New GTIA CEO Focused On ‘Delivering Resources, Relationships And Growth Opportunities’: Exclusive

'GTIA’s brand is community. That’s it. Simple, strong and central to everything we do,’ says CEO of the Global Technology Industry Association Dan Wensley.

Tech industry veteran Dan Wensley has officially assumed the role of CEO at the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), the rebranded successor to CompTIA’s community and advocacy division.

With a career spanning more than 30 years in the IT channel, Wensley brings a wealth of leadership experience, including his most recent role as CEO of ScalePad, where he led the company through a rebrand and rapid global growth.

GTIA, now operating independently following the sale of the CompTIA brand and certification business, remains a nonprofit, vendor-neutral organization dedicated to serving more than 2,000 IT channel organizations and tens of thousands of professionals worldwide.

“This is a rebrand, not a reinvention,” Wensley told CRN in an exclusive interview. “The foundational work, research, community engagement, and support, that CompTIA built continues under GTIA. We’ve simply refined our mission. Now unconnected from the certification arm, we can fully focus on serving the community. It’s a fresh chapter, but one built on a strong legacy.”

Wensley, who has been involved with the organization for nearly two decades, views his appointment as a natural next step in his journey.

“GTIA gave me a way to grow beyond the boundaries of my own business,” he said. “This role allows me to give back, to amplify that experience for others. It’s always been about community.”

His top priorities as CEO include deepening member engagement, enhancing global advocacy and delivering greater value to IT service providers, vendors and partners.

“My focus is on listening, learning and aligning with our team, our board and our global members,” he said. “We’re not here to sell, we’re here to support, advocate and equip our members to succeed. We’ll be more visible, more vocal and more focused on what matters most which is the people in this industry.”

Wensley assumed the role on April 21 and is already steering GTIA into its next chapter, one rooted in modernization, global reach and a human-first approach to technology leadership. And the transition from leading a SaaS company to heading a nonprofit isn’t a departure, it’s a continuation, he said.

“Some might see this as a leap, but to me it’s the same mission: building communities around innovation,” he said. “Now, we can concentrate entirely on delivering value to our members. It’s about growing the industry, not just revenues.”

CRN spoke with Wensley about his new role, GTIA’s mission going forward and what MSPs and vendors can expect from the association under its new name and fresh leadership.

You’ve been involved with GTIA, formerly CompTIA, for a long time. How did your journey begin?

It’s been about 20 years now. I probably joined around 2005. Before joining the board in 2012, I was heavily involved as a member. CompTIA, as it was known, gave me a chance to break out of the tunnel vision that comes from focusing solely on your own business. I learned from mentors, peers and the broader community. Over time, that experience helped shape both my personal career and the companies I’ve worked with.

What motivated you to go after this CEO role?

It feels like a natural progression of my 30-year career. I’ve been part of some major evolutions and through all of that, the common thread has been community. GTIA gives me the chance to build on that, to give back to the industry that shaped me and to lead from a place of collaboration and innovation.

Your last role was CEO of a fast-growing SaaS company, ScalePad. How did that prepare you for leading a nonprofit like GTIA?

Some might think moving from a for-profit SaaS business to a nonprofit is a leap, but I don’t. At ScalePad, and other companies before it, we built strong partner communities and ecosystems. That experience aligns perfectly with GTIA’s mission. Community-building, collaboration and innovation have always been central to what I do. This is just a new chapter of the same story.

GTIA is no longer part of the certification business. How does that change things?

It gives us clarity. At GTIA, we can now focus solely on community, member value and industry advancement. The certification business always operated somewhat separately. Now, we’re 100 percent aligned on delivering resources, relationships and growth opportunities for IT service providers and vendors.

We’re hyper-focused on our four core pillars: people, resources, community and advancement. We’re building an organization where members feel supported, equipped and inspired. We’ll double down on delivering value and creating a real sense of pride in membership.

So what are your immediate priorities as CEO?

First, execute the transition plan the team already laid out. GTIA has a solid roadmap for 2025. One of the biggest near-term initiatives is ChannelCon. It’s a flagship event and I want to boost IT service provider participation. Beyond that, my focus is on listening, learning and aligning with the internal team, the board and our global members. There’s a deepened commitment to them. We’re not here to sell them something, we’re here to support them, advocate for them and give them more tools to succeed. We’ll be more visible, more vocal and more focused on what matters most: the people of this industry.

Let’s talk charitable giving. Why is that such a strong focus for you?

Because it matters. Every time we go into a city, we do something, from building tech kits for underprivileged youth to donating equipment. But that’s just the start. We want to use our endowment [from the sale of CompTIA] and resources to fund education, provide career pathways and showcase all the roles, technical and non-technical, that exist in the IT services industry. This field has room for everyone and we need to show that.

So what’s your long-term vision for GTIA?

Growth, in every sense. More members, more visibility, more global reach. We’ve built something powerful, but I believe we’ve only scratched the surface. I want GTIA to be known globally as the organization that accelerates careers, connects peers and champions innovation. And we need to better recognize the volunteers, the community leaders and the unsung heroes who make this industry thrive.

How do you plan to attract the next generation, specifically Gen Z and Millennials, to GTIA?

By showing them what’s possible. This isn’t just a tech industry, it’s a career ecosystem. We need to make it clear that GTIA can be a launchpad for anyone, not just coders. Marketing, HR, design, all of these roles are part of the industry and GTIA is where they can plug into something bigger. We’ll amplify those stories and speak in the language of the next generation.

What are the biggest benefits MSPs gain by engaging with GTIA?

When I joined GTIA, I looked at the landscape through what I call the "two sides of the bow tie." On one side, you have the vendors, distributors and innovators. On the other side it’s the MSPs, IT service providers and all their variations. Our focus was clear, understand what MSPs need and deliver on it. Based on recent surveys, events are the most valued benefit GTIA offers. But it’s deeper than just conferences, it’s about building community, enabling peer-to-peer engagement, gaining insights, sharing pain points and being recognized. That community is what MSPs crave. They want to connect with their peers and with vendors in meaningful, collaborative ways.
For vendors, they’re looking for industry recognition, a platform to share innovation, forge partnerships and ultimately get closer to understanding what MSPs actually need. Having spent 30 years on the vendor side, I can say our biggest struggle was understanding the true, evolving needs of IT service providers. GTIA brings both sides together, through events, community discussions, and thought leadership. We’re the bridge.

How does GTIA plan to support MSPs in today’s fast-moving, competitive tech environment?

Step one is listening. We don’t want to assume, we want to understand. What’s keeping MSPs up at night? Is it M&A activity, tech convergence, AI, recurring revenue models or all of the above? Once we listen, we respond with resources, people, research and community spaces to share and solve problems. We won’t just throw money at the challenge, we’ll bring people together to figure it out.

What role will GTIA play in advancing cybersecurity readiness among members?

Cybersecurity is a huge pillar already. Our efforts, dedicated research and education have been central to our value proposition. But we also recognize that things evolve fast. AI’s impact on cybersecurity, infrastructure and managed services is already becoming a major talking point, and GTIA will help lead those conversations. We’ll stay ahead of threats by fostering dialogue and sharing knowledge across the community.

How will GTIA help members adapt to ever-changing AI and automation?

We’re doing it ourselves. We’ve formed an internal AI committee and are building a case study around how GTIA is evaluating and integrating AI into our operations. We’ll share that with our members, warts and all, so they can learn from our journey. AI isn’t just a tech trend, it’s reshaping how businesses run and we want to be an honest, useful guide through that transformation.

How will GTIA engage in public policy or regulatory discussions affecting the IT channel?

It’s under consideration. CompTIA historically did, and I was part of that effort. Now, as GTIA, we’re evaluating how we might engage, whether at the state, federal or global level. Our main goal is to be a reliable resource for government bodies. We want them to come to us for insights before setting policy that impacts the channel. Formal lobbying may not be our main route, but being part of the conversation absolutely is.

What is the brand of GTIA, in a sentence?

GTIA’s brand is community. That’s it. Simple, strong and central to everything we do.

As CEO, what are you most excited about for GTIA moving forward?

The possible. That was the title of the thesis I presented to the board during my interview process—The Possible. With our resources and people, GTIA is uniquely positioned to unlock transformative value for the channel. We’ve got the foundation, now it’s about expanding and elevating everything we do. That’s incredibly exciting.

And finally, your message to the channel community as GTIA’s new CEO?

We are better together. GTIA exists to make that real. We are the community where vendors, MSPs, distributors and thought leaders can collaborate, grow and succeed together.