA, which has 212,317 individual members and 2,422 member companies, is to “advance the people and businesses of the global IT channel with trusted, unbiased resources as an inclusive community that drives growth. Together with our members, we give back through impactful charitable initiatives that shape the future.”

Rae, an MSP pioneer who is also the corporate vice president of community and ecosystems for MSP marketplace provider Pax8, told MSPs that the organization is devoting “a lot of time and energy” into fueling the growth of the IT industry.

“We want to grow everything we are doing in the IT space everywhere and with all of the initiatives that are actually changing the future,” he said. “With that, we are constantly recruiting new people to come into GTIA, participate in it, be a part of the association, make decisions as far as where the event is going and where the association is going.”

The four pillars of the organization, Rae said, are people, resources, community and advancement. “It’s not just the people within the organization, it is also people that are part of the association,” he said. “The resources are absolutely phenomenal.”

Rae said the community aspect of the organization is a key differentiator for the association, which just held its ChannelCon annual conference in Nashville, Tenn., three weeks ago.

“For me, one of the benefits of belonging to GTIA is actually the camaraderie of getting together,” he said. “It’s a who’s who of the actual channel from a vendor and MSP perspective. And that sharing is absolutely incredible.”

The association is also helping to advance the careers of those in the IT industry, including young people and women—with one of the largest women in IT associations, said Rae. “I highly encourage you to take advantage of that,” he said.

Rae also urged XChange attendees to take advantage of GTIA’s “phenomenal” resources, including market data, research and individual sector offerings like cybersecurity, AI and the Internet of Things.

Barlow said one of the most important aspects of the organization is its philanthropic and charitable giving, which is making a big difference in people’s lives.

This year, Barlow said, GTIA has already made a “tremendous” amount of donations, with the aim of giving $1.5 million to worthy organizations and individuals. “We hear every single day the amazing stories of the impact that just a little bit of money can actually make,” he said. “To see the impact that this has made has been absolutely tremendous.”

Rae, for his part, noted that after an MSP in Canada posted on Facebook the story of a teacher in Calgary who was teaching 10-year-old students how to code and lost funding from the school district, GTIA stepped in to fund the program. “It was just $1,000,” Rae said. “Now we’re funding that program for another five years. … As a member you get to decide where that money goes.”

Barlow urged XChange attendees that have a worthy cause or an organization that could benefit from $600,000 in grant funding that is still available this year to go to gtia.org/grants to apply, with the application funding cycle closing on Sept. 15.

As part of the recruitment drive, GTIA is offering membership to XChange attendees at a reduced price of $350 per year, $100 off the annual $450-per-year membership fee.

Reagan Roney, chief experience officer for MSP superstar Solvere One, Washington, D.C., said after learning of the benefits of GTIA he and his 100 employees are committing to joining the nonprofit association.

“It sounds awesome,” said Roney, who noted that members of the tight-knit Tech Degenerates MSP organization that he is affiliated with are already members of GTIA. “I’m not a member yet. But now after seeing that presentation I don’t think I can wait any longer,” he said.

Roney said he is a “fan” of any organization that is looking to help MSPs be successful together as a community. “I’m looking forward to the collaborative networking to protect our clients and our way of life,” he said.

Roney said Wensley’s appointment as a passionate advocate for MSPs is also one of the reasons he is interested in joining the association. “Dan’s passion resonates with everyone involved,” he said.

Roney said he sees the GTIA membership as a “huge addition” to his company’s culture. “I think it is going to help us focus even more on community and certifications and training,” he said. “We can’t just sit and rest on our laurels. We have to be innovating. We have to be on the cutting edge.”

Manuel Villa, founder and president of VIA Technology, San Antonio, said he is also planning to join GTIA in the wake of the XChange presentation. “I see joining GTIA as a way to give back to the community,” he said. “That is one of our core values.”

In above photo: Global Technology Industry Association Chair Scott Barlow, l., and GTIA Vice Chair Rob Rae.