Partnerships Unraveled

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Dave Allen, Vice President of Geo Sales and Partner Sales at Akamai, to explore the strategy and innovation behind Akamai’s newly revamped Partner Connect Program. With decades of channel experience, Dave shares the methodology behind designing a partner program from the ground up one that reflects today’s evolving channe...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we welcome back Jessica McDowell, VP of North America Marketing and Digital Strategy at TD SYNNEX, to unpack the findings of the newly released Direction of Technology 2026 Report. Drawing on insights from more than 1,400 partners across 40 countries, this conversation explores what will truly define partner success in the years ahead. J...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Rebecca Javens, Director of Channels for the Americas at Cisco’s ThousandEyes, to explore her journey from direct sales into the complex world of channel partnerships. With decades of experience in some of tech's most channel-centric companies, Rebecca offers a compelling perspective on partner enablement, strategic...

Send us Fan Mail  In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Olivia, Channel Director at 1Password and a seasoned channel leader with over 25 years of experience across distribution, vendors, and MSP ecosystems. Olivia brings a multi-dimensional perspective to how successful channel programs are built by grounding in partner needs, strategic alignment, and the evolving role of dis...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Signe Holm, Partner Solution Sales Manager at Microsoft, to explore what it takes to drive successful co-sell motions between ISVs and Microsoft. Signe shares proven insights into seller-to-seller alignment, partner enablement, and leveraging Microsoft’s evolving marketplace strategy. Channel professionals will gain valua...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we dive into the future of channel incentives with Bilel Kouider, Global Director of Marketing Development at HP and author of a forward-thinking white paper on Web3 in the channel. Bilel brings deep expertise at the intersection of emerging technologies and partner ecosystems, with a clear vision for how decentralization, blockchain, and...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Didem Kindstrand, EMEA North Channel Lead at Splunk, now part of Cisco. With nearly three decades of industry experience, Didem offers a candid look into how her team is navigating the operational and cultural shifts following Cisco’s acquisition of Splunk while preserving focus, maintaining team alignment, and empowering...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Jason Myers, Cybersecurity Strategist for MSP Partnerships at OpenText, to unpack the evolution of the managed services space and what he calls the shift to “MSP 3.0.” With decades of experience in cybersecurity and product strategy, Jason breaks down how the role of MSPs is transforming, from managing IT infrastructure...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Bill Hentschell, Global Director of Partnerships at Fortinet, to explore how he successfully rebuilt and revitalized a strategic partnership with World Wide Technology (WWT) one of Fortinet’s largest and most influential channel partners. Drawing on a 25+ year journey that includes pivotal roles at Cisco and a formative s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Scott Strubel, Head of Americas Partner Organization at Smartsheet, to uncover the strategic playbook behind scaling partner-driven revenue in a rapidly evolving landscape. With decades of experience leading both direct and partner sales organizations at top tech companies, Scott shares how Smartsheet is transforming its...

Send us Fan Mail 200+ Conversations Later: Here’s What’s Shaping the Channel Over the course of 200+ episodes, we’ve had the chance to sit down with some of the smartest voices in the partner ecosystem. And one thing is clear: this space is evolving fast. We’ve heard how partner marketing is stepping into its role as a strategic growth lever. How partner enablement is getting sharper, more targete...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Jana O'Connor, AVP of Global Strategic Partner Marketing at SentinelOne, to dissect the evolving role of partner marketing and what it takes to drive measurable impact in today’s landscape. With nearly three decades of experience at industry giants like Palo Alto Networks and Symantec, Jana brings a wealth of insight...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Carilu Melander, Senior Director of Americas Partner Marketing at Zscaler, whose impressive track record spans AWS, AppDynamics, and now leading a high-performing team focused on strategic, data-driven partner marketing. Carilu shares the mindset and frameworks that have helped her team shift from reactive task executors...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we’re joined by Meg Brennan, Global Head of Partner Strategy, Programs, and Experience at HP Inc. With over three decades of channel experience from taking partner calls in the '90s to leading global strategy at one of the world’s most recognized tech brands. Meg shares a compelling story of career evolution, leadership, and ecosyste...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Scott Eaton, Senior Director of Partner Management at Lumen Technologies, for an insightful conversation about the evolving definition and strategic role of trusted advisors in the modern channel. With decades of experience on both the vendor and partner sides of the business, Scott offers a grounded perspective on how ch...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Miguel Carrero, VP of Global Partner Ecosystem Growth at WatchGuard, a seasoned leader with a rare blend of experience across startups, private equity-backed firms, and large enterprises. Miguel shares his channel philosophy shaped by decades of working across partner models, market segments, and organizational structures...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Rasmus Holst, CEO of Zensai an HR tech company that’s going all-in on Microsoft and MSPs to scale its human success platform. Rasmus shares why focus beats breadth when it comes to channel strategy, unpacking how Zensai deliberately narrowed its GTM to win in a crowded space. From building a Copilot adoption hub tailor-m...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Nihil Morjaria, Chief Revenue Officer at usecure — a UK-based cybersecurity vendor that has built its go-to-market strategy around managed service providers (MSPs) and distribution partners. Nihil unpacks how usecure pivoted from a direct sales model to becoming a channel-first organization, scaling to over 1,800 billing...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we’re joined by Cindy Willems, Head of Channel for SMB at Lenovo in the BeLux region. With a unique lens on partner transformation, Cindy is leading complex go-to-market integration across Lenovo’s Infrastructure Solutions Group (ISG) and Intelligent Devices Group (IDG). Her mission? Helping partners deliver unified, value-led solutions t...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Michelle Hodges, SVP of Global Channels and Alliances at Barracuda, whose experience spans global channel leadership and transformational partner strategies for some of the world’s most innovative SaaS companies. With a legacy of designing, launching, and refining partner ecosystems across private equity-backed and high-g...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Theresa Caragol, founder and CEO of AchieveUnite, and bestselling author of Partnering Success. With decades of experience leading global channel strategies and integrations at firms like Extreme Networks and Ciena, Theresa brings deep expertise and a structured approach to unlocking the true value of partnerships. Her wo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Keith Norbie, Global Partner AI GTM Lead at NetApp, to unpack the evolving role of the channel in the era of artificial intelligence. With deep experience in partnering with global ecosystems and enabling partner-led digital transformation, Keith shares how NetApp is reshaping its go-to-market and partner strategy to help...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Maciek Szczesniak (Magic), founder of Go With Magic and a longtime channel veteran, to dig into one of the toughest transitions in the IT channel: moving from reseller to managed service provider. After decades in the industry, including years at HP, Magic saw firsthand why so many partners struggle with shrinking margin...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Amy Avalos, Director of Partner Marketing at Zendesk, who brings over 15 years of experience across nearly every role in the partner ecosystem. With a rich background spanning startups to global tech companies, Amy unpacks the realities and myths of partner marketing, partner-led growth, and building scalable programs tha...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we dive into Lenovo’s channel transformation through the lens of its evolving MSP strategy—with two of the key leaders behind the shift. Cassie Jeppson, who oversees channel programs, tools, and partner enablement for North America, and Arsalan Eizadirad, Lenovo’s global MSP strategy lead, join us to unpack how Lenovo is designing programs that meet partners where...