Channel Guru picks IT channel stalwart James Davis as Head of Strategy

Davis will help the company reach operational excellence.

Tech community platform Channel Guru has appointed Aussie IT stalwart James Davis as director of strategy.

Hiring Davis comes as the platform aims to drive operational excellence across the Australian IT channel.

Speaking to CRN Australia about the appointment, Brad Clarke, founder at Channel Guru said Davis brings a “deep expertise” in what a modern-day tech partner operating model should look like.

“His background aligns perfectly with our mission: we both believe in creating something that genuinely helps hundreds, if not thousands, of partners become more mature and successful,” he explained.

“In short, Davis’ inherent knowledge of the partner journey and the steps needed for operational maturity is a huge boost to our growth.”

One major issue is that many partners struggle with transformation and profitability, Clarke explained.

“In other words, a lot of partners aren’t as profitable as they could be because they haven't fully evolved their operational models,” he said.

“Davis’ plans to tackle this by helping partners adopt more mature, streamlined processes that will enhance both their transformation and profitability over time.”

Davis is no stranger to the Australian IT channel community. He began his foray into the industry at Cool Chilli as a sales and account manager.

Since then he has held several leadership positions at ConnectWise, Grace Records Management, and Pax8.

“I have been doing this work for over 8 years now, and more than ever partners need help,” he told CRN Australia.

“But I can only do so much an individual, a core reason I have partnered with Clarke at Channel Guru is to create a cost effective and accessible enablement framework with assessments and resources partners can leverage to self-service.”

Davis said he wants to enable more subject matter experts to better help partners in their area of expertise.

"My hope is to help everyone grow and thrive, and I believe Channel Guru will enable this,” he added.

In the next year, Channel Guru is rolling out all ten of their modern tech partner operating modules.

“We’ve already launched three, and we'll continue expanding until all ten are available,” Clarke explained.

They will also be building out a regionally focused network and marketplace.

“This means we’ll have tailored offerings for large partners and practical tools for smaller partners, ensuring everyone in between can benefit. In short, it’s going to be a busy and exciting year of growth and new resources,” he said.

Channel Guru is an independent network and marketplace helping tech partners across region drive growth, operational efficiency, and competitive advantage.

Through resources and assessments, plus a partner network, Channel Guru delivers practical solutions for to help their customers be successful.