Channel News
Here’s How 20 Channel Chiefs Describe Their Personal Channel Philosophy
Rick Whiting
Channel executives on the CRN 2023 Channel Chiefs list were asked to describe their personal channel philosophy. From what they see as the channel’s role to how best to work with partners, here’s what 20 channel chiefs had to say.
Deep Channel Thoughts
Channel executives are charged with managing a company’s relationships with its channel partners, both on a day-to-day basis and for the strategic long term. But truly effective channel chiefs go beyond “channel management” and think more deeply about vendor-channel partner relationships and what makes them successful.
As part of the CRN Channel Chiefs 2023 project, we asked the nearly 600 channel executives that made the list to describe their personal channel philosophy. Here’s what 20 had to say.
11:11 Systems
Koorosh Khashayar
VP, Global Channel
Regardless of what designation a seller has or how they describe themselves, whether it’s VAR, MSP, TSB or TA, a seller is a partner first and foremost. A partnership is a two-way street and many partner programs fail to understand how they can help a partner grow. ‘Your success is my success’ is what [my] personal philosophy is based on.
Donna Grothjan
VP, Worldwide Channels
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company
Partners are the at the heart of enabling customers, whether through providing technology or services. No single company can meet 100 percent of customers’ needs and so partners are absolutely essential. In my view, partners are not an extension of our sales force; instead, we are part of their ecosystems. We must provide and enable value creation for partners every day in order to earn and maintain our position with them.
