Alliance Aces

If you want to successfully manage strategic partnerships, you need to become an expert in every role needed to bring a joint solution to market that your partners can actually sell.In this episode, I sit down with Erik Heinrich to learn how he brings his wealth of experience across different roles in his career to his current position as Director Business Development, RUCKUS Networks at CommScope, where he manages strategic partnerships with Facebook, Intel, and other global partners. What we talked about:- Why solving your customers’ problems is the key to any alliance- Why managing partnerships requires you to wear many hats- Partnering means bringing joint solutions to market that will sellTo 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/chiprodgersListening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Ecosystem Aces in your favorite po

Most people trust that the food they buy from stores and restaurants will be safe. Yet, foodborne illnesses occur more often than you might think.Advancements in technology can drastically reduce contamination risks.But only when supported by a robust ecosystem. In this episode, I’m joined by two guests who are building that ecosystem: Susan Flake, Director of RFID Business Development, and Colin Goodwin, ISV Business Development Manager at Zebra Technologies, a company working to support frontline workers across multiple industries. We discuss:- Zebra’s mission and how they tackle food safety challenges- Why partners are necessary to solve these issues- How Zebra has built out its partner 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/chiprodgersListening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Ecosystem Aces in your favorite podcas

Being at the forefront of new technologies and driving digital transformation often requires an ecosystem to fill in the gaps in your capabilities in order to give your customers the very best solutions for their needs. That’s how Ray Octaviano, Vice President and Head of Business Development for North American Mobile Operators at IDEMIA, is tackling the company’s push to seamlessly digitally transform the SIM cards and identification in your pocket right now. What we talked about:The digital transformation underway with SIM cards and identificationHow IDEMIA is building an ecosystem based on customer success and partner capabilitiesWhy rapidly advancing technology requires agility and nimblenessTo 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/chiprodgersListening on a desktop & can’t see the links? Just search for Ecosystem Aces in your favorite podcas

The pandemic has changed so much about our daily lives, so it should be no surprise that partnerships have been impacted, too. There are many challenges to overcome, but there are also opportunities for alliances.In this episode, I’m joined by Glenton Davis, Global Senior Business Development & Strategy Manager, Business Applications at Microsoft, to learn more about what those opportunities are.We discuss:- The opportunities and challenges for partnerships presented by COVID- Why “bottom up” thinking is increasingly important- Why scenarios are as important as understanding your verticalTo 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

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