Partnerships Unraveled

Send us Fan Mail This week on Partnerships Unraveled , we’re joined by Patrick Piwowarczyk, head of AV integrator channels and alliances at HP, who brings deep, hard-earned experience from his time at Polycom, Plantronics, and now HP. Together, we unpack what it truly takes to lead through change in the channel. From navigating major acquisitions to launching new products while managing partner ex...

Send us Fan Mail Live from Pax8 Beyond with OpenText Michael DePalma on Trust, Verticalization, and the Three Million Ceiling In this candid and energetic live session, Michael DePalma, VP of Business Development at OpenText , joins us to dive deep into what really drives MSP growth and why relationships, not contracts, are the ultimate differentiator. Michael shares what makes OpenText's cha...

Send us Fan Mail Live from Pax8 Beyond with Acronis Alex Ruslyakov on AI, Trust, and the Future of MSP Growth In this dynamic live episode, we reconnect with Alex Ruslyakov, Chief Channel Officer at Acronis, to explore how AI is reshaping the MSP landscape and why trust and integration still reign supreme in the partner ecosystem. Filmed on-site at Pax8 Beyond in Denver, Alex shares his front-row...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, together with Raymond Vrabel - Sr. Director Partner Programs, we explore the unique challenges and opportunities within the MSP space, a dynamic ecosystem where many businesses hit a growth plateau and struggle to scale. We unpack why MSPs often stall, diving into the common scenario where technically brilliant owners wear too many hats, but lack the commercial mu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Mark Butler, Global Partner Manager at Zebra Technologies, to explore the lessons learned from a 25-year journey across reseller and vendor roles. From launching a personal YouTube channel to navigating the complexities of global partner ecosystems, Mark shares how consistency, creativity, and curiosity have helped him bu...

Send us Fan Mail Live from Pax8 Beyond with Check Point: Reinventing Channel Simplicity for MSPs In this special live edition of Partnerships Unraveled, we’re joined by Shahar Divon, Global Head of MSSP and SMB at Check Point, to unpack how a security giant is reengineering itself for MSP success. Recorded at Pax8 Beyond in Denver, this conversation dives into the evolution of Check Point’s channe...

Send us Fan Mail Live from Pax8 Beyond: Unpacking the MSP Growth Playbook with Sophos In this special live episode from Pax8 Beyond in Denver, we sit down with Joe Levy, CEO of Sophos, and Scott Barlow, Global Head of MSP and Chief Evangelist, to explore what it truly takes to scale in today’s dynamic cybersecurity landscape. With over a decade of experience each at Sophos, Joe and Scott share how...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Christopher Jones, National Vice President of Partner Channels at GTT , to unpack how he’s leading a bold transformation of the company’s indirect strategy. From restructuring roles to removing internal silos, Chris shares how GTT is redesigning everything around one principle: making it easier and more rewarding, for pa...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when someone who’s lived the frustrations of the MSP world gets the keys to build a global program from scratch? You get Dave Meister’s approach - pragmatic, partner-first, and built to remove the red tape that vendors too often impose. In this episode, Dave Meister, Global Head of MSP & MSSP Channel at Check Point , joins us to share how his deep MSP background s...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Partnerships Unraveled, we’re joined by two heavyweights of channel innovation - Scott Frew and Nick Verykios, serial entrepreneurs and the masterminds behind multiple successful distribution ventures . From building businesses like Distribution Central and One World Systems to their current work with iAsset , they’ve seen firsthand how the channel has evolved, and mo...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Partnerships Unraveled, we sit down with Mark Conley, North America Channel Chief at Cohesity, for a masterclass in navigating complexity, leading with clarity, and scaling through channel commitment. With decades of experience across industry giants like NetApp, Capgemini, and now Cohesity, Mark shares t he foundational “Four Truths” that shape enduring partner relat...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we dive into the career journey and channel philosophy of Ty Smith, founder of Optical Diversity Telecom and 2023 Channel Manager of the Year at Intellisys. From redefining what it means to be a proactive channel leader to launching his own agency, Ty brings unmatched insights from the trenches of indirect sales and partner enablement. W...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Alex Walsh, Channel Alliances Director for Veeam UK & Ireland , to explore what it takes to lead in a 100% channel-driven business. With over eight years at Veeam and a clear trajectory of growth, Alex shares the leadership philosophies, cultural principles, and executional discipline that have helped him and his tea...

Send us Fan Mail What does it take to overhaul a 20-year-old partner program at one of the most channel-centric companies in the world? In this episode, we dive into Cisco’s monumental redesign of its global partner ecosystem with Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, VP of Cisco’s Partner Program, and Jason W. Gallo, VP of Value Acceleration. Together, they unpack why Cisco is reimagining everything - from par...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Luxy Thuraisingam - scientist by training, storyteller by instinct, and a force in tech marketing to unpack what it really takes to build winning channel strategies for the SMB space. Luxy brings 20 years of experience across B2B, B2C, and B2B2C, revealing why SMBs deserve more than a hand-me-down enterprise strategy. We...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Chad Dowlen, Senior Director of North American Channels at Dell Technologies, to unpack one of the most remarkable channel transformations in tech history. With over two decades at Dell and 17 years in the channel trenches, Chad offers a firsthand account of the company’s pivot from a direct-only model to becoming a glob...

Send us Fan Mail This week on Partnerships Unraveled , we’re joined by Hans Nipshagen, longtime Akamai channel leader and incoming VP of Channel at edge data center company Enlighten, for a masterclass in scaling new logo acquisition through the channel. Hans shares how he rebuilt Akamai’s EMEA partner ecosystem from the ground up , prioritizing quality over quantity and zeroing in on the right pa...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we dive into the remarkable journey of SentinelOne's channel evolution with Brian Kroneman, AVP of Global Programs and Strategy. From the moment SentinelOne declared itself 100% channel-led, Brian has been instrumental in turning that bold promise into a scalable, data-driven reality. We unpack how building for partners from day one...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we dive deep into how AI is not just another tech trend but a fundamental shift that’s redefining the future of work, especially within the channel. We’re joined by David Rozzio, Worldwide Head of Commercial Computing at HP, to explore what the rise of AI PCs (AIPCs) means for partners, end users, and the entire technology ecosystem. Dav...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Addie Finch, VP of Channels, Americas at Cato Networks, whose journey from TV news anchor to channel leader offers a masterclass in the power of messaging and relationship-driven strategy. Addie shares how her background in broadcast journalism gave her an edge in distilling complex solutions into clear, compelling narra...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we dive deep into the evolving world of distribution and partner strategy with Patrícia Cabrera Perez, Head of Distribution for EMEA at Gigamon. With over two decades of experience spanning LATAM and EMEA, Patrícia brings a unique, heartfelt perspective on the power of channel partnerships , grounded in trust, strategy, and adaptability....

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Julius Berger, Senior Director and Head of Corporate Mid-Market at Fujitsu (soon to be Fsas Technology), for a candid and deeply insightful conversation on what it really takes to evolve a channel strategy , especially when it means saying goodbye to the familiar. Julius shares the story behind Fujitsu’s strategic pivot...

Send us Fan Mail Heather Harlos, Global Programs Enablement & Go-to-Market Leader at Proofpoint, joins Partnerships Unraveled to break down the strategies that truly empower partners and remove friction from the sales process. In this episode, Heather shares why Proofpoint made the uncommon decision to position its channel programs under sales instead of marketing and why it’s paying off. She...

Send us Fan Mail What do journalism and channel sales have in common? More than you might think. In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Steven Kiernan, EMEA Sales Leader at Omdia, to explore his unconventional journey from B2B journalism to leading sales at one of the most respected partner ecosystem research firms. Steven shares how storytelling, trust, and deep listening sk...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled , we sit down with Matt O’Leary, Head of M&A and Strategic Partnerships at 1Password, to explore what it takes to hire, build, and scale successful partnerships. With experience at Shopify, entrepreneurship, and product management, Matt shares why skills alone aren’t enough energy, curiosity, and adaptability are the real drivers of su...