Ep 27 | Transforming Partnerships in a Digital World: Evolving Strategies, Aligning Teams and Staying Focused Through Change

On this episode of the Unlearn Podcast, hosts Asher and Kelly connect with Louise McEvoy, Vice President of US Channel Sales at Trend Micro. Louise shares her insights on building channel programs while balancing a demanding career with her passion for mountain climbing. The discussion covers topics such as obtaining executive buy-in for new models, modernizing competencies for channel leaders, and prioritizing tasks as a busy executive. The speakers explore adapting to changing market conditions, rethinking success metrics, and focusing on revenue growth, program development, and team support amid industry transformations. This conversation provides valuable perspectives on the challenges and opportunities facing partnership executives in today's digital landscape.  

Chapters - 

00:00 - Balancing demanding career and non-career pursuits with a mountaineer.

06:20 - Transforming a channel through relationships and ecosystems.

10:06 - Unlearning traditional channel models and adopting new strategies for value creation.

15:55 - Transforming business models in the tech industry.

20:34 - Partner strategy, executive buy-in, and market shifts.

26:26 - Leveraging marketplaces for ISVs to resell products without embedding another ISV's product.

31:21 - Marketplaces, bundling, and corporate sponsorship.

38:06 - Modern partnership leadership competencies and evolution of roles.

46:40 - Prioritizing tasks and staying informed in a busy work environment.

Key Takeaways - 

• In transforming business models, obtaining executive buy-in is crucial to mitigate disruptions across departments that may not align with the new direction.

• The evolution of partnership leadership roles now includes a broader spectrum of competencies, including influence, relationship building, and staying abreast of emerging market trends and tools.

• Effective strategies were discussed for achieving work-life balance by leveraging employer support, such as flexible time off and a culture of trust in employees.

• In modernizing channel models, speakers highlighted the effectiveness of combining traditional, transformational, and blue ocean strategies to adapt to evolving market conditions.

• Insightful techniques were shared for executives to prioritize tasks, focusing on areas such as revenue growth, program development, and team support.

Key Quotes-

“It's crucial to prioritize collaboration with finance teams and ensure they're well-informed. Finance teams can benefit from a deeper understanding of our business operations. Taking an operational approach and working closely with them to clarify processes is essential for seamless workflow. This clarity helps prevent future support challenges and enhances overall efficiency."  - Asher Mathew

"Regarding ISVs, I see the value in integrating with their ecosystems. Take Trend Micro, for instance. We offer a unified platform with various modules and services. For customers using platforms that lack certain security aspects, our integrations with ISVs provide seamless extensions rather than requiring a complete overhaul. This approach avoids the complexity of enabling multiple products and ensures efficient integration that simply works." - Louise McEvoy