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.

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Chapters - 

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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.

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Highlights - 

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• Balancing demanding career and non-career pursuits with a mountaineer

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Louise McEvoy shares insights on transforming the channel at Trend Micro. She also talks about her passion for mountain climbing and her experience climbing Mount Everest. Louise discusses the challenges of balancing a demanding career with her mountain climbing pursuits. She describes the support she receives from her employer, including flexible time off and trust in her ability to manage her responsibilities. Louise credits this support for allowing her to pursue her passion without disrupting her work.    

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• Transforming a channel through relationships and ecosystems

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Louise describes her journey in the channel, transitioning from marketing to sales and management. She emphasizes the importance of building relationships and fostering mutual appreciation in the workplace.  

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• Unlearning traditional channel models and adopting new strategies for value creation

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Louise emphasizes the need for evolution in the channel, moving beyond transactional reselling. She suggests that partners can offer more value-added services, such as migration, risk management, and cyber insurance. Louise also discusses reconceptualizing value drivers, visibility, and metrics in channel marketing. Kelly adds that key themes include reconciling outdated playbooks, addressing the lack of visibility, and realigning metrics.  

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• Transforming business models in the tech industry

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Louise emphasizes the importance of focusing on core deliverables and eliminating non-essential tasks to drive growth. Kelly Sarabyn highlights the need for companies to adapt to changing market conditions and transform their partner programs to drive value. Louise describes a three-pronged approach to evolving partnerships, combining traditional, transformational, and blue ocean strategies. She explains that the middle layer of partners will migrate from traditional to transformational approaches, while large partners will transform to remain competitive in the market.  

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• Partner strategy, executive buy-in, and market shifts

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Asher and Louise discuss blue ocean strategy, executive buy-in, and stakeholder alignment. Louise emphasizes the importance of securing buy-in from the finance team for a new business model, while Asher underscores the necessity of adapting to changing customer needs and behaviors.  

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• Leveraging marketplaces for ISVs to resell products without embedding another ISV's product

Asher suggests leveraging the resale concept for ISVs, projecting a potential revenue increase of 20-30%. Louise raises concerns about the complexity of training and alignment necessary for implementing this model.   

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• Marketplaces, bundling, and corporate sponsorship

Louise explains how ISVs can integrate with marketplaces using platform-agnostic approaches. Asher notes that while large companies like SAP excel with ISV programs, smaller firms may struggle. He predicts marketplaces will evolve into new app stores with bundled solutions. Louise recommends a bundled approach with a services layer for selling complementary solutions. Asher cites Amazon's model, including Amazon Business and its large-company procurement ties. Louise discusses Enterprise Discount Programs and Enterprise Value Programs in marketplaces, underscoring their intricate management requirements.  

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• Modern partnership leadership competencies and evolution of roles

Asher emphasizes that modern channel leaders require a broad range of competencies, highlighting the importance of influence and relationship building. Louise agrees, adding that staying informed about market trends and tools is crucial for effective leadership in the channel. Together, they discuss the evolution of the Chief Partnership Officer role, acknowledging its growing complexity and strategic importance in today's business landscape.  

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• Prioritizing tasks and staying informed in a busy work environment

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Asher prioritizes daily workouts while overseeing corporate strategy, revenue goals, and team dynamics. Louise stays informed about AI and cybersecurity trends to educate partners, focusing on stakeholder alignment for effective partnership leadership. She maintains personal well-being through daily exercise and goal-setting, organizing her day around driving revenue growth, developing partner programs, and advancing team capabilities. Louise strategically uses events and one-on-ones to achieve significant progress across the company and teams.  

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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.

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Key Quotes-

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“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

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"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

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