Women Of The Channel 2021: Power 60 Solution Providers
As part of the 2021 Women of the Channel, CRN is highlighting 60 female executives at solution provider organizations whose insight and influence in their respective companies help drive channel success.
Power 60 Solution Providers
CRN’s annual Women of the Channel list honors the accomplishments of female executives within the channel. For the eighth straight year, the project is highlighting an elite subset of female executives at solution provider organizations whose insight and influence in their respective companies help drive channel success.
For more Women of the Channel coverage, check out the Power 100 list of high-profile vendor channel executives. You can also see the full listing of the 2021 Women of the Channel in our searchable database.
By Company:
Dawn Sizer
CEO
3rd Element Consulting
Sizer educated a few thousand MSPs on how to do business with local and state government and law enforcement agencies as a speaker with ASCII (Success Summits). She also educated MSPs at The Channel Company’s XChange on acquiring and retaining talent and is mentoring up-and-coming female employees.
Cindy Manley
VP, Operations
Advizex Technologies
Manley streamlined Advizex’s product order entry process so it is integrated with Salesforce. This was a years-long challenge that she finally conquered, building it out in a way that meets needs across the company. She has also have taken on a larger role in forecasting to improve profit margins and drive pricing improvements.
Daniella Lundsberg-Steele
VP, Marketing
American Digital
Lundsberg-Steele nurtured American Digital’s relationship with HPE leadership and its global marketing team. She successfully completed HPE’s Digital Marketing Accreditation Program and is part of the company’s Marketing Hall of Fame. Working with HPE and American Digital’s marketing team resulted in the highest level of marketing certification with HPE.
Jaime Waterfield
Chief Revenue Officer
Apex Digital Solutions
Waterfield has led several go-to-market initiatives to bolster Apex’s brand, portfolio and pipeline, including acceptance into exclusive partner programs for Meetings Rooms and Security, co-selling with Microsoft to drive Teams adoption, and promotion of Apex’s offers through Microsoft’s marketplace for customers.
Lorraine Azzinaro
COO
Aspire Technology Partners
Azzinaro collaborated with channel partners to support Aspire Technology Partners’ rapidly expanding annuity business. She also championed the customer success team and actively participated in Ingram Micro’s Trust X Alliance Large Employer Group.
Elizabeth Kubycheck
Chief Marketing, Administrative Officer
ATSG
Kubycheck’s approach to driving demand into ATSG and its partners is through a focus on the entire channel life cycle and by enabling deal registration, sales operations, finance, sales and marketing to work together for better support. Her role affords her insight into how programs impact the entire organization, not just those that are on the front lines.
Maryann Pagano
CEO
BlackHawk Data
Pagano notes that it’s all about connections. She is part of Fortinet’s Executive Council and was asked to participate in the company’s 20th anniversary video. BlackHawk also was asked to take part in the Cisco X-Sell Program, and Arista picked the solution provider to be its Professional Services Go to Partner.
Renée Lawrence
Director, Sales, Marketing
Burwood Group
Over the past year, Lawrence has been responsible for marketing, sales and customer success management for Burwood’s managed services and as-a-service solutions. She has worked with partners to promote and sell Burwood’s managed services as well as to continually improve service delivery for the best possible customer experience.
Gina Thompson
VP, Cloud, Carrier Operations
Carousel Industries
Revenue and growth goals were exceeded last year partially due to the building, structuring and standardization of a scalable business model that Thompson and her team executed. The implementation of partner support programs, continued alignment improvement with partners, providing customer success-obsessed support and increasing efficiencies all contributed to success.
Kelly Ireland
Founder, CEO
CBT
CBT’s accomplishments in 2020 were directly based on the investment Ireland made in CBT over four years ago, specifically with IoT and the OT-IT convergence being the next frontier. She pivoted CBT’s focus to concentrate on those segments, and it has paid off by enabling it to be prepared for business needs during the pandemic.
Alyssa Hall
VP, Marketing, Business Development
CDI
As CDI continues to grow, both organically and through acquisitions, the number of partners with whom it works multiplies. Hall launched CDI’s new security practice and on-boarded over 20 partners in that segment as well as integrated and added many more partnerships that had to be combined from acquisitions.
Tera Davis
Co-Founder, Co-Owner, Managing Director
Critical Start
In the past year, Davis has cultivated mutually beneficial relationships with Critical Start’s strategic business partners, helping the company increase year-over-year revenue by over 50 percent in FY2021. She has also participated in partner advisory councils for key vendors to provide input on how to improve their programs.
Cherie Gartner
VP, Head of Strategic Partners, Cloud, Infrastructure
Cognizant
Gartner’s accomplishments this past year included a step change in thinking, acting, building and managing partnerships during this new normal to drive a mindset and culture change. She demonstrated agility and resilience by building key programs focused on business outcomes, which has accelerated Cognizant’s ability to innovate, differentiate and stay relevant.
Haley Montgomery
Director, Marketing
Corsica Technologies
Montgomery led her team to a 700 percent increase in qualified appointments for Corsica’s sales team. She helped build a strategic, data-driven team and processes from scratch, creating the company’s first inbound and social campaigns, all in the middle of a pandemic.
Sonia St. Charles
CEO
Davenport Group
As a member of Dell Technologies’ Partner Advisory Board, St. Charles has the opportunity to engage with Dell to improve channel strategies that impact all partners. She says that she values Davenport Group’s exclusive partnership with Dell Technologies and believes that the relationship positively impacts customers and advances the channel business and the channel itself.
Tanya Hall
Director, Marketing, Partner Programs
Decisive Technologies
In 2020, Hall launched a new branding logo and design for sister company BriteSky Technologies. This involved working with key partners to be able to tell their story while repositioning the product line, creating brand awareness and focusing on driving new leads and awareness.
Linda Ford
VP, Marketing
DynTek Services
Ford works closely with DynTek’s sales leaders, technical team and strategic partners to create marketing and sales support plans to develop new offerings, increase customer satisfaction, generate new leads and drive accretive growth.
Julie Haley
Co-Founder, CEO
Edge Solutions
With Haley’s direction, Edge Solutions has added 10 new channel vendors in the past year. Traditionally, the company’s channel partners have been data center- and storage-focused, but now the company is growing its networking and security offerings in response to customer needs. Haley also diversified distribution channel relationships, adding the benefit of competition and expanded offerings.
Jennifer Mazzanti
eMazzanti Technologies
CEO
Mazzanti launched a hiring initiative that prioritizes multiple language skills in the hiring process for technical positions. The initiative supports immigration, diversity, globalization and higher education while building a staff that provides better customer support.
Jeanne Michele Miller
President
Ener Systems
Miller was able to use her channel connections to keep customers supplied with the technology they needed quickly when switching to a remote work force. As a woman-owned business, she earned certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise through WBENC.
Rita Barry
Global Public Cloud Alliances Lead
Ensono
Within the past year, Barry successfully on-boarded Ensono into invite-only partner programs where it is measured by revenue, pushing the company to being a top partner with both AWS and Microsoft Azure. She has also managed awards and competencies such as the AWS Migration Competency.
Tanya Wills
Sr. Director, Channels, Alliances
Ensono
Wills leveraged key relationships in the channel, specifically public cloud with Microsoft, as Ensono builds out its cloud practice and execution. She is driving strategy, partner field alignment and partner marketing to drive leads for the business.
Karen Penticost
VP, Development, Operations
Envision Technology Advisors
Penticost has been focused on vendor relations, partnerships and operations. In 2019, she started a Massachusetts-based networking group for women called “Women Of Massachusetts Engagement Network” (W.O.M.E.N) to bring together other like-minded, inspiring and positive women in the local community.
Mari Rodish
CFO
Evotek
As CFO, Rodish runs Evotek’s financial functions, legal, human resources and operations. 2020 was a year of continued financial growth for Evotek, and Rodish led the team in opening several foreign subsidiaries as well as closing its first acquisition. All of these resulted in the expanded leverage of channel partnerships.
Andrea Wolff
Director, Professional Services
Evotek
Wolff’s work ethic is the single most influential attribute to support the company’s success and hyper-growth. Her passion for quality, bias for action and genuine interest in doing what’s right for the customer— and for the business—contributes directly to Evotek’s bottom line.
Britta Butler
VP, Sales
GTS Technology Solutions
Butler established a companywide plan around methodical growth with a strategic set of manufacturer partners. She was able to leverage these channel partnerships specifically to meet customers’ needs in the face of the pandemic, resulting in unprecedented growth for GTS and its channel partners.
Kelly Nuckolls
VP, Marketing, Alliances
InfoSystems
As customers rely on InfoSystems to advise on and provide the best-in-class tools to accomplish complex business objectives, Nuckolls focused her energy on identifying optimal solution sets for the target market, intervolved from multiple service providers and OEM partners, and ensuring the ROI is clear for prospective customers.
Megan Amdahl
SVP, Partner Alliances, Operations, North America
Insight Enterprises
Amdahl led the integration of PCM, Insight’s largest acquisition to date, successfully on-boarding 32,000 customers and 2,000 teammates. She also oversees Insight’s integration and distribution centers, which were fully operational during the pandemic, and implemented safety protocols that curtailed any spread of the coronavirus there.
Brenda Hudson
SVP Commercial Sales, Sales Enablement, Learning, Development
Insight Enterprises
Hudson created a go-to-market strategy, sales motion and enablement tools to ignite inside sales for Insight, resulting in both sequential and double-digit year-over-year growth for three straight years and budget achievement. Some of Insight’s key partners have consistently delivered accretive results due to its partnership, programs and collaboration.
Joyce Mullen
President, Insight North America
Insight Enterprises
The disruptions of 2020 fueled an urgency to rethink how organizations connect with their customers and workforce. This fundamental need for transformation led Mullen to Insight, which she says is uniquely positioned for this moment.
Amy Protexter
SVP, Marketing
Insight Enterprises
When COVID-19 forced rapid changes, Protexter led Insight’s pivot to digital engagement, orchestrating 60 percent more traffic to insight.com and $1.78 billion from e-commerce. Her emphasis on a global “serve don’t sell” tenet to marketers and communicators reassured customers of Insight’s purpose to co-navigate the crisis together.
Annalea Ilg
Chief Information Security Officer
Involta
Ilg joined Involta to spearhead a robust and comprehensive security program as the company transitioned from colocation to hybrid IT services. Over the past two years, she has led efforts to successfully partner with a leading managed detection and response partner, Alert Logic, and created an internal 24x7 Security Operations Center.
Maryam Mohammadi
VP, Operations, Projects
IT Management
Mohammadi was able to work with manufacturer partners to set up successful and important marketing programs that provide excellent ROI. She thinks outside the box to develop promotional items, ideas and programs with these partners to reinforce and strengthen customer relationships.
Mary Beth Henning
Sr. Director, Quality, Continuous Improvement
Logicalis US
Henning helped drive the transformation of Logicalis’ services culture from a siloed organization to a cross-functional team focused on quality and continuous improvement. This shift has been driven by different initiatives including business analytics, continuous improvement education, IT service management, quality governance and organizational change management.
Jessica Soqui
Director, Infrastructure Services
Logicalis
In the past year, Soqui improved alignment with Logicalis’ practice and pre-sales organizations through a reorganization of her team. She moved from a regional approach to a technology-focused approach that enables the company to better position its offerings to meet business goals.
Sarah Morreau
SVP
Long View Systems
Morreau evolved SYNC Up Managed Services for software asset management with revenue tripling year over year. She also championed the development of Long View’s own cloud optimization application and supported the rollout to customers.
Marie Ashway
Director, Marketing
Mainline Information Systems
Ashway planned and led the execution of Mainline’s digital marketing strategy, driving pipeline and sales that resulted in Mainline breaking a $1 billion revenue ceiling. Her expertise in digital marketing and virtual events allowed sales to progress opportunities in an uncertain year.
Brenda Stallings
CEO
Matrix Integration
Stallings is actively involved in a networking group consisting of companies like-minded in size, scope and future growth. Sharing key company data and metrics to continue the growth of Matrix Integration year over year has been critical. Stallings supported 2020 growth by implementing a COVID-19 Rapid Recovery Plan with weekly cadence to stay on track.
Susan Kozak
CEO
MNJ Technologies
Many plans and projections for the company and channel for 2020 needed to rapidly change due to the pandemic. Kozak immediately assessed and addressed what the company, team and customers needed to quickly adapt and stay safe. Her action and leadership helped drive 20 percent growth and new hires in the past year.
Kelly Jones
President, COO
NetGain Information Systems
In her dual role as a top solution provider executive and the president of Ingram Micro’s Trust X Alliance , Jones was in a unique position to help the distributor and its vendors understand the needs of service providers. These larger channel partners have great resources that can be shared (e.g., diversity and inclusion, dealing with COVID-19)—they just need to be asked.
Julie Talbot-Hubbard
SVP, Cyber Protection, Identity
Optiv Security
Talbot-Hubbard partnered with Optiv’s top identity and data partners to create joint solutions—their product paired with services that solve customers’ most critical security problems. She and her team then positioned, closed and delivered over $36 million in services (partner products).
Kelly Sutton
VP, Service Delivery
Peak UpTime
Over the past year, Sutton developed new processes for both communications to our Peak UpTime’s clients and internal processes surrounding client interactions. As a result, by year end, its Customer Satisfaction Score and Net Promotor Score increased. She also diversified the company’s UC and Networking portfolios to include new vendors and product offerings it could tap to provide a seamless transition from the office to work from home.
Liza Sisler
Partner Marketing, Alliances Director
Perficient
Sisler leads a newly formed combined alliances and partner marketing team within Perficient. Centralizing alliances and marketing while removing additional decision points allowed the team to drive economies of scale for program support and increased speed to market for partner-focused solutions. The team also was able to facilitate cross-partner collaboration and enable fast adoption of best practices.
Amy Williams
Owner, CEO
Pier Group
Williams guided Pier Group’s vendor and distributor relationships in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on customers. This included expanding net terms, developing new offerings to meet the shift to remote learning, and creating processes to allow for safe execution of on-site engagements.
Vanessa Simmons
SVP, Business Development
Pythian
2020 was a strong year for Pythian despite COVID-19, particularly with its key go-to-market Google Cloud partnership. On Simmons’ recommendation, Pythian added Google resell capabilities and acquired Agosto to accelerate and increase that business. The company achieved Google Cloud Data Management Specialization and coveted Google Cloud MSP status.
Sara Siddiqui
Manager, Partner Alliances
Red River Technology
In a year of challenges, Siddiqui worked with strategic partners to realign Red River’s alliance and channel strategy to meet customers’ new needs. Red River was rewarded in two ways: with substantial year-over-year growth and with several industry and partner awards, including Partner of the Year honors.
JuliAn Coy
Principal Partner
RSM US
Two years ago, led by Coy, RSM acquired Explore Consulting, the firm that had converted her from an accountant into a technology executive 12 years earlier. The integration role she has played with this M&A this past year has dramatically accelerated RSM’s success footprint in the Oracle + NetSuite channel.
Narine Galstian
CMO
SADA
Galstain led the rebranding of 20-year-old SADA, repositioning it as a leading MSP and Google Cloud partner. She oversaw channel marketing and strategic alliances, leading the channel initiative with master agents to drive additional revenue. She also led the launch of a new SaaS Alliance Program, providing opportunities for customers to become partners.
Deborah Bannworth
SVP, Partner Alliances, Inside Sales, Services
Sirius Computer Solutions
Bannworth and her team of partner alliances managers engage with Sirius’ numerous channel partners to maintain and grow Sirius’ successful position in the channel. Her success is reflected in strong sales amid the pandemic and restrictions on face-to-face meetings with customers and partners.
Ashley Gaare
President, North America
SoftwareOne North America
Gaare is responsible for aligning and empowering the North American organization’s success. She leads the optimization of the sales and channel structure and delivery teams supporting the successful execution of the company’s solutions and vendor relationships. She also contributes to Women in Technology and drives diversity and inclusion initiatives throughout the organization.
Megan Moore
Director of Strategic Programs
Sterling
Moore has well-established relationships with the industry’s top manufacturers and distributors to help push the business forward. She attends industry events, works with partners and key stakeholders with strategic go-to-market strategies and collaborates with the technical teams to complete important certifications the industry offers.
Mindy Schweitzer
Director, Marketing
Sterling
Schweitzer has developed and executed multifaceted marketing campaigns that promote technology solutions to specific vertical audiences. In addition to the campaigns, she has established relationships with the industry’s top manufacturers.
Marivi Stuchinsky
EVP, Chief Transformation Officer
Technologent
Stuchinsky was able to transform the organization into a high-performing team by establishing mature delivery processes that include digital portals, workflows and automated tools and instrumentation. She streamlined operations, which allowed Technologent to deliver best-in-class technology solutions to customers.
Bonnie Luton
VP, Business Alliances
TeraMach Technologies
TeraMach’s “partners” are often only seen as those in its vendor community. One of Luton’s focus areas this year was on building a stronger bridge between distribution partners and the team leveraging their strengths to augment TeraMach’s own and their tools to help streamline processes.
Dawn McCale
VP, Sales
Trace3
McCale’s sales organization achieved record growth in 2020. Her team grew their revenue number by 34 percent year over year and accounted for over 70 percent of the company’s revenue. With their partner community, her team delivered innovative solutions to solve their customers’ most demanding business challenges.
Andrea Wolf
Executive Director, Strategic Accounts
Trace3
Wolf has been instrumental in building solutions around Trace3’s offering but especially in emerging areas of AI/ML, innovative IT infrastructure solutions and cybersecurity for Trace3’s most strategic accounts around health care. She has driven innovative solutions with her team and married them with Trace3’s OEM partners’ and customers’ business needs.
Wendy Goins
Director, Marketing
Veristor
Over the past year, Goins significantly increased marketing funding from industry-leading technology partners in an effort to drive collaborative marketing strategies—from events to demand generation. Through this effort she has expanded and strengthened key strategic partnerships while delivering a regular cadence of marketing activity.
Jackie Groark
VP, Security, CISO
Veristor
Groark expanded the company’s security solutions and services practice to embrace the innovative security products of over 80 vendor partners. Under her guidance, Veristor saw 50 percent growth in 2020 for its security business as it furthers offerings that protect businesses from cybersecurity threats and risk.
Sara Goellner
VP, Chief of Staff
World Wide Technology
Goellner leads WWT’s effort to digitize its Advanced Technology Center experience for customers and partners in the Advanced Technology Center platform. She aligns sales, marketing, engineering and services teams to represent WWT through the company’s experience, thought leadership and on-demand lab capabilities, creating a world-class digital experience and enabling acceleration.
Kim Chau
VP, GM, Marketing
Zones
Chau restructured the marketing team to create a marketing engine to programmatically generate qualified leads and accelerate opportunities to revenue contribution. She led the team to implement full-funnel marketing campaigns methodology focusing on the customer journey and built a partner marketing function to leverage data analytics.