Alliance Aces

As the tools and framework for managing alliances grow more sophisticated, more companies are realizing the power of partnerships — and they expect more from the relationship. It’s a welcome trend for Manoj Bhatia, Director Partner Business Development at Verizon, where he is seeing increased willingness to form alliances — along with larger and stronger ecosystems. He joined me on today’s show to discuss:- Why organizations expect more from their alliances (and larger ecosystems)- Why “coopetition” is growing in acceptance- The value of agility and CoSellTo contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:- Email: chip@workspan.com- Twitter: @chiprodgers- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

Many cloud providers have funds available for their partners to drive migrations.And one of the best ways to maximize these funds? Making sure they build relationships with your customers. That’s how Sarita Janjani, Worldwide Strategic Alliances Portfolio at Brillio, is making the most of the funds she’s received through her AWS relationship. In this episode, Sarita joins me to discuss:- The work she’s doing with partners at Brillio- Why she’s so focused on competencies- Why cost, ROI, and applicability are the 3 most important elements in any strategy or go-to-market solutioningTo contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:- Email: chip@workspan.com- Twitter: @chiprodgers- LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

The meaning of partnership has changed over the course of this year. Without trust, empathy, and the right perspective about a problem, we aren’t going to be able to cooperate, much less innovate to make a difference in the world.In this episode, I interview Parul Patel, Managing Director, Customer Love at Slalom, about partnership trends and wins this year.Parul talked with me about:Working with partners to build innovative solutions for customersThe new meaning of business transformationHow a multi-way partnership is helping women access fertility treatment around the USHow the disruption of COVID has changed the way we think about partneringTo contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by: Email: chip@workspan.comTwitter: @chiprodgersLinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

Managing a global alliance program presents new sets of challenges.   You need enough structure to keep everything running smoothly while still offering partners enough flexibility to accommodate their unique needs.    To succeed, your operating model needs to be “globally defined, regionally aligned.”    In fact, that’s the mantra at ServiceNow, where our latest guest, Dan Gallivan, is Vice President, ISV and Technology Alliances — Global Alliances & Channel Ecosystem.   In this episode, we discuss:   - The 2 foundational components of every successful partner program   - How to overcome regional and cultural barriers when partnering internationally   - Why success in building joint solutions requires stepping out of the enterprise-customer paradigm   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

Your ability to build solutions together with partners determines your ability to deliver on customer success.    Because a healthy ecosystem with win-win partnerships drives value to customers, as well as your business.   In this episode, Abhay Kumar, Senior Vice President, Global Business Development and Ecosystem at SAP, explains SAP’s approach to a holistic ecosystem.    Abhay also explains:   - How partners use the SAP cloud platform to build solutions.    - How partner ecosystems offer competitive advantages to customers.   - How to build scalability and resilience into software.   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

When you want to test the health of your ecosystem…    You need to look at more than sales.   In this episode, PJ Bishop, Vice President of Partners, Accountants and Alliances: Africa and Middle East at Sage, explains why Sage is reengineering the entire way they measure ecosystem success.   PJ explains:   - How to reengineer a partner program to prioritize more than sales   - How Sage is sourcing skills from local universities   - The benefits of operating a global business in Africa  To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:     Email: chip@workspan.com  Twitter: @chiprodgers  LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers 

How do your partners measure up?   Whether you’re measuring every one or just your largest…    The more of the data you can share with your partners, the more successful they will be.    It’s something Meg Brennan learned as Sr Director of Global Channel Operations at Riverbed Technology, where the dashboards she shared drove successful behavior for partners.    In this episode, we discuss:   - How data drives behavior   - How to keep track of what’s happening partners, their leaders and their managers   - How to streamline the approval process for partners   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

The ecosystem has changed a lot over the past 30 years.    The democratization of technology has allowed for IP creation at scale and demands continuous enablement.   It’s all about bringing the right solutions to the customers and innovating with partners.    In this episode, I’m speaking with someone who has been a vital part of that change: Rob Sparno, Head of Strategic Alliance - North America at Sage.    Rob has had a long and illustrious career in many partnering areas, including Salesforce, Oracle and Microsoft and is truly a champion of the ecosystem.    We discuss:   - How innovation and the democratization of technology will shape the ecosystem’s future   - Why enablement is the only way to manage the speed and scale of today’s ecosystem   - Rob’s top 3 most critical tips for up-and-coming partner leaders   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - Li

Everyone knows to keep an eye on their competitors...   But how many of us are on the lookout for threats outside our industry?   Our guest today is Leslie Shannon, Head of Ecosystem and Trend Scouting at Nokia, a company that knows all too well what happens when you ignore these threats.    And now Leslie is heading up the team making sure it can never happen again.    In today’s episode, Leslie covers:   - Why you need to look outside your industry for threats and opportunities   - How 5G is set to change the world (and why the paranoia is comically unfounded)   - The 4 biggest shifts in ecosystem trends today   Check out these resources we mentioned during the podcast:   - www.open-ecosystem.org    To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   Email: chip@workspan.com   Twitter: @chiprodgers   LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

It’s inevitable that most companies will move to the cloud.    But COVID-19, government adoption and other worldwide events have conspired to ensure that transition will come faster than anyone predicted.   And alliance ecosystems are going to play a pivotal role.    To explain why, I spoke with Shivkumar Subramaniam, former Vice President and Geography Head at Mindtree.   Shiv went over:   - How COVID-19 is fast-tracking cloud migration   - The challenges worldwide to cloud migration   - Why government adoption is the biggest driver of cloud migration   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

If you want to learn the best ways to do something, you need to turn to the experts.    You need to turn to the people and organizations with the kind of wisdom that can only be gained through years of experience.   So, when it comes to managing partnerships, you turn to Microsoft.   That’s why I am so happy I got a chance to sit down with David Totten, Chief Technology Officer, US Partner Ecosystem at Microsoft in our latest episode.    David’s experience managing partners in the leading organization in the space makes him the expert to talk to. And at a time when the world is changing so dramatically, so rapidly, who better to turn to than a company that has weathered numerous global crises over the years?   We had a chance to discuss:   - The lessons learned from Microsoft’s 35 years in partnerships   - How partnerships are evolving under COVID-19   - The 3 pillars of nurturing talent   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be

The COVID-19 crisis has changed things for everybody.    The race for innovations to guide us through to safety includes everyone.   Interestingly, security, innovation, and inclusion are also key elements of any successful alliance program.    On our show today, I spoke with James Gordon, GM of Ecosystem Strategy & Business Development at Intel, to discuss how these very topics guide Intel’s work in their partner ecosystem.    We covered:   - How to keep your ecosystem secure   - What COVID-19 means for innovation   - Why inclusion should be a top priority, both inside and outside your company   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

We call it social distancing, but that’s a misnomer. It should be physical distancing.   In reality, we’re using every digital tool available to make sure the social world keeps going strong.   And these same tools are poised to shape the future of alliance ecosystems.    Though he’s recently moved into a new role, my guest today, Vinodh Raghunathan, PhD, spent over 3 years as Director of Global Strategic Partners Operations at Intel, where he successfully oversaw a sprawling alliance program with a rich diversity of partners.    He came on the podcast today to explain how to track success within such a complex ecosystem and share how the current crisis is shining a light on the future of alliance programs.   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

The best alliances rest on a foundation of successful alignment, but building it can be difficult if you spread yourself too thin.   So, freeing up resources by concentrating on fewer, higher-impact partnerships can be a rewarding strategy.    And having a framework for the full lifecycle of customer engagement keeps you on track, aligned, and able to scale.   My guest today is Preseetha Pettigrew, Global VP Strategic Alliances at Seismic, where she has done tremendous work incorporating these elements into an incredibly successful alliance program.   Preseetha explains exactly how she was able to do more with less in Seismic’s alliance program and drive the company’s incredible international growth.   She goes over: - How to get the ingredients right in a partnership before scaling - Why it pays to keep an eye on partner engagement every step of the way - How to balance solid structures with the need for flexibility   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversa

Over the years, managing alliances has evolved.    But many of the key insights from older models sill bear fruit when it comes to today’s cloud-based alliance programs.    Our guest today, Christine Puccio, VP of Global Cloud Alliances at F5 Networks, has had tremendous success in her 20+ years of experience managing partner programs.    And Christine shares some of her most valuable insights with us on our latest episode.    Christine covers: - How her experiences gave her a de facto MBA in working with alliance partners - How public APIs are making delivering joint solutions simpler - Why aligning your own roadmap to your partners’ rewards everyone   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by: - Email: chip@workspan.com - Twitter: @chiprodgers - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

It’s no secret successful partner delivery is a vital part of any thriving ecosystem.   So, it’s imperative to make sure your partners are trained and capable to deliver quality total solutions to your joint customers.   And when your company derives 90% of your business from partners, partner delivery is your lifeblood.    Our guest today is Winnie Zeliger, Partner Delivery Executive at Cisco, where the 90% figure holds true. So, of course, Cisco is absolutely devoted to partner success and has established multiple partner-facing teams.   There are teams dedicated to supporting partners with selling, but Winnie and her team are entirely dedicated to serving partners on the delivery side of the equation.   And they’ve seen outstanding results.    In this episode, Winnie shares: - Why success is built upon the success of your partners - Why partner delivery deserves your full attention - Why listening to, and encouraging, partner feedback is the key to winning partner programs   To contact the host, Chip Rodge

How should you approach building a partner advantage program from scratch?   Should you focus on the leveling — your Gold, Silver or Bronze designations? And who should the program center on?   Well, if you want to succeed like Google, you need to marry a partner-focused and a customer-focused approach and highlight capabilities.   That’s how our guest today, Nina Harding, Chief of Global Partner Strategy and Programs at Google, tackled building Google’s Partner Advantage program from the ground up.    In this episode, Nina goes over: - The challenges and rewards to building Google’s Partner Advantage program from scratch - Why a customer-focused approach is so beneficial - Why partner capabilities matter more than levels To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by: - Email: chip@workspan.com - Twitter: @chiprodgers - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

Rapid growth is the epitome of the saying “it’s a good problem to have.”   Still, this doesn’t discount the very real challenges breakneck scaling involves.   And as the market landscape gets ever more dominated by SaaS companies experiencing explosive growth, it’s important we learn from their experiences.   That’s why we sat down with Katie Ecklund, Director of SI alliances at Snowflake, to see what her experiences can teach us about how to handle the challenges of the good problem everyone wants to have.   Over the last 3 years, Katie has brought her experience working at major organizations like IBM and even the US Army with her as she has overseen Snowflake’s ecosystem grow at remarkable speed.   Katie went over: - The importance of automation when scaling rapidly - How SaaS has impacted traditional resellers - How engaging with the community keeps everything running smoothly To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached

In many of the conversations we have about alliance partnerships, a few key things crop up.    Any healthy alliance program relies on aligning your needs with the needs of partners, enabling their success and making sure you can quantify your shared success.    Olav Schluter, Director of Global Services Channel Programs at Dell, has orchestrated these key building blocks into a symphony of ecosystem success.   He came on the show today to share how Dell achieved this and I think we can all learn from his achievements.    Olav covered: - What Dell’s Services Program is - How they tackled alignment and avoided competitive friction - How Dell enables its alliances - How metrics can be used to differentiate and provide transparency to the consumer   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   - Email: chip@workspan.com   - Twitter: @chiprodgers   - LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/chiprodgers

Modern software ecosystems have changed.   Ecosystems are no longer valued for the sheer quantity of solutions they offer — they are valued for, well, the actual value their solutions provide.   More doesn’t mean better; better means better.   It’s a key insight from our guest today, Tom Roberts, Senior Vice President at the Global Partner Organization over at SAP. Tom has had incredible success at SAP, delivering more than $1B in revenue overseeing the Solution Extension program as it grows 89% year-over-year.   There are a lot of great takeaways from Tom’s success and experience and he shares many of them with me today.   - How to get your ecosystem management “just right”   - Why today’s software ecosystem preference quality over quantity   - Great advice for anyone looking to replicate his success   To contact the host, Chip Rodgers, with topic ideas, suggest a guest, or join the conversation about alliances, he can be reached by:   Email: chip@workspan.com   Twitter: @chiprodgers   LinkedIn: linkedin.com