CHANNEL CHIEF
DAVID JORDAN is Senior Director , Global Partner Programmes and Strategy , Thales Cloud Protection and Licensing Solutions , one of the leading organisations for cloud protection , cloud licensing , personal data protection , and business data protection . Jordan talks about his current job role and how Thales Cloud Protection and Licensing Solutions is working with the whole partner ecosystem ( distributors , resellers , OEMs and MSPs ) and bolstering its channel business in North America and globally .
dDescribe your current job role and the parts that are somewhat challenging ? My current role entails managing a global team of experts who together drive success for both Thales and our partners . To drive this success , we have created 24 by 7 access to easy-to-use sales and marketing tools , certification-level enablement supplemented by role play training , and the ability to share unique partner value proposition on the Thales website , including badging , attractive margins , discounts and rewards , and both personal and on-line support . Thales Cloud Protection and Licensing has built a best-ofbreed global partner programme – with a participation rate of over 75 % ( meaning that more than 75 % of our business is from , with , or through partners ). The programme creates value for all of our partners . These partners include distributors and resellers in the sales channel , OEMs and MSPs , and technology partners who are part of the Thales Accelerate Partner Network ecosystem .
One of the more challenging aspects of my role is to ensure our partners are prepared to support customers and prospects who are going through digital and cloud transitions .
Can you explain how your company works with channel partners ?
Building on the success of our global partner network , we launched the Thales Accelerate Partner Network in February 2020 , taking the best parts of two programmes – Thales eSecurity and the acquisition of Gemalto , an international security company – to create a best-in-class network of partners .
To identify what would make the Thales channel programme stand out , we interviewed partners , channel account managers , product stakeholders , marketing experts and our sales team . The channel team researched innovative elements to introduce into the programme and we partnered with our IT and CRM teams to ensure every element of the programme was interconnected and structured in a way that would allow us to measure success .
With a new start , we are able to offer excellent content on our portal and serve it up at the right time during the sales process , using guided selling in conjunction with registered deals . This includes fresh sales and marketing tools , such as prebuilt marketing campaigns and one-click co-branding of key collateral for demand generation , and a learning management system that enables partners to get sales and tech certified when and where it is convenient for them . Additionally , the team is piloting a rewards collection for partners who either exceed targets or that need help jump starting their business .
How do you ensure channel partners flourish in a highly competitive market ?
Our best-of-breed model ensures partners have the training , tools and incentives that they need to be successful , but also helps them shift their business to align with future models . For example , we introduced a new partner type in early 2022 called Cloud Partner that is structured to align with current market trends . The team and I are actively training these partners on
David Jordan , Senior Director , Global Partner Programmes and Strategy , Thales Cloud Protection and Licensing Solutions
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