CRN Best Of The Channel Awards 2025: The Finalists

The inaugural CRN Best of the Channel Awards recognize the outstanding accomplishments of visionary channel leaders, teams and companies within the IT channel.

The inaugural CRN Best of the Channel Awards recognize the outstanding accomplishments of visionary channel leaders, teams and companies within the IT channel. These awards honor the remarkable commitment and leadership of the channel champions who drive meaningful partnerships and channel innovation across the technology sector.

“With our Best of Breed Awards, CRN is recognizing the remarkable people and companies who are dedicated to channel success,” said Jennifer Follett, executive editor of CRN and vice president of U.S. content at The Channel Company, the parent of CRN. “We are pleased to be honoring these standouts for their leadership, business acumen and overall channel excellence.”

Award winners will be celebrated at an event in Atlanta on Oct. 14 and published subsequently on CRN.com. The CRN Best of the Channel Awards will honor applicants in both individual and company categories.

Click ahead for a look at the finalists in each category as well as the unedited bio information each applicant provided.

Best Solution Provider of the Year

The Best Solution Provider of the Year Award celebrates an MSP, VAR, systems integrator, consultant or other type of solution provider for overall excellence in business and technology acumen over the last 12 months.

Advizex

Advizex has spent 50 years doing more than just keeping up with technology—helping organizations stay ahead of it. With real-world experience in healthcare, education, government, manufacturing, and retail, the company delivers IT solutions that actually solve problems—across infrastructure, cloud, cybersecurity, automation, and AI. Whether it’s building smarter systems or finding new ways to work, Advizex brings over 800 technical certifications and a people-first approach to every engagement.

Arctiq

Arctiq is a leading provider of professional IT services and managed services, specializing in three core practice areas: Enterprise Security, Modern Infrastructure, and Platform Engineering. With a commitment to architecting intelligence, we empower organizations to thrive in today’s digital landscape, leveraging decades of industry expertise and a customer-centric ethos to deliver exceptional value to over 1000 clients across diverse industries.

Avatar Managed Services

AVATAR Managed Services provides IT services that help companies automate and grow by leveraging information technology.

Blue Mantis

Blue Mantis is a security-first IT services and solutions provider with a 30+ year history of successfully helping clients achieve business modernization through next-generation technologies including managed services, cybersecurity, and cloud. It provides digital technology services and strategic guidance to ensure clients quickly adapt and grow through automation and innovation.

Bluum

Bluum is a North American company that specializes in providing technology solutions and services to K-12 and higher education institutions. They offer a wide range of products, including computers, AV solutions, STEM learning resources, and cybersecurity tools. Bluum also provides services like professional development, support, and implementation assistance to help schools effectively utilize technology.

Calian IT & Cyber Solutions

Calian IT & Cyber Solutions is a leading service provider for enterprises across the globe for the last 40 years. Our portfolio includes on-demand resourcing, IT and cybersecurity managed services, Cloud IT Infrastructure, cybersecurity services, and AI & Data, delivered by highly certified engineers certified by leading providers such as Cisco, Microsoft, and other industry leaders.

Compucom

Compucom is a leading technology managed services provider, specializing in sourcing, integrating, and supporting technology solutions for enterprise organizations. Compucom offers a range of services, including technology sourcing, field support, device lifecycle management, managed infrastructure and cloud services, and digital workplace solutions.

ePlus

ePlus is a customer-first, services-led, and results-driven industry leader offering transformative technology solutions and services to provide the best customer outcomes. Offering a full portfolio of solutions, including artificial intelligence, security, cloud and data center, networking and collaboration, as well as managed, consultative and professional services, ePlus works closely with organizations across many industries to successfully navigate business challenges. With a long list of industry-leading partners and more than 2,300 employees, the company’s expertise has been honed over more than three decades, giving us specialized yet broad levels of experience and knowledge.

GuidePoint Security

GuidePoint Security provides trusted cybersecurity expertise, solutions, and services that help organizations make better decisions and minimize risk. Its experts act as trusted advisor to understand a business’s challenges, helping customers through an evaluation their cybersecurity posture and ecosystem to expose risks, optimize resources and implement best-fit solutions. GuidePoint’s unmatched expertise has enabled 40% of Fortune 500 companies and more than half of the U.S. government cabinet-level agencies to improve their security posture.

iCorps Technologies

iCorps Technologies provides outsourced IT, managed IT, and cybersecurity solutions for businesses to enhance productivity and ensure compliance. Specializing in Microsoft 365, Azure consulting, hybrid cloud infrastructure, IT governance and compliance, virtual C-Level information and security officer support, iCorps has served businesses across the country for 30 years.

Microserve

Microserve is one of the largest IT solution providers in Canada with more than 550 team members and annual revenue over $250 million. Founded in Vancouver in 1987, Microserve is a market leader in the delivery of end-to-end IT solutions to organizations in Western Canada, and proudly Canadian owned and operated. Based in Burnaby, the company has branches in Victoria, Edmonton, and Calgary, a comprehensive services network across BC and Alberta, and now expanding into Saskatchewan. Its growth has been fully organic, built on strong, long-term client relationships. Microserve provides clients with a comprehensive set of IT services, including end user computing, modern workplace technology, IT procurement, audio-visual solutions, managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, IT staffing, managed print technology services, IT infrastructure, data center, and networking solutions, data backup and disaster recovery, and IT projects and consulting.

Tego

Tego is an engineering-led, forward-thinking technology team that creates a competitive advantage by solving problems and delivering results with remarkable efficiency. Tego has spent decades solving IT and cybersecurity challenges while supporting the full spectrum of commercial and government entities of all sizes. The company has an expert understanding of the strategies, tools, and methodologies that support mission-critical data center, security, and cloud services. Based in North Carolina, Tego is committed to fostering long-term relationships and delivering unparalleled support.

Vintage IT Services

Vintage IT Services is a woman-owned, Texas-based Managed Services Provider delivering proactive IT, cloud, and cybersecurity solutions to businesses nationwide. With over two decades of industry experience, Vintage IT is known for its relationship-driven approach, high-touch client service, and commitment to operational excellence. Its team of certified experts supports organizations across a variety of industries, helping them modernize infrastructure, safeguard data, and achieve long-term business resilience.

Best Vendor of the Year

The Best Vendor of the Year Award recognizes an IT manufacturer for overall excellence in channel partnership over the last 12 months.

1Password

Trusted by over 165,000 businesses and millions of consumers, 1Password pioneered Extended Access Management, a new cybersecurity category built for the way people and AI agents work today. Our mission is to unleash productivity without compromising security. The 1Password Extended Access Management platform secures every sign-in, to every app, from every device, including the managed and unmanaged ones that legacy IAM, IGA, and MDM tools can’t reach.

Arctic Wolf

Arctic Wolf is a global leader in security operations, enabling customers to manage their cyber risk in the face of modern cyber-attacks via a premier cloud-native security operations platform. The Arctic Wolf Aurora Platform ingests and analyzes 9 trillion security events a week to help enable cyber defense at an unprecedented capacity and scale, empowering customers of virtually any size across a wide range of industries to feel confident in their security posture, readiness, and long-term resilience. By delivering automated threat protection, response, and remediation capabilities, Arctic Wolf delivers world-class security operations with the push of a button so customers can defend their greatest assets at the speed of data.

Barracuda Networks

Barracuda is a leading cybersecurity company providing complete protection against complex threats. Its platform protects email, data, applications, and networks with innovative solutions, and a managed XDR service, to strengthen cyber resilience. Hundreds of thousands of IT professionals and managed service providers worldwide trust Barracuda to protect and support them with solutions that are easy to buy, deploy, and use.

Cynet Security

Cynet’s All-in-One Cybersecurity Platform unifies a full suite of security capabilities on a single, simple solution, backed by 24/7 SOC support. Cynet is purpose-built to enhance protection for small-to-medium enterprises and to maximize margins for MSPs.

Dataminr

Dataminr is one of the world’s leading AI companies offering a revolutionary real-time AI platform for detecting events, risks, and critical information from public data signals.

HP Inc.

HP Inc. is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more.

IBM

IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. IBM helps clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. More than 4,000 government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM’s hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely.

Nucleus Security

Nucleus Security stands as an enterprise leader in unified vulnerability and exposure management, providing a platform that seamlessly integrates data from 160+ sources into a single dashboard, allowing organizations to break down silos, prioritize risks, and streamline remediation efforts while leveraging world-class vulnerability intelligence to modernize how enterprises and government entities manage, monitor, and respond to vulnerabilities efficiently. As the only FedRAMP Moderate authorized risk-based vulnerability management platform, Nucleus is trusted by leading enterprises and federal agencies to automate compliance, expedite ATO approvals, and ensure alignment with evolving standards such as NIST and FISMA. Trusted by over 400 organizations, including Motorola, Paychex, and Mastercard, Nucleus Security addresses the inefficiencies and risks of manual vulnerability management, offering a tailored, high-impact solution for diverse cybersecurity environments.

Scale Computing

Scale Computing is a leader in edge computing, virtualization, and hyperconverged solutions. Using patented HyperCore technology, Scale Computing Platform automatically identifies, mitigates, and corrects infrastructure problems in real-time, enabling applications to achieve maximum uptime, even when local IT resources and staff are scarce. Edge Computing is the fastest-growing area of IT infrastructure, and industry analysts have named Scale Computing an outperformer and leader in the space, including being named the #1 edge computing vendor by CRN. Scale Computing’s products are sold by thousands of value-added resellers, integrators, and service providers worldwide. When ease-of-use, high availability, and TCO matter, Scale Computing Platform is the ideal infrastructure platform.

SentinelOne

SentinelOne is a leading AI-powered cybersecurity platform. SentinelOne’s performance over the past year reflects not only innovation in cybersecurity technology but also the strength of its commitment to its channel ecosystem. The company’s channel-first approach remains a cornerstone of its strategy, and that dedication has fueled partner growth, market expansion, and a shared path to profitability.

SonicWall

SonicWall is a cybersecurity forerunner with more than 30 years of expertise and is recognized as a leading partner-first company. With the ability to build, scale and manage security across the cloud, hybrid and traditional environments in real-time, SonicWall provides seamless protection against the most evasive cyberattacks across endless exposure points for increasingly remote, mobile and cloud-enabled users.

ThreatLocker

ThreatLocker is a global leader in Zero Trust security, providing organizations with endpoint protection, application control, storage control, and privileged access management to prevent cyber threats before they execute. With its innovative security solutions, ThreatLocker helps businesses worldwide enhance their cybersecurity posture and maintain operational continuity.

Best Solution Provider CEO of the Year

This award will go the top executive who is most deserving of recognition for achievements in leading a solution provider business over the past 12 months. CEOs of MSPs, VARs, systems integrators, consultants or other solution providers headquartered in North America are eligible.

Daniel Adamany

Founder and CEO

AHEAD

As Founder and CEO, Daniel Adamany has grown AHEAD to an over $4 billion global business with nearly 3,000 employees, accelerating the digital transformation efforts of large multinational enterprises across the U.S. Adamany has successfully integrated multiple strategic acquisitions, on top of industry-leading organic growth, all while maintaining a strong culture based on the company values of collaboration, innovation, drive, service, and growth.

Tim Conkle

CEO

The 20 MSP

Tim Conkle is the CEO of The 20 MSP, one of the fastest-growing managed service providers in the U.S. He leads a powerhouse national IT company that delivers enterprise-grade support to SMBs coast to coast, without sacrificing the personal, high-touch experience clients value most. At the core of The 20 MSP’s success is Tim’s belief that great service at scale requires relentless standardization, strong culture, and exceptional people. Under his leadership, The 20 MSP has developed a turnkey operational model that ensures consistency, efficiency, and world-class support across all markets. Tim has also spearheaded an aggressive M&A strategy — completing 39 acquisitions in just 2.5 years — and built a seamless integration engine that minimizes client churn and maximizes long-term value.

Jaime Gmach

CEO

Evolving Solutions, Inc.

Jaime Gmach co-founded Evolving Solutions almost 30 years ago and continues to lead the company today as its CEO. Together with the extended Evolving Solutions team, Jaime has built the company into a leading technology solution provider focused on helping enterprise clients modernize and automate their mission-critical infrastructure to support digital transformation. He represents the organization externally on several vendor and partner Advisory Councils.

Jon Groves

CEO

Logicalis US

Jon Groves is Chief Executive Officer for Logicalis US, an international IT solution and managed services provider. He joined the company as CEO in 2020. In this role, Jon is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of the company, as well as leading the US executive team. A proven leader in sales and services, Jon brings more than 20 years of enterprise technology and engineering experience to Logicalis. He joined the company from ConvergeOne, where he served as Executive Vice President of US East. In this role, Jon successfully grew revenue with responsibility for sales, professional services, managed services and business operations.

CR Howdyshell

CEO

Advizex

C.R. Howdyshell is the CEO of Advizex, a top technology solutions provider serving organizations across the U.S. Since joining the company in 2003, he has held several leadership roles before being appointed CEO in 2017. Over the past eight years, C.R. has led Advizex through a strategic transformation to deliver “Everything as a Service,” significantly growing recurring revenue and expanding the company’s solution portfolio. He also oversaw the successful acquisition by Fulcrum IT Partners, positioning Advizex for long-term, funded growth.

Paul Kerr

CEO

Arctiq

Paul Kerr is the Chief Executive Officer of Arctiq, leading the organization with a clear vision for innovation, customer value, and accelerated growth across North America. A dynamic and seasoned executive, Paul brings over 25 years of leadership experience in the information technology industry. Prior to Arctiq, Paul was the founder of Scalar Decisions, where he served as CEO. Under his leadership, Scalar grew into a leading IT solutions provider, achieving over C$250 million in revenue before its successful acquisition by CDW. Paul’s entrepreneurial spirit, customer-first mindset, and ability to scale high-performance teams have consistently driven business transformation and market success.

Ravi Kumar S

CEO

Cognizant

Ravi Kumar S was appointed CEO of Cognizant in January 2023. Ravi sets the strategic direction of the Company, promotes Cognizant’s client-first culture, and focuses on ensuring sustainable growth and driving long-term shareholder value. With Ravi at the helm, Cognizant is pioneering the future of technology services and skills in the age of AI. Ravi is a highly accomplished services industry executive with experience across digital transformation, traditional technology and engineering services, data and analytics, cloud and infrastructure, and consulting. He has established himself as a leading voice globally in the future of work by spearheading multiple initiatives with public-private partnerships and contributing to the social agenda in tangible ways.

Kevin Lynch

CEO

Optiv

Kevin Lynch is the CEO and a board member of Optiv, where he leads the company in delivering innovative cybersecurity solutions. With over 36 years of experience in professional and technical services, Lynch has a strong track record of driving growth and financial success. Before Optiv, Lynch spent 20 years at Deloitte in various leadership roles, including chief global officer and senior partner. He significantly expanded the firm’s technology, media, and telecommunications practice and grew its mergers and acquisitions services. Prior to Deloitte, he was the chief strategy officer at AECOM and a director at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Marcus Smiley

CEO and Founder

Epoch Concepts

Marcus Smiley is the CEO and Founder of Epoch Concepts LLC. Marcus founded Epoch Concepts 17 years ago and has grown the company to more than $350M in annual sales. A straightforward, strategic thinker, Marcus believes everyone in business should be treated like a valued customer, and customers should always be delighted with their experience with the company. An industry veteran, Marcus has a history of technology success. Prior to starting Epoch, he served as the Sr. Field Architect of NeoPath Networks, a leading provider of high performance and highly scalable file storage management solutions, and before that, he was Sr. Systems Engineer for NetApp, covering both enterprise commercial and federal customers.

Jason Wright

CEO

Avatar Managed Services

Jason Wright is a visionary entrepreneur, transformational leader, and one of the most respected voices in the IT services industry. As CEO of Avatar Managed Services, Jason is pioneering the evolution of the modern Managed Services Provider—one designed to deliver measurable business outcomes through technology alignment, operational maturity, and a co-managed approach that empowers internal IT teams. With over two decades of leadership in the tech sector, Jason’s track record spans hypergrowth startups, strategic exits, and Fortune 500 consulting.

Best Channel Chief of the Year

This award goes to the channel executive most deserving of recognition for achievements in the IT channel over the past 12 months as an all-around standout in channel acumen and leadership. Executives who are the top global or North America/U.S. channel leader at an IT vendor are eligible.

Jon Bartholomew

Vice President of Sales at N-able

N-able

Jon Bartholomew holds extensive channel and security expertise, having previously worked with industry leaders like Sophos. He focuses on enhancing N‑able relationships with resellers and distributors—to empower them to serve their small and medium enterprise and MSP clients more effectively and efficiently, in the ways that best meet their unique business objectives. During his 14 years at Sophos, spearheading change in Sales GTM and the supporting programs, Jon implemented a dynamic course of actions that positioned Sophos as one of the top players in EMEA.

Chad Blackwell

Vice President, America’s Partner Organization

Commvault

Chad Blackwell leads Commvault’s Americas Partner Organization, where he collaborates closely with partners to accelerate growth across the region, drive sales execution and excellence, and expand market share. Chad brings with him a wide breadth of knowledge from roles at CDW, Lenovo, and Cohesity, and expertise including deep understanding of partner sales and marketing motions, integrating alliance partners’ business go-to-market within solution providers such as Cisco, Pure Storage, Hitachi Vantara, Vast Data, MSFT, AWS, and HPE, creating a channel from the ground up, formalizing channel programs, and building specific go-to-market practices, like National Partner Organizations, from inception. In his current role, Chad enhances the continuity of Commvault’s partner program, creating alignment within multiple partner routes to market for an exciting and productive partner ecosystem.

Will Brooks

MSP Channel Chief

UKON/FifthWall

Will Brooks is Channel Chief at FifthWall, where he leads MSP engagement and partner enablement across the UKON platform. A former vCIO and ministry leader, Will is known for his ability to translate complexity into clarity, building trust through education and empathy. Since joining FifthWall, Will has played a critical role in launching UKON to the MSP channel, introducing the Cyber Risk Report (CRR), and spearheading the Founders Club early access program. He serves as the voice behind Scaling the Wall, FifthWall’s flagship podcast, and has been a vocal advocate for helping MSPs shift from reactive vendors to proactive Cyber Risk Advisors.

Mitch Diodato

Global Channel Leader

Infinidat

Mitch Diodato is Global Channel Leader at Infinidat. He has more than 20 years of channel leadership experience in the IT and storage industry. Prior to joining Infinidat, he worked at Arrow Enterprise Computing Systems. At Arrow ECS, Diodato was the national sales director, working with top channel partners to help them increase revenue by understanding the impact of digital transformation and delivering solutions addressing customers’ technical and business requirements.

Ryan Grant

VP of Sales and Marketing, North America

ESET

Ryan Grant serves as Vice President of Sales and Marketing at ESET North America. Grant has extensive experience leading large channel teams skilled at lead generation, reseller recruitment, sales, business development, partner programs, channel marketing, product merchandising and pricing strategies. In this role, he manages the company’s U.S. sales and marketing team, including enterprise, managed service providers (MSPs), mid-tier and large resellers, distributors and eTail. Grant joined ESET from Ingram Micro, where he spent more than two decades leading the VMware, Dell and Integrated Solutions business units.

Matt Harrell

Chief Partner Officer

Dataminr

Matt Harrell is Chief Partner Officer at Dataminr, where he’s responsible for the overall partner strategy and all indirect revenue from strategic partner routes to market. Matt brings over 25 years of experience in the cybersecurity and cloud infrastructure markets with expertise in building high-performing direct and indirect go-to-market teams. Prior to Dataminr, Matt was responsible for global channels and alliances at Cloudflare, where he was part of the executive leadership team that grew revenue from pre-IPO to $1.3B. Before that, Matt held leadership positions at Google Cloud, Symantec, Inktomi and Advent Software.

Jon Howes

SVP, Global Sales

Wasabi Technologies

Jon Howes has more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, leading companies across EMEA. He has a strong background in scaling EMEA indirect go-to-market models for technology companies, having previously held senior sales and channel positions in EMEA for Juniper Networks, Infovista, and Oracle. He most recently served as WW GTM Strategy Lead at Juniper Networks, where he led the Session Smart Router GTM strategy globally. Jonathan has expertise in creating and scaling service offers with managed service providers, having successfully launched managed routing & SDWAN, application prioritization, and security offers with MSPs worldwide.

Gordon Lord

Vice President of US Channel Sales Organization, Secure Power

Schneider Electric

Gordon Lord is the Vice President of US Channel Sales Organization, Secure Power at Schneider Electric. In this role, Lord is responsible for driving revenue, strategy and profitability within the US Channels organization, with an increased focus on software, services and sustainability. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Senior Director of IT Distribution & Channel Strategy at Schneider Electric.

Rob Rae

Corporate Vice President of Community and Ecosystems

Pax8

As Corporate Vice President of Community and Ecosystems, Rob Rae leverages his decades of channel, vendor, and managed service provider experience to build upon many different Pax8 programs including Beyond 2023 – a Pax8 partner conference, to help partners grow across the globe. Rob is also instrumental in developing the Pax8 Go-To-Market Strategy. With over 25 years of sales and B2B activities, Rob has extensive experience in IT hardware and software sales. Rob’s industry experience includes working with channel focused organizations supporting value added resellers, solution providers and managed service providers, to help them achieve their business goals.

Alvaro Warden

VP of Worldwide Channels

NetSPI

Alvaro Warden is an accomplished executive with deep expertise in the cybersecurity and enterprise technology sectors. He currently serves as Vice President of Worldwide Channels at NetSPI, where he leads global channel strategy, partner enablement, and go-to-market execution. Since joining in July 2024, Alvaro has played a key role in expanding NetSPI’s global partner ecosystem and accelerating indirect revenue growth. Prior to NetSPI, Alvaro was the Worldwide Director of Global Channels at Invicti Security, where he delivered significant channel performance improvements and established strategic partnerships with hyperscale cloud providers including AWS and Microsoft Azure. His earlier roles include leadership positions in channel enablement and marketing at LogRhythm, as well as sales management roles at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and HP, where he consistently drove high-impact revenue results.

Richard Xu

Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer

iMin Technology

As Chief Strategy Officer at iMin Technology, Richard Xu brings together deep technical expertise and strategic leadership. He has led iMin’s transformation from a regional innovator into a globally recognized brand in Android-based smart commercial devices. He architected the company’s global expansion strategy and built the partner ecosystem that now spans six continents. His background uniquely equips him to bridge product innovation, operational scale, and the creation of high-impact channel programs—positioning iMin for long-term, partner-driven growth.

Best AI Solution Provider

The Best AI Solution Provider of the Year award recognizes an MSP, VAR, systems integrator, consultant or other solution provider business for overall excellence and technical acumen in delivering AI-focused solutions to end customers over the last 12 months.

Advizex

AHEAD

AHEAD engineers integrated platforms, digital backbones that power the most successful organizations in the world. Its consultative approach, technical expertise and innovative solutions combine to accelerate the impact of technology in every client we serve.

BlueCloud

BlueCloud is a trusted partner in data innovation, AI, and data cloud solutions. As a Snowflake Elite Services partner, the company delivers end-to-end solutions that help organizations modernize their data strategy, unlock real-time insights, and scale with agility. Its expertise empowers businesses to harness the full potential of Generative AI and drive lasting competitive advantage.

Chetu, Inc.

Founded in 2000, Chetu is a global digital intelligence and software solutions provider. Chetu’s specialized technology and industry experts serve startups, SMBs, and Fortune 5000 companies with an unparalleled software delivery model suited to clients’ needs. Chetu’s one-stop-shop model spans the entire software technology spectrum. Headquartered in Sunrise, Florida, Chetu has 13 locations throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia.

Cognizant

Cognizant engineers modern businesses, helping clients modernize technology, reimagine processes and transform experiences so they can stay ahead in a fast-changing world.

Connection

Connection, a Fortune 1000 Global Solutions Provider, drives customer growth by calming the IT confusion and guiding the connection between people and technology. The Connection brand includes Connection Business Solutions, Connection Enterprise Solutions, and Connection Public Sector Solutions, which provide IT solutions to SMB, enterprise, and public sector markets.

ConRes

Backed by more than 60 years of customer dedication, ConRes is a Private, Family, Women-Owned IT solutions provider bringing best-of-breed technology solutions and managed services together to solve business problems. By combining top-level manufacturer partnerships, highly skilled professional services and a state-of-the-art Integration & Logistics Center, the company brings value by delivering end-to-end solutions across AI, cloud, collaboration, cybersecurity, data center, DevOps and networking.

ePlus Technology

Insight Enterprises

Insight Enterprises is a leading Solutions Integrator that helps clients solve technology challenges by combining the right hardware, software, and services. As a Fortune 500 technology company, backed by 35+ years of expertise and a deep network of 6,000+ partners, the company delivers secure, end-to-end IT solutions for organizations around the world.

Klika Tech

Klika Tech is a global technology solutions and consulting company that specializes in delivering cutting-edge Cloud computing, Internet of Things (IoT), Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML), and embedded systems solutions. Headquartered in the U.S. with locations across North and South America, Europe, and Central Asia, Klika Tech co-creates end-to-end hardware, embedded, and software solutions for wearables, smart home/building/city platforms, connected healthcare, smart manufacturing, smart retail, connected agriculture, asset tracking, automotive, and smart mobility. Klika Tech is an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner, AWS IoT, GenAI, Life Sciences, AWS Advertising and Marketing Technology, Smart City, and DevOps Competency Partner with multiple AWS Service validations.

NRI (formerly Core BTS)

In North America, NRI is a business and technology solutions consultancy. Guiding clients from insight to execution, NRI designs and delivers solutions that fuel growth, grow profitability, and deliver innovation with impact.

NWN

NWN is the leading AI-powered technology solutions provider for North America’s most innovative public and private organizations. For more than 30 years, NWN has helped over 5,000 CIOs deliver technology modernization programs with its Intelligent Workplace, Customer Experience (CX), Managed Devices, Cybersecurity and Public Safety, Connectivity, and Intelligent Cloud solutions. The company’s proprietary Experience Management Platform ensures seamless service delivery, real-time observability and improved efficiency for its clients’ most demanding technology needs.

SHI International Corp.

35 years on, SHI is still passionate about delivering exceptional value and experience as it helps customers select, deploy, and manage technology. From next-gen infrastructure and modern workplace transformation to leading cybersecurity and AI solutions, SHI has the hardware and software vendor relationships and technical expertise to help organizations realize their business goals.

WinWire

WinWire “Unleashes the Power of Azure and Generative AI” to enable enterprises across Healthcare, Software and Digital Platforms (ISVs), Retail, Hi-Tech, and Manufacturing to navigate their AI transformation journey. WinWire helps its customers drive business growth and gain competitive advantage through innovative software solutions.

Best Solution Provider Team of the Year

The Best Solution Provider Team of the Year Award spotlights a group of company executives at an MSP, VAR, systems integrator, consultant or other type of solution provider for over excellence in business leadership.

Calian IT & Cyber Solutions

Clutch Solutions

Clutch Solutions is a Native American, minority owned Next Generation Value Added Reseller (VAR) that redefines what it means to be a trusted technology partner. The company goes beyond hardware and software by building strong client relationships and delivering tailored solutions through AI, emerging technologies, and a broad network of industry leading vendors. Its experienced team acts with speed and agility to help organizations optimize infrastructure, strengthen cybersecurity, and accelerate digital transformation, consistently driving future ready results that empower long term success.

eCreek

eCreek is a Denver-based and locally owned Managed Service Provider offering best in class IT support, cybersecurity, and compliance solutions. Guided by its core values, eCreek is a trusted local partner for tailored IT solutions and community-focused service.

Jolera

Jolera is a leading Global Systems Integrator committed to transforming IT operations into seamless, secure, and highly efficient environments. With more than 20 years of expertise and a sharp focus on cybersecurity, Jolera delivers innovative managed solutions that drive scalable growth, operational resilience, and long-term success for organizations worldwide.

Microserve

NRI (formerly Core BTS)

People Driven Technology

People Driven Technology, Inc is a customer-obsessed organization. We are a local, family-owned business that focuses on consumable outcomes for our clients. We leverage our decades of combined business, technology, and engineering experience to deliver these outcomes in a methodical manner.

Quantiphi

Quantiphi is an award-winning AI-first digital engineering company driven by the desire to reimagine and realize transformational opportunities at the heart of business. Since its inception in 2013, Quantiphi has solved the toughest and most complex business problems by combining deep industry experience, disciplined cloud and data engineering practices, and cutting-edge artificial intelligence research to achieve accelerated and quantifiable business results.

Tego

WWT

World Wide Technology (WWT), a privately held global technology solutions provider leading the AI and Digital Revolution, has over 30 years of experience helping the largest commercial enterprise, public sector and service provider organizations. WWT provides consulting services, comprehensive lab capabilities and implementation at scale. Through the Advanced Technology Center, WWT’s clients conceptualize, test, validate and deploy innovative technology solutions with hands-on access to cutting-edge capabilities across infrastructure, data and AI, security, cloud and more. With over 12,000 employees in 60 locations, WWT has been recognized by Fortune and Great Place to Work® for 14 consecutive years.

Best Channel Team of the Year

This award recognizes a group of channel management leaders from a technology vendor, distributor or marketplace for its efforts to help its channel ecosystem succeed over the last 12 months.

Acer

Founded in 1976, Acer is one of the world’s top technology companies with a presence in more than 160 countries. The company continues to evolve by embracing innovation across its offerings, which include computers and displays, while branching out to new businesses. Acer is also committed to sustainable growth, exploring new opportunities that align with its environmental and social responsibilities. The Acer Group employs over 9,000 employees that contribute to the research, design, marketing, sales and support of products, solutions, and services that break barriers between people and technology.

Alternative Payments

Alternative Payments provides accounts receivable automation through its MSP payment portal. Alternative Payments’ channel team operates exclusively in the U.S. and is focused on helping managed service providers (MSPs) improve their financial operations through accounts receivable automation and enablement. Our team supports more than 600 MSPs nationwide.

Climb Channel Solutions

Climb Channel Solutions is a different breed of distributor, specializing in both emerging and established technologies. The company equips its global network of partners with the tools and support they need to thrive in the ever-changing IT channel landscape. Climb Channel Solutions’ prioritizes its partners’ success by leveraging exceptional operational practices and creating lasting value.

Illumio

Illumio offers the most comprehensive Zero Trust solution for ransomware and breach containment, protecting organizations from cyber disasters and enabling operational resilience without added complexity. Illumio’s Zero Trust Segmentation platform reduces unnecessary lateral movement across multi-cloud and hybrid infrastructures and protects critical resources to prevent the spread of cyberattacks.

Ingram Micro (Global Platform Group Leadership Team )

The Ingram Micro Global Platform Group is a worldwide cross-functional team comprising innovative minds stemming from and influencing all aspects of the organization, including Product, Engineering, Marketing, Services, Finance, and HR, operations. Their efforts support Ingram Micro’s 1,500 vendors and 400k customers globally.

Intermedia Cloud Communications

Intermedia is a leading provider of intelligent cloud communications solutions that help over 150,000 businesses connect better, from wherever, through its AI-powered platform that includes voice, video conferencing, chat, SMS, contact center, business email and productivity, file sharing and backup, security, archiving, and more. As a partner-first company, Intermedia goes to work for over 7,500 channel partners by providing a comprehensive set of programs, resources, and support to help them grow their revenue and maximize their success.

NetSPI

NetSPI is the proactive security solution used to discover, prioritize, and remediate security vulnerabilities of the highest importance.

Nextiva

Nextiva is a leading provider of Unified Customer Experience Management (UCXM) solutions built for how businesses communicate today. The company helps organizations move beyond disconnected tools to deliver a single, powerful platform for voice, messaging, contact center, and customer engagement. What makes Nextiva stand out is its channel-first strategy and relentless commitment to partner success. From white-glove demand generation services to co-selling support and custom marketing plans, Nextiva empower partners to win bigger deals, grow recurring revenue, and deepen relationships with mid-market buyers.

Object First

Ransomware-proof and immutable out-of-the-box, Object First’s Ootbi delivers secure, simple, and powerful on-premises backup storage for Veeam customers with no security expertise required. Built on the latest Zero Trust and data security principles, Ootbi delivers S3 native immutable object storage designed and optimized for unbeatable Veeam backup and recovery performance.

TD SYNNEX

TD SYNNEX is a leading global distributor and solutions aggregator for the IT ecosystem. TD SYNNEX’s an innovative partner helping more than 150,000 customers in 100+ countries to maximize the value of technology investments, demonstrate business outcomes and unlock growth opportunities. Headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, and Fremont, California, TD SYNNEX’s 23,000 co-workers are dedicated to uniting compelling IT products, services and solutions from 2,500+ best-in-class technology vendors. Its edge-to-cloud portfolio is anchored in some of the highest-growth technology segments including cloud, cybersecurity, big data/analytics, AI, IoT, mobility and everything as a service.

Best Channel Achiever of the Year

The Best Channel Achiever of the Year Award honors an individual for exceptional performance, significant contributions and notable accomplishments throughout the past 12 months that were instrumental to the success of their channel-focused organization. Applicants from solution providers, technology vendors, distributors and marketplaces are eligible.

Jim Annes

VP, Global Platform Business

Ingram Micro Inc.

Jim Annes is the Vice President of Global Platform Business for Ingram Micro, leading the Xvantage Platform Go to Market strategy, teams and execution to transform the industry and deliver a compelling value proposition to our partners. Prior to his current role, Jim held several leadership roles at Ingram Micro.

Bethany Blackwell

Vice President

Carahsoft

Bethany Blackwell is Vice President of Sales, overseeing a large portfolio of complementary cloud vendors including Zoom, Salesforce, Genesys, DocuSign, Box, and over 100 ISV vendors in the public sector space, and managing a team of more than 170 sales, contract and order management experts, as well as 14 dedicated marketing specialists. With over 10 years of experience in the cloud industry, Bethany has helped grow the public sector portfolio of these vendors from less than $10M annually to $2.3B in 2024, serving customers at each State and Federal Cabinet level agency. Her specialty includes bringing new SaaS vendors to market as well establishing purchasing contracts and BPAs to ensure government agencies also have access to the digital transformation tools like their commercial counterparts.

Simon Fernandes

Senior Director, Revenue

Jolera

Simon Fernandes has a strong background in various roles in companies such as Jolera Inc., Stanford University, Blacklane GmbH, The London School of Economics and Political Science, and Cadman Capital Group. Simon has experience in revenue, channel program management, account executive roles, research analysis, and brand ambassadorship. Simon’s educational background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto, as well as a Level 2 Intermediate Wine & Spirits Award from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

Tina Fisher

VP of Vendor Management

D&H Distributing

Tina Fisher started at D&H in 1992. She has been instrumental in building strategic manufacturer relationships over the years, helping to launch emerging categories as the technology market developed, and supporting the success of those product areas across D&H’s SMB and retail markets. Tina has seen the evolution of technology in distribution, working with her staff to adapt to market and technology changes and shaping the consultative role of distribution over more than 30 years at D&H. Tina manages a staff of more than 40 personnel. Tina leads the Modern Work-Play-Attach business unit. She and her team are focused on the company’s display, audio, projection, components, print, imaging, and peripherals business.

Justin Gilbert

Head of Channel Sales

Object First

Justin Gilbert is an executive-level Channel Sales, Marketing, and Business Development Leader with over 20 years of experience driving revenue growth and building high-performing channel programs. As the Channel Sales Director, Americas at Object First, Gilbert has specialized in channel sales, marketing, and business development strategy with a proven record in developing mutually beneficial channel programs. His expertise includes orchestrating initiatives across SMBs, mid-sized businesses, and enterprise vendors, including crafting GTM channel strategies, developing impactful channel programs, and driving robust lead generation and brand awareness campaigns.

Scott Goree

Global VP, Channels & Sales

Optiv

Scott Goree is a veteran technology executive with over 20 years of experience in global partner programs, distribution initiatives and sales. As the senior vice president of partners and alliances at Optiv, he leads an ecosystem of more than 450 technology partners, focusing on delivering data-driven, positive business outcomes for over 6,000 clients. Goree joined Optiv from Skyhigh Security, where he served as vice president of global partners and head of Americas sales. At Skyhigh, he successfully reinvented the partner program, driving channel-sourced revenue from 12% to over 30% in the first year. He also established Skyhigh Technology Alliances, creating new relationships with AWS and CrowdStrike.

Dr. Michele Lee

Head of Distribution Management & Channel Programs (APAC Partner Sales)

Juniper Networks

Dr. Michele Lee has helped companies build award-winning partner programs and partnerships to multiply the revenue of their channel business. By bringing over 30 years of experience in partner program management, partner sales and marketing, communications, and channel business development, Michele has supported and influenced channel strategy development and execution for ICT market leaders such as Tata Communications, EMC, and Sun Microsystems. Taking an ‘outside-in’ perspective and applying a unique combination of skillsets and knowledge, she has helped ensure partner needs and pain points are factored into program and engagement design for maximum business impact.

Emily Narkviroj

Director, Global Channel Programs

Jamf

Emily Narkviroj is a dynamic channel leader with a proven track record of transforming partner strategies into scalable, results-driven programs. As the architect behind Jamf’s award-winning Global Partner Program and Partner Hub, Emily has led the company’s evolution toward a modern, engagement-first channel ecosystem—one that prioritizes partner experience, accountability, and growth. Under her leadership, Jamf’s Partner Program earned CRN’s prestigious 5-Star Partner Program Award, reflecting her commitment to innovation, operational excellence, and measurable impact. Emily has also been recognized multiple times as a CRN Women of the Channel Award honoree for her strategic vision, cross-functional leadership, and role in enabling go-to-market success across global partner teams.

Matthew Rice

Master Agent, Program Director

NRI

Matthew Rice is a trailblazer in channel sales and IT consulting, pioneering strategic partnerships, cloud adoption, and revenue acceleration. As Master Agent Program Director at NRI, based in Sherman Oaks, CA, he has architected an industry-leading channel strategy—unlocking new revenue streams and expanding Microsoft’s footprint across diverse industries and geographies. With over 15 years of IT consulting experience, Matt has revolutionized how businesses engage with Microsoft 365, Azure, and security solutions. His ability to connect the right technologies with business needs has fueled multi-million-dollar digital transformations for hundreds of organizations through Professional Consulting Services and Licensing Sales.

Lauren Wolff

Manager, North American Field & Global Partner

Menlo Security

E. Lauren Wolff is a dynamic cybersecurity marketing leader with over 21 years of experience. As Global Channel Marketing Manager at Menlo Security, she drives innovative partner programs and impactful marketing initiatives. Before joining Menlo Security, Lauren held key marketing roles at Alexander Open Systems (ConvergeOne), FishNet Security, Optiv, and ExtraHop Networks, earning a reputation for bold, high-visibility campaigns and unforgettable events. Her ‘shoot for the moon’ approach has made her a standout in the industry.

Best Channel Visionary of the Year – Solution Provider

The Best Channel Visionary of the Year Award celebrates a trailblazing executive with a fresh business perspective who has shown outstanding capacity to instigate channel evolution for their company and/or the channel at large over the last 12 months.

Jason Blevins

Chief Product Officer

Agilant Solutions, Inc.

Jason is a seasoned technical leader with deep expertise across all Agilant services. His career began at Circuit City and progressed to CompUSA, where he managed service selection, vendor relationships, and category profitability. In 2007, he joined OfficeMax as Director of Tech Services, leading the successful development and rollout of in-store tech services across more than 900 locations. In 2015, Jason co-founded a technology services company focused on scalable innovation. After its acquisition by M-Powertech in 2016, he served as Executive Vice President of Services. In 2017, he joined Agilant through acquisition, where he continues to drive growth and transformation. Jason is the architect and inventor of the TOGa Software platform—Agilant’s proprietary solution and key differentiator in the IT channel. TOGa has redefined operational efficiency and transparency, playing a central role in Agilant’s service delivery model.

John Hurley

Chief Revenue Officer

Optiv

John Hurley has more than 25 years of experience in the technology industry driving success for global, commercial and enterprise organizations. As chief revenue officer (CRO) for Optiv, he is responsible for the company’s revenue-generation strategy and go-to-market approach to drive sustainable growth. Hurley joined Optiv from Quantum, where he served as CRO and had oversight for a global sales organization and all routes to market. He also led Quantum’s transition from a traditional hardware business to software only, subscription and SaaS offerings. Previously, Hurley spent the majority of his career in various leadership roles at Cisco and Dell spanning sales, go-to-market strategies and growth marketing.

Aaron Leiberman

Chief Technology Officer

ConRes

Aaron has been with ConRes for over 20 years, serving in a variety of technical and leadership roles that have supported the company’s evolution and long-term growth. As Chief Technology Officer (CTO), he is responsible for shaping ConRes’ technology vision and strategy while overseeing innovation, global services, and the development of modern IT solutions. With close to three decades of experience in the technology sector and a background in engineering, Aaron focuses on aligning technical capabilities with client needs across industries including the enterprise, public sector, and service providers. He has played a key role in ConRes’ ongoing transformation from a traditional value-added reseller into a consultative technology partner.

Saurabh Mishra

Global Head of Partnership – Google Cloud

Quantiphi

Saurabh Mishra brings over 15 years of proven leadership experience in building and scaling high-performing channel teams with organizations such as MuSigma and Quantiphi. In his current role as Global Channel Leader for Quantiphi’s Google Cloud business, he is responsible for developing and executing global channel strategies aimed at accelerating revenue growth, expanding market penetration, and driving profitability through a broad ecosystem of strategic partnerships. In this role, Saurabh has played a central role in expanding Quantiphi’s geographic footprint into new markets, while simultaneously deepening the breadth and depth of the company’s solution portfolio across workloads and industries. His efforts have positioned Quantiphi as a trusted data and AI partner to enterprise customers across industries, and he was honored with the CRN Inclusive Channel Leader award in 2023.

Bob Panos

President

American Digital Corporation

As President of American Digital, Bob ensures the company’s strategic vision, which encompasses a focus on long-term growth and innovation, is executed precisely and successfully. In his prior role as American Digital’s VP of Sales & Professional Services from 2011 to 2024, he was responsible for launching and growing our highly rated and extremely successful SAP and managed services practice. Bob’s innovative, client-centric model perfectly aligned with the company’s longstanding datacenter solutions business, originally established in 1984. Under his leadership, both the services and sales divisions have thrived. Bob’s emphasis on emerging technologies, including AI, continues to position American Digital as a top-tier IT Solutions and Managed Services Provider.

Terence Persaud

Chief Technology Officer

Jolera

Terence Persaud spearheads the convergence of technology, innovation, and strategic vision. His role is pivotal in driving technological advancements that align with and enhance Jolera’s business objectives. Terence leads the integration of cutting-edge technologies into our product development lifecycle, setting industry standards for excellence. He fosters a culture of innovation, where research and development are central to pioneering new solutions and maintaining a competitive edge. With a focus on building robust and scalable technology infrastructures, Terence ensures Jolera delivers with agility and resilience. His strategic partnerships and commitment to continuous learning and growth empower our teams and drive operational excellence.

Rob Purcell

President and Chief Mission Officer

22Vets Technologies

Rob Purcell is the President and Chief Mission Officer of 22Vets Technologies, a veteran-owned technology company based in Antioch, Illinois. He leads with a bold and unwavering mission: to END Veteran Suicide. With decades of military and professional experience, Rob drives 22Vets Technologies to deliver impactful solutions with purpose. Under Rob’s leadership, 22Vets has gained national recognition. In its first qualifying year, it was named to CRN’s Fast Growth 150 list. In 2023, the company was honored as the Innovation Channel Partner of the Year at the Canalys Forum, showcasing its innovative approach, market adoption and industry impact.

Ryan Surrette

Vice President of Sales

Appogee

Ryan is a seasoned sales and business development executive with over two decades of experience driving growth and building high-performance teams in the technology sector. He currently serves as Vice President at Appogee, a premier Apple-centric solutions provider catering to Fortune 1000 enterprises. Prior to joining Appogee, Ryan spent more than 12 years at Apple, where he held progressive leadership roles. As a US Market Business Leader and later in US Enterprise Sales, he played a key role in expanding Apple’s footprint in the enterprise space.

Nathan Trail

Chief Revenue Officer

NRI

Nathan Trail is a seasoned and successful IT executive with over 20 years of global experience in high growth companies. He is currently the Chief Revenue Officer at NRI North America, where he leads sales, marketing, alliances, and revenue operations and is based in Atlanta. Over the past several years he has also founded and grown global strategic sales organizations for multi-billion-dollar tech companies, such as DXC Technology, NTT and IBM, including 6 years spent in Singapore building out the Asia Pacific business segment. While in Asia, Nathan led business development, corporate relationship integration, and the negotiations of highly complex, high yield contracts across all industries.

Best Channel Visionary of the Year – Vendor/Distributor

Tim Barton-Wines

Executive

Halo Service Solutions

Tim joined Halo in 2018 as employee #11, and is one half of the two Tim’s that started HaloPSA in 2019. Currently with 10,000+ hours of sessions logged, and 10+ years of B2B SaaS experience – Tim works with new teams to help them move away from legacy ways of working, and drive the most value out of using a modern unified workspace such as Halo.
Recently, Halo has experienced 100% growth for the 8th year in a row, and is now servicing 4,000+ MSPs across 75+ countries.

Kelly Heffernan

Director, Global Channel Enablement

Trellix

With a solid foundation of over five years in sales, Kelly Heffernan has honed her expertise in understanding customer needs, building relationships, and driving revenue growth. This hands-on experience in sales laid the groundwork for her transition into enablement, where she’s spent almost a decade leading global programs to empower teams and improve performance. During her tenure in global enablement, she designed and implemented strategies that bridged gaps between training, tools, and execution. She focuses on equipping teams with the skills, knowledge, and resources to succeed in highly competitive environments while fostering collaboration across functions and geographies. Currently, Kelly leads global partner enablement, a role that leverages her experience and passion for empowering others.

Eric Herzog

CMO

Infinidat

Eric Herzog, Infinidat’s CMO, was a CRN 2015, 2022, and 2025 Channel Chief, as well as one of the 2024 CRN “Inclusive Channel Leaders”. Herzog has been the executive sponsor for IBM Storage at Sirius Computer Solutions and Mainline Information Systems, as well as the executive sponsor for IBM Storage and EMC at Arrow. In 2018, analyst firm Enterprise Strategy Group gave Herzog its distinguished Channel Acceleration Award. In 2014, he was on CRN’s list of “100 People You Don’t Know in the Channel But Should.” In 2012 and 2013, he was named EMC’s Most Valuable Executive for the Channel. He has won several CMO of the Year awards, including 3 in 2025.

Danny Jenkins

CEO and Co-founder

ThreatLocker

Danny Jenkins is the CEO and Co-Founder of ThreatLocker, a cybersecurity company specializing in Zero Trust endpoint protection solutions. With over two decades of experience in building and securing corporate networks, including red and blue team operations, Jenkins is a recognized authority in the cybersecurity industry. He is dedicated to advancing cybersecurity awareness and frequently speaks on topics such as ransomware and the Zero Trust approach. Jenkins began his cybersecurity career in 1997 as an ethical hacker. His early career experiences reinforced the importance of proactive, robust cybersecurity measures.

Cole Knuth

Chief Executive Officer

UKON (FifthWall Solutions)

Cole Knuth is the CEO of FifthWall and the architect behind its transformation into UKON, the cyber insurance marketplace built for precision. Backed by $5 million in Series A funding, Cole joined in 2024 to reshape the company’s strategy, product, and market identity. Since stepping into the CEO role, Cole has led FifthWall through its most significant evolution to date—launching UKON, a platform that simplifies cyber risk into clear, financial insight. He introduced Founders Club to drive MSP adoption and launched Risk & Reward as the company’s media and content flywheel.

Jason Magee

Chief Executive Officer

Cynet Security

Jason Magee is a seasoned technology executive with over two decades of experience in scaling businesses, driving strategic growth, and fostering robust partner ecosystems. In February 2025, he was appointed CEO of Cynet, provider of the All-in-One Cybersecurity Platform, marking a new chapter in the company’s global expansion and innovation efforts. Prior to joining Cynet, Magee served as CEO of ConnectWise from 2019 to 2024. Under his leadership, ConnectWise experienced significant growth, with annual recurring revenue increasing by 300% and profitability surging by over 500%. At Cynet, Magee is focused on scaling the company’s go-to-market efforts, investing in partner programs, and strengthening relationships with resellers and MSPs, particularly in North America. His leadership is expected to drive Cynet’s mission to make cybersecurity intuitive, accessible, and affordable for organizations worldwide.

Calhoun McKinney

VP, North America Go-to-Market

TD SYNNEX

As leader of North America Go to Market at TD SYNNEX, Calhoun focuses on connecting partners with technology and growth opportunities, as well as providing strategic guidance to vendors to help them maximize their marketing investments. She has been recognized four times by CRN’s Women of the Channel and received the 2023–2024 TD SYNNEX Founder’s Award. Known for challenging industry norms, she has driven multibillion-dollar strategies for Fortune 100 clients and played key roles in the historic mergers for TD SYNNEX. Calhoun is passionate about developing leaders, promoting parent-friendly workplace culture, and giving back—serving on the boards of TD SYNNEX Share the Magic and A Child’s Haven.

Susan Odle

CEO

StorMagic

Susan Odle was appointed as CEO and member of the board of directors in 2025, to accelerate StorMagic’s innovation execution and to drive significant growth. She previously served as StorMagic’s chief growth officer, leading all-company initiatives resulting in 600% growth in qualified pipeline, increasing the average sale value, securing a strategic OEM agreement and expanding StorMagic’s market through net new customer acquisition and engagement. With over 25 years of experience in frontline and executive leadership, Susan has a distinguished and diverse technologies background across sales, channels, technical professional services and operations.

Craig Patterson

Global Channel Chief

Exabeam

Craig Patterson is the Global Channel Chief at Exabeam, a leader in intelligence and automation that powers security operations for the world’s smartest companies. With over two decades of channel leadership, Patterson has built a reputation for developing and scaling high-impact partner programs that drive revenue growth and global market expansion. Since joining Exabeam in January 2025, he has focused on elevating an already strong partner program, with plans to relaunch it in June as the Exabeam APEX Partner Program — a competency-based framework that empowers partners to grow through enablement and investment, not just deal volume. His work is informed by direct partner engagement, market analysis, and a deep understanding of evolving channel dynamics.

Sanjib Sahoo

Vice President of Sales

Ingram Micro Inc.

Since joining Ingram Micro in 2021, Sahoo has spearheaded the company’s digital journey, introducing the groundbreaking intelligent digital platform, Ingram Micro Xvantage™, which is aimed at transforming Ingram Micro into a platform company. Now serving as EVP and President, Global Platform Group, Sahoo leads all aspects of Ingram Micro’s platform strategy, including platform development, the innovation flywheel, global growth, services and support, and the business expansion plans for Ingram Micro’s platform operating model.

Aaron Shilts

President and CEO

NetSPI

Aaron Shilts is a proven cybersecurity leader focused on creating strong teams that deliver an exceptional client experience. In his 20+ years of industry leadership, Aaron has a track record of building innovative and high-performing organizations. Before NetSPI, Aaron was EVP of Worldwide Services at Optiv where he led one of the industry’s largest mergers. He is also co-founder of “Change Starts With Me,” a Minneapolis non-profit, and advises several global firms. Aaron earned his B.S. from St. Cloud State University and proudly served in the Army National Guard.

Best Emerging Leader of the Year

The Best Emerging Leader of the Year Award goes to a promising up-and-comer in the channel who is on the path to channel greatness. This may be a newer employee who has made an exceptionally strong impact in a short time or an early-career manager/executive making waves throughout the business over the last 12 months. Applicants from solution providers, technology vendors, distributors and marketplaces are eligible.

Melissa Curtis

Vice President, Process Optimization

Bluum

Melissa Curtis is a results-driven executive currently serving as Vice President of Process Optimization at Bluum in St. Paul, Minnesota. With nearly fifteen years at the company, she led an impressive career, advancing through several leadership positions. Her journey began as Director of Operations in 2010, dedicating over twelve years in the role before earning a promotion to VP of Sales Administration in 2023, and transitioning to her current role in 2023. Her role has evolved, and today, she serves as an integral member of Bluum’s Executive Leadership Team.

Alex Glass

VP, Global Channel Sales & Alliances

Expel

Alex Glass is an accomplished channel leader with 10+ years of experience driving growth, building strategic alliances, and empowering partners in cybersecurity. Currently serving as the Global Head of Channels and Alliances at Expel, Alex is responsible for overseeing the organization’s channel and alliance strategy. Prior to Expel, Alex has a successful record of overachieving on company expectations in leading top performing partner organizations focused on building and accelerating partner ecosystems. In previous roles, Alex helped lead his partner organizations to successful exits at Rapid7 (2015 IPO), Duo Security (acquisition by Cisco 2018), and Tessian (acquisition by Proofpoint 2023).

Tim Hall

Director, Alliances & Marketing

Blackwood

Tim was born in coastal New Jersey and has called the DMV home since his college years. After graduating, he was eight months into a CJO with a three-letter agency when Ryan Morris, President of Blackwood, reached out with an opportunity to help expand the business. That call marked the beginning of a defining chapter—Tim joined as employee #8 and has since played a key role in Blackwood’s evolution from a (36 year-old) startup to an industry leader. Starting in lead generation and quickly proving himself in DoD sales, Tim eventually found his stride in building something entirely new: Blackwood’s Alliances and Marketing Division. Today, he leads the programs he created, spanning Federal Government, SLED, and Commercial sectors, and works closely with top technology partners to drive joint growth and go-to-market alignment.

Sydney Hockett

Vice President

Evergreen

As a Vice President on the Evergreen M&A team, Sydney is focused on identifying and partnering with business leaders to help them carry on their legacy and find a permanent home for their businesses within Lyra. Sydney’s passion has always been building relationships and connecting with people. Recognizing that every business needs a final home and private equity is often behind the scenes, she has built a career out of marrying the two at Evergreen. Sydney has built relationships with hundreds of MSPs, is highly active in various MSP communities, and has found a home at Evergreen for more than fifty businesses over the last five years. After studying economics, Sydney spent time in the financial services sector, serving the world’s largest private equity firms and getting exposure to a variety of industries. As a result of this experience, she found herself drawn towards the deal sourcing and execution but missing the human side of the business, ultimately landing her at Evergreen, where the firm supports businesses through their next phase of growth and beyond, with a focus on the people.

Kasey King

Channel and Alliances Marketing Manager

Object First

Kasey King, an accomplished 2023 graduate from the University of Georgia’s Terry College of Business, began her journey at Object First as a Marketing Specialist Intern almost two years ago. Now serving in a full-time role as the Channel and Alliances Marketing Manager, Kasey leverages her academic foundation in marketing and leadership to enhance partnerships. Inspired by her experience in the prestigious Institute for Leadership Advancement program at Georgia, she is dedicated to creating impactful opportunities and fostering meaningful collaborations in the field. In her free time, you can find Kasey being just as creative as she is in her day job, making art with her hands, writing, and sharing what inspires her.

Jon LoBello

Director of IT Channel Program Strategy

Schneider Electric

Jon LoBello is the Director of IT Channel Program Strategy at Schneider Electric, where he leads a team of talented and dedicated program strategists focused on driving innovation and enhancing the effectiveness of channel programs for partners. With over 17 years of experience in marketing and six years at Schneider Electric, Jon brings a unique blend of creative thinking and strategic execution to the channel. Before stepping into his current role, Jon served in a global channel capacity, where he owned channel analyst relations and relaunched a global partner rewards program—deepening partner loyalty.

Lynsy Marshall

Sr. Field & Channel Marketing Manager

Infinidat

Lynsy Marshall is the Sr. Marketing Manager for Field & Channel and Global Alliances at Infinidat and the Marketing Lead for Infinidat Federal, a wholly owned subsidiary of Infinidat focused on the U.S. Government. Prior to joining Infinidat, Marshall led events for both Netcracker and Connectwise, formally Continuum Managed Services. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of New Hampshire. Marshall’s leadership skills, drive and versatility has helped her achieve continued success in her career. As a dynamic and visionary marketing professional with an exceptional track record in driving business growth, she continuously raises the bar. And with an unwavering dedication to achieving results, she has carved her path as a trailblazer in the marketing industry with her tight cooperation with Infinidat’s channel partners and Infinidat’s sales team.

Lloyd McCoy Jr.

Sr. Director, Public Sector Marketing

TD SYNNEX

Lloyd McCoy, Jr. is the Senior Director of Public Sector Marketing at TD SYNNEX Public Sector, where he leads market intelligence, strategy, and insight initiatives that guide business decisions across sales, marketing, and partner engagement. With over 20 years of experience, Lloyd has a proven track record of aligning technology solutions with public sector priorities. Before joining TD SYNNEX in 2021, Lloyd led the Market Intelligence team at immixGroup, where he developed research-driven strategies that helped technology vendors grow in the government space. He began his career as a senior analyst in the intelligence community, where he supported senior decision-makers and gained deep insight into government operations and procurement.

Dani Pickens

VP of Channel Sales

Xcitium

Dani Pickens is a dynamic channel leader with over a decade of experience in telecommunications and the partner ecosystem. As Vice President of Channel Sales at Xcitium, she launched the company’s NextGen Channel Program—an enablement-first model that modernizes how partners learn, sell, and succeed in cybersecurity. In her first year as Channel Chief, Dani led rapid expansion across team headcount, partner engagement, and go-to-market strategies supporting Xcitium’s growing MDR, XDR, and advanced threat protection portfolio.

Anna Philbrick

VP, Client Experience

Connection

With over 20 years of experience in the IT and services industry, Anna has built a career focused on operational excellence, client satisfaction, and process innovation. Currently serving as Vice President of Client Experience at Connection, she leads initiatives that streamline workflows, enhance automation, and drive scalable solutions to support Connection’s advanced technology business. Her background spans client operations management, inside sales leadership, and cross-functional collaboration—having led departments of 100+ employees and worked closely with executives, sales, and technical teams to optimize productivity and profitability.

Best Channel Marketing Team of the Year

This award will honor an outstanding group responsible for marketing at a vendor, distributor or marketplace that can quantify the generated demand and increased brand or project awareness they drove for their channel business and that of their solution provider partners over the last 12 months.

Carahsoft Technology Corp

Carahsoft is The Trusted IT Solutions Provider based in Reston VA. Now in its 21st year, Carahsoft has grown from $0 to $19.5 billion in annual bookings and employs more than 3,400 team members. Working with a robust ecosystem of thousands of resellers, integrators, solutions providers and a deep portfolio of contracts, Carahsoft proactively markets, sells, and distributes IT to government markets in the U.S. & Canada, as well as education, healthcare, critical infrastructure, not-for-profit and commercial markets.

Climb Channel Solutions

Commvault Partner Ecosystem Marketing Team

Commvault is the gold standard in cyber resilience, helping more than 100,000 organizations keep data safe and businesses resilient and moving forward. Today, Commvault offers the only cyber resilience platform that combines the best data security and rapid recovery at enterprise scale across any workload, anywhere—at the lowest TCO.

Cribl

Cribl is the Data Engine for IT and Security. Its mission is to empower enterprises to unlock the value of all their data. Cribl built its data processing engine specifically for IT and Security and made sure our Cribl product suite is vendor-agnostic. Its data engine is the heart of a potent data management solution that collects data from any source, processes billions of events per second, automatically routes data to optimize storage, and analyzes any data, any time, anywhere. With Cribl, IT and Security teams have choice, control, and flexibility to adapt to data needs that are always changing.

D&H Distributing

D&H Distributing is a leading technology distributor in North America, delivering innovative IT solutions and electronics to partners in both commercial and consumer markets.

ESET

ESET is led by the same engineers who started the company three decades ago. Through the strength of its products, in-house innovation, and unwavering customer loyalty, ESET has grown into a global cybersecurity leader —protecting Fortune 500 companies, SMBs, governments and industries. By combining the power of AI and human expertise, ESET stays ahead of known and emerging cyber threats and offers a full suite of advanced security solutions, including cloud-based, AI-native XDR, MDR and EDR solutions.

Exclaimer

Exclaimer is the world’s leading provider of email signature management, managing over 22 billion emails annually across 70,000 customers. Its platform helps IT and Marketing teams solve the everyday challenge of inconsistent, outdated, or non-compliant email signatures by centralizing control, automating updates, and transforming signatures into a dynamic channel for brand engagement. Email signature management is an ongoing business need, and Exclaimer’s centralized platform simplifies deployment, automates compliance, and unlocks marketing potential.

Intermedia Cloud Communications

Logitech

Logitech helps all people pursue their passions and is committed to doing so in a way that is good for people and the planet. Logitech designs hardware and software solutions that help businesses thrive and bring people together when working, creating, gaming and streaming.

Moovila

Moovila is the leading AI-powered project management platform that delivers supervised automation around project timelines, scheduling and project financials that impact the overall MSP business. Through native bi-directional integrations with the industry’s leading PSAs, Moovila embeds directly into your existing workflows, syncing tasks, time, and financials in real time from day one. Its automation engine continuously analyzes timelines, budgets, and dependencies while our capacity insights highlight resource constraints before they derail projects.

NVIDIA/ Dell

NVIDIA, founded in 1993 by Jensen Huang, Chris Malachowsky, and Curtis Priem, is a leading company in accelerated computing. It is renowned for its invention of the GPU in 1999, which revolutionized computer graphics and sparked the growth of the PC gaming market. NVIDIA designs and supplies graphics processing units (GPUs), application programming interfaces (APIs) for data science, and system on a chip units (SoCs) for mobile computing and automotive markets. The company is also a pioneer in AI and has significantly impacted various industries through its innovations.

Pax8

Pax8 is the technology marketplace of the future, linking partners, vendors and small to midsized businesses (SMBs) through AI-powered insights and comprehensive product support. With a global partner ecosystem of nearly 40,000 managed service providers, Pax8 empowers SMBs worldwide by providing software and services that unlock their growth potential and enhance their security. Committed to innovating cloud commerce at scale, Pax8 drives customer acquisition and solution consumption across its entire ecosystem.

CRN Best Of The Channel Awards 2025: The Finalists

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