Channel Chat Podcast

Recorded live during GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, this episode features Piers Morgan, Senior Vice President & GM International at TENEX.AI. With AI reshaping the cybersecurity landscape, organisations are under increasing pressure to reduce complexity, improve efficiency and respond to threats faster than ever before. Piers joins Channel Chat to discuss the rise of AI-native security platforms, the evolution o...

Recorded live during GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, this episode features John Brown, Regional Director, and Holly Hall, Senior Channel Manager EMEA at HackerOne. With organisations uncovering more vulnerabilities than ever before, security teams are facing a new challenge: deciding what to prioritise, what to remediate and how to cut through the noise. John and Holly join Channel Chat to discuss the growing imp...

What does it take to build one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity distributors in the region? Recorded live during GISEC Dubai 🇦🇪, Avinash Advani, Founder & CEO of CyberKnight, joins Channel Chat to discuss channel growth, vendor strategy, cybersecurity trends, and why success in the Middle East is built on relationships as much as technology. 💡 In this episode: • The story behind CyberKnight's...

Everyone's talking about AI, but are MSPs losing sight of what really drives growth? In this episode of Channel Chat, host Marc sits down with Daniel Shone, Managing Director at Apex Computing Services, live from the SonicWall Elevate Event. Daniel shares why MSPs should focus on outcomes rather than technology, how strong vendor relationships can accelerate growth, and why businesses shouldn't lo...

In this episode of the Channel Chat Dubai series, recorded during GISEC Dubai, Marc Sumner is joined by Yarin Pinyan, VP of Product at Upwind Security, for a deep dive into one of the biggest challenges facing organisations today: securing AI. As businesses accelerate AI adoption, security teams are under increasing pressure to identify where AI is being used, understand new attack vectors, and re...

In this episode of the Channel Chat Dubai series, Steve Low, Chief Commercial Officer at Titan Data Solutions, joins Marc to discuss Titan's journey from a startup with £200,000 in funding to a $50M business. Steve shares why Titan has doubled down on specialisation, reduced its vendor portfolio, and expanded into the Middle East, while building deeper relationships with partners and vendors acros...

From factory production lines to leading cyber resilience strategy at Advania UK, Julie Nicholson has built one of the most unique careers in the IT channel. In this episode of Channel Chat, she joins Marc Sumner to discuss her journey into technology, why cyber security has evolved into a board-level business resilience conversation, and what organisations need to do to stay ahead of today's rapi...

In this episode of Channel Chat, Marc Sumner sits down with Keith Toh, Partner Strategy & Enablement Leader at AMD, to discuss his journey from the Singapore Navy to leadership roles at Sony, Lenovo, Microsoft and AMD. Keith shares his perspective on what separates successful vendor-partner relationships from the rest, why enablement often misses the mark, and how partners can position themselves...

In this episode of Channel Chat, we're joined by Duane Lent, CEO of InnoVent, to discuss the evolving relationship between technology vendors, partners and end customers. The conversation explores why organisations need to think beyond the next hardware purchase, the importance of managing technology throughout its entire lifecycle, and how long-term planning can strengthen customer relationships...

This week on Channel Chat, Marc Sumner is joined by James Worrall, VP of International Channel at Druva. From selling door-to-door in Bolton to leading international channel strategy for one of the industry's leading cyber resilience companies, James shares the lessons that have shaped his approach to leadership, partnerships and channel growth. Marc and James discuss what partners really want fro...

What does it take to succeed in the modern IT channel? Marc is joined by Alex Walsh, Regional Vice President of Channel Sales for EMEA North at Keepit, for a wide-ranging discussion on channel leadership, partner strategy, mentorship, data sovereignty, and the growing impact of AI on the technology industry. Alex shares his journey from studying media production and managing restaurants to buildin...

AI is changing cybersecurity faster than most businesses realise.  In this episode of Channel Chat, Rob Demain, CEO & Founder of e2e-assure joins Marc Sumner to discuss why cyber resilience now matters more than prevention, how attackers are using AI, and why the future of cyber defence will be AI vs AI.  They cover:  Why speed is everything in cyber defence  The biggest mistakes businesses still...

What does it really take to grow an MSP for more than 20 years? In this episode of Channel Chat, Marc Sumner sits down with Guy Hocking, Managing Director of Utilize PLC, to discuss his journey from infrastructure engineer to leading one of the UK's most respected Managed Service Providers. Guy shares why so many SMBs are still vulnerable to cyber attacks, why Cyber Essentials should be the minimu...

What does it really take to build one of the Middle East's leading technology distributors? In this episode of Channel Chat, Marc Sumner sits down with Mario Veljovic, General Manager of VAD Technologies, to explore his 30-year journey through the IT channel. From selling PC components in the 1990s to helping power some of the region's biggest AI infrastructure projects, Mario shares the lessons h...

In this episode of Channel Chat Dubai, Marc Sumner sits down with Kinda Baydoun, Senior Director at Veeam, to discuss leadership, partnerships, trust, and the future of the IT channel across EMEA. From starting her career at Sun Microsystems to leading one of the industry's most influential channel organisations, Kinda shares the lessons that shaped her journey and why building trust remains the f...