Channel Focus 2025

Agenda

Tuesday, October 7th

Time TBD

Time TBD

Women’s Leadership Council Meeting

Welcome Event

Wednesday, October 8th

7:30-8:15 AM

Breakfast

8:15-9:15 AM

Opening Keynote

The Revolution Begins

AI is set to transform partner engagement across the industry.

Join four of the leading voices in the channel as they discuss the profound impact AI will have on the future of partner relationships and business strategies.

Joe Sykora

SVP and GM Americas, Coro Cybersecurity

Andrew Kisslo

SVP Global Partner Marketing, SAP

Jim Anderson

VP, NA Partner Ecosystem & Channels, Google

Alyssa Fitzpatrick

Global VP Partner Sales, Elastic

Track 1

The Channel Executive Council Track

Sessions chosen and managed by the CEC – the Industry’s most powerful Group of Channel leaders

Track 2

Improving Channel Performance

Programs that make a difference

Track 3

Channel Strategy and Tactics

9:30-10:10 AM

Session 01

Greg Bucyk

VP of Strategic Partners and Alliances, Hitachi Vantara

Session 02

Speakers Coming Soon…

Session 03

Louise McEvoy

Vice President, US Channel, Trend Micro

10:10-10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:35-11:15 AM

Session 04

AI will radically alter the skills you need. What are the new skills that will turbo charge your career? 3 CEC members share what they will require from their team members.

Larissa Crandall

Global Vice President of Channel and Alliances, New Relic

Crystal Ferreira

Head of Global Channels, Logitech

Kimberly King

Chief Partner Officer, PTC

Gretchen O’Hara

VP WW Partners and Alliances

Splunk A Cisco Company

Session 05

Building a deal registration system that works for you and your partners.

Jeff McCullough

VP NA Sales, NetAlly

Scott Goree

SVP Partners and Alliances, Optiv

Derek Nowak

VP Channel Partnerships, Docusign

Session 06

Ethan Fitzsimons

SVP Partnerships and Commercial Sales, Cloud Software Group

11:20-12:20 PM

Breakouts 01

Your choice of 12 different sessions

Ask the experts – In these small group sessions a panel of 3 expert practitioners answer your questions and share their expertise to help you build industry leading programs

The Ask the expert Breakouts – What does it take to – 

1.Implement AI into your partner program

2. Increase partner sourced revenue

3. Build the next step – Moving from partners signed to partners bringing in deals

4. Build an effective incentive program

5. Build an MSP program

6. Build a program when you are not one of your partners biggest vendors

The Discussion Workshops – A Real Opportunity to Debate These Issues 

7. How do you selectively recruit partners to tackle specific markets?

8. How do you leverage AI to change your partner engagement?

9. How do you build an effective co-sell program?

10. How do you Leveraging Social to promote partner strategy?

11. How do you develop metrics that satisfy all your key stakeholders?

12. How do you build a relationship with major partners like CDW and Insight?

12:20-1:50 PM

Special Lunch Session

The Inside Scoop

How do you effectively work with Hyperscalers?

Colleen Kapase

VP Channels and Partner Programs, Google

1:50-2:50 PM

The Quickfire Sessions

4 Jaw Dropping AI Use Cases You Have to See

4 experts take 15 minutes each to share how they are integrating the very latest AI into their Channel Strategy

2:55-3:35 PM

Session 07

What does it take to make the case for a new investment?

Lisa Citron

VP Global Channels, F5

Dave Guzzi

Vice President, Global Partner Scale, Intel

Frank Rauch

Global Channel Chief

Rachel Tuller

VP Global Channels, Autodesk

Session 08

Speakers Coming Soon…

Session 09

John Polly

VP Sales, Global Channels and Alliances, Thales

Chris Millerick

WW VP Partner Sales, Infoblox

3:35-3:55 PM

Networking Break

3:55-4:55 PM

Breakouts 02

Ask the experts – In these small group sessions a panel of 3 expert practitioners answer your questions and share their expertise to help you build industry leading programs

The Ask the expert Breakouts – What does it take to – 

1.Implement AI into your partner program

2. Increase partner sourced revenue

3. Build the next step – Moving from partners signed to partners bringing in deals

4. Build an effective incentive program

5. Build an MSP program

6. Build a program when you are not one of your partners biggest vendors

The Discussion Workshops – A Real Opportunity to Debate These Issues 

7. How do you selectively recruit partners to tackle specific markets?

8. How do you leverage AI to change your partner engagement?

9. How do you build an effective co-sell program?

10. How do you Leveraging Social to promote partner strategy?

11. How do you develop metrics that satisfy all your key stakeholders?

12. How do you build a relationship with major partners like CDW and Insight?

5:00-5:55 PM

Evening Panel

The Latest Thinking on Distribution

A panel of very different distributors debate where and how to best use distribution.

6:00-7:00 PM

Club Next Meeting – Invitation Only

7:00 PM

Women’s Leadership Council Awards Gala Dinner and Channel Leadership Awards

Cocktail attire – Everyone welcome

Thursday, October 9th

7:30-8:15 AM

Breakfast

8:15-9:15 AM

Keynote

The Economy Matters

What’s really happening and how will it affect your company, your budgets and the way your CFO views the Channel   

Track 1

The Channel Executive Council Track

Sessions chosen and managed by the CEC – the Industry’s most powerful Group of Channel leaders

Track 2

Improving Channel Performance

Programs that make a difference

Track 3

Channel Strategy and Tactics

9:25-10:05 AM

Session 10

Andrew Kisslo

SVP Global Partner Marketing, SAP

Louise McEvoy

Vice President, US Channel, Trend Micro

Larissa Crandall

Global Vice President of Channel and Alliances, New Relic

Michael DePalma

VP Business Development, OpenText

Session 11

Our panel shares what is really working today

Speakers Coming Soon…

Session 12

We all talk about it but what does it mean and how do we implement an ecosystem strategy?

Tom Evans

Chief Partner Officer, Cloud Flare

Rachel Tuller

VP Global Channels, Autodesk

10:10-10:30 AM

Networking Break

10:35-11:15 AM

Session 13

Creating a structure where the two can work together

Speakers Coming Soon…

Session 14

Frank Rauch

Global Channel Chief

Dani Pickens

VP Channel Sales, Xcitium

John Muscarella

VP Channel Sales, Cox

Dave Allen

VP Channels, Akamai

Guy Cunningham

Head of Global Channels, Authentic8

Session 15

Chris Jones

National Vice President Partner Channel, Americas, GTT

11:20-12:20 PM

Breakouts 03

Ask the experts – In these small group sessions a panel of 3 expert practitioners answer your questions and share their expertise to help you build industry leading programs

The Ask the expert Breakouts – What does it take to – 

1.Implement AI into your partner program

2. Increase partner sourced revenue

3. Build the next step – Moving from partners signed to partners bringing in deals

4. Build an effective incentive program

5. Build an MSP program

6. Build a program when you are not one of your partners biggest vendors

The Discussion Workshops – A Real Opportunity to Debate These Issues 

7. How do you selectively recruit partners to tackle specific markets?

8. How do you leverage AI to change your partner engagement?

9. How do you build an effective co-sell program?

10. How do you Leveraging Social to promote partner strategy?

11. How do you develop metrics that satisfy all your key stakeholders?

12. How do you build a relationship with major partners like CDW and Insight?

12:20-12:50 PM

Meet The Sponsors

Your chance to connect with our amazing sponsors

12:50-1:50 PM

Lunch Session

The CEC and Club Next Reports

Joe Sykora

SVP and GM Americas, Coro Cybersecurity

Micheal McCollough

Global Vice President Channel Sales, Anomali

Andrew Marsee

General Manager, Intel Partner Alliance, Intel

Pablo Onnias

Global Senior Director, Channel Partner Programs & GTMs, Akamai

1:50-2:30 PM

Session 16

There’s a new breed of partners – what will they want from their vendors? 

Louise McEvoy

Vice President, US Channel, Trend Micro

Session 17

A panel discusses what will be required.

Speakers Coming Soon…

Session 18

Joe Sykora

SVP and GM Americas, Coro Cybersecurity

2:35-3:35 PM

Breakouts 04

Ask the experts – In these small group sessions a panel of 3 expert practitioners answer your questions and share their expertise to help you build industry leading programs

The Ask the expert Breakouts – What does it take to – 

1.Implement AI into your partner program

2. Increase partner sourced revenue

3. Build the next step – Moving from partners signed to partners bringing in deals

4. Build an effective incentive program

5. Build an MSP program

6. Build a program when you are not one of your partners biggest vendors

The Discussion Workshops – A Real Opportunity to Debate These Issues 

7. How do you selectively recruit partners to tackle specific markets?

8. How do you leverage AI to change your partner engagement?

9. How do you build an effective co-sell program?

10. How do you Leveraging Social to promote partner strategy?

11. How do you develop metrics that satisfy all your key stakeholders?

12. How do you build a relationship with major partners like CDW and Insight?

3:35-3:50 PM

Networking Break

3:55-4:55 PM

The Quickfire Sessions

Thinking Outside The Box

4 experts take 15 minutes each to share the radical new strategies they have implemented in their channel program

4:55-5:15 PM

Concluding Remarks

The Channel Focus Benchmark Survey Results

What Really Matters to Vendors and Partners

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