International Women’s Day 2023: Here’s How 10 Influential Channel Chiefs Describe Their Channel Philosophy

In celebration of International Women’s Day, here are 10 women from CRN’s 2023 Most Influential Channel Chiefs describing their personal channel philosophy.

Channel chiefs 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 the ones that are truly successful go beyond “channel management” and think more deeply about vendor-channel partner relationships.

In celebration of International Women’s Day, here are 10 women from CRN’s 2023 Most Influential Channel Chiefs describing their personal channel philosophy.

Amazon Web Services

Ruba Borno

VP, Worldwide Channels, Alliances

AWS partners are an important catalyst of innovation for cloud transformation and growth, because they unlock value for customers through every solution and every customer outcome that we deliver together. This is why I am committed to doubling down with partners in service of our customers. This means ensuring we provide a simple partner experience, consistently assessing and improving our programs and tools, earning and maintaining partner trust by providing a personalized experience that proactively provides guidance and offering unique value that helps partners grow their business and increase profitability.

Donna Grothjan

VP, Worldwide Channels

Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company

Partners are 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.

Broadcom Software

Cynthia Loyd

VP, Global Enterprise, Commercial, Partner Sales

Focus is key in the channel. I want us to invest in partners that are driving value and providing unique expertise, partners who are accountable and who are dedicated and willing to drive the market. Contribution is key, and it’s reciprocal: Broadcom invests in partners who invest in our business where we need them to focus.

Deepwatch

Lori Cornmesser

SVP, Global Channel, Alliance Sales

My personal channel philosophy is that partners are trusted allies. The real value that partnerships bring is in solving real customer problems together. Bringing together our expertise as an MDR leader, with our partner expertise in the markets they serve, is how the best solutions are made and tailored to the unique needs of manufacturing companies, vs. healthcare organizations or financial institutions. It’s important to find mutual value and grow together. That goes beyond product and services. It takes trust. Growing together is only possible when you can trust each other to do what they say they’re going to do.

Dell Technologies

Cheryl Cook

SVP, Global Partner Marketing

I believe channel requires three-dimensional thinking-- you need to balance the needs of your customer with the needs of your partner community and your company. It’s not an either/or, it’s the “art of the and” to achieve a win-win-win.

IBM

Kate Woolley

GM, Ecosystem

The Ecosystem is the most powerful force in the technology industry today—no company can be successful without a thriving ecosystem. We need to have a partner-first mindset and model in order to win with clients in the channel. We can only do this by becoming essential to our partners’ business and making it easier for our partners to do business with us.

Microsoft

Nina Harding

Corporate VP, Global Partners Solutions U.S.

Partners are the fuel that drives the growth, satisfaction and innovation of our customers. Partners are the pivotal contributors to customer value realization. It is through honed specialized skills, trusted expertise and ongoing curiosity that Microsoft partners seek to drive the next generation of innovation—sharpening their industry knowledge and solution experience to drive the solutions of tomorrow for Microsoft customers.

NetApp

Jenni Flinders

SVP, Worldwide Partner Organization

My personal philosophy is to be an advocate on behalf of the entire partner community and to listen to [them] and serve as their collective voice. Adding value and earning trust is paramount to building high-value, powerful partnerships that foster a thriving, evolving and innovative ecosystem. Actively leading and being passionate about helping partners achieve success improves collaboration and grows strong, long-lasting connections. Businesses prosper because real people, real stories and real connections inspire excellence that drives innovation. I am motivated by working with others who are passionate about positive change and learning from others while constantly evolving to thrive.

Red Hat

Stefanie Chiras

SVP, Partner Ecosystem Success

For me, the ecosystem is a community of innovators, much like the open-source communities Red Hat is deeply engaged in. The end goal of the community, as a collective, is to drive new capability and deliver value to customers. The end goal of each member is to maximize their impact to that goal and to thrive. This is not about Red Hat being at the center. Our partners and customers, alongside us, are the essence of the ecosystem. Success depends on multiple partners working together to meet the unique needs of customers by co-creating together and by closing deals.

Verizon Business

Wendy Taccetta

Channel Chief

I believe that in order to deliver a great customer experience we must have a great partner experience and to do this well, we must be easy to do business with. Through strong and diverse partnerships, I am committed to accelerating small-business growth, driving transformation across the ecosystem and fostering a culture of collaboration every day.