NADIM NAKKASH views challenges and opportunities as being opposite sides of the same coin , which present themselves differently across countries in the region , where the maturity level in customer and partner cloud journeys vary .

of VMware ’ s Partner Organisation in the Middle East , Turkey , and North Africa region . Nakkash leads the team that is responsible for the relationships with VMware ’ s large ecosystem of solution sellers , cloud service providers , global system integrators , distributors , and global alliances within the region , such as with Dell , HPE and Lenovo .

Recently , Nakkash and his team led the launch of VMware ’ s new partner programme , known as Partner Connect 2.0 , within his region . VMware ’ s Partner Connect 2.0 Programme is designed to help partners transform their business models alongside VMware so that both VMware and the partner can jointly enable customers to succeed in the cloud-smart era .

What are your strengths and abilities that you bring to the above role ?

Throughout his career , Nakkash has covered leadership roles , including working at IBM as the General Manager in Qatar , among other regional roles . Over the past 20 + years , Nakkash has adopted a multidisciplinary approach in his career . His experience in the IT industry spans across different functions , including channel , professional services , sales management , and general management .

These career choices were deliberately inspired by the T-Shaped Model of Leadership , where leaders develop their capabilities over time by driving teams from distinctive functions within large matrix organisations . This multidisciplinary and non-linear approach has been vital in his current role at VMware , which involves leading diverse stakeholders on a common mission .

Please describe the opportunities and challenges that exist for channel partners in your market ?

Nakkash views challenges and opportunities as being opposite sides of the same coin and which present themselves differently across countries in the region , where the maturity level in customer and partner cloud journeys vary . Customers , however , are driven by the ability to change their consumption of cloud solutions , which is both an opportunity and threat to the reseller .

VMware ’ s Partner Connect 2.0 programme was launched to support its partners , by aligning them with the right trends and to find the best suited business model in the programme . Within the programme , partners can choose from multiple business models including newer solutions such as cloud services or more traditional approaches such as solution reselling .

The Cloud Services Provider model is an emerging one in the region , where many national companies in countries are creating sovereign clouds . Key examples include government entities such as Saudi Data and AI Authority in Saudi Arabia and the Telecommunications and Digital Government Regulatory Authority in the UAE .

With the Partner Services Solutions model partners can build a competitive cloud experience offering support throughout the customer lifecycle . VMware ’ s partner programmes allow it to support and

Nadim Nakkash , Regional Director , VMware Partner Organisation in Middle East , Turkey , and North Africa

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