Tia Garaas | channel program communications manager
“CRN’s 2020 Women of the Channel list recognizes an accomplished group of influential women leaders whose strategic vision and unique achievements accelerate channel growth through cultivated partnerships, innovative thought leadership, and unwavering dedication to the IT channel,” said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. “We are proud to honor them for their accomplishments and contributions to driving channel success.”
Each year, CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company honors women with proven IT channel expertise and vision by selecting them for its prestigious Women of the Channel Awards. The ladies selected for the annual list are from all areas of the IT channel ecosystem; representing technology suppliers, distributors, solution providers, and other IT organizations. Each is recognized for her contributions to channel advocacy, channel growth, and visionary leadership.
The women chosen by the CRN editors for the esteemed list are selected from a multitude of channel leadership applicants. The honorees are selected based on their professional accomplishments, demonstrated expertise, and ongoing dedication to the IT channel.
I am thrilled to announce that Abi Aminu, Margaret Chum, Ariane Seiferth, and I have been honored this year. In fact, we are fortunate to have been selected to this list for multiple years now.
Read below to learn about our specific influence on the channel:
Abi Aminu is currently a channel programs manager for the Americas, running the channel programs and strategy for Thales in North and Latin America. She’s worked in this position for two years. Last year, Abi helped design a completely new partner program for Thales. Through extensive research and analytics as well as multiple interviews with partners, internal stakeholders, and consultants, she and her team launched the new Thales Accelerate Partner Network in February. This launch included more than 13 brand new features geared to drive partner profitability, segmentation, and simplicity.
Margaret Chum is a senior channel program manager and is responsible for managing and developing channel programs and strategy globally. She works closely with different regional program managers and sales leadership to ensure the program structure works in harmony as a worldwide program. Margaret was also instrumental in building the new Thales Accelerate Partner Network, based on consultations with various stakeholders and partners to identify areas of improvement and understand their expectations for a successful channel program.
Ariane Seiferth holds the position of director of strategic accounts and distribution and is responsible for executing the channel sales strategy through Thales’s distribution and reseller partner community in North America. Her role gives her the opportunity to build and lead the channel sales team to increase Thales’s overall channel footprint. After the acquisition of Thales last year, she successfully integrated the channel teams. Her channel sales team was instrumental in guiding, supporting, and navigating partners through the integration process. Ariane’s team will continue to be instrumental in the education and adoption of the new Thales Accelerate Partner Network.
I have been working as the channel program communications manager on the Thales channel team since September 2017. I firmly believe it’s vitally important for a business to not only know their audience and create the right content, but to be able to reach them in the right places. Through the integration portion of the Thales acquisition of Thales, I was challenged to work in duplicate systems and keep both legacy Thales partners informed and engaged about program news as the companies merged and created the new Thales Accelerate Partner Network. I am happy to report that our annual Voice of the Partner Survey showed the channel NPS score rose two points last year, indicating strong partner loyalty and satisfaction despite navigating through the acquisition.
Dave Jordan, senior director, global partner program and strategy at Thales had this to say about the four of us receiving this honor, “This diverse team of women demonstrate the commitment and leadership that drives success in our channel program and business; well-earned award.”
For more information about the recognition Abi, Margaret, Ariane and I received, check out CRN’s Women of the Channel 2020 list and look for the feature in the June issue of CRN Magazine.