CRN Channel Awards Australia 2026: Meet the judges
See who will be judging your entries for this year’s awards!
As entries are soon to close for the CRN Channel Awards Australia, now is the perfect time to get to know who will be judging your entries.
Judging is done by an esteemed panel of IT channel stalwarts, from CEOs at MSPs, regional leaders at global vendors, to managers of local distributors.
These have been selected by an editorial panel to ensure that your entries are judged by those who understand the channel deeply.
We asked each judge a handful of questions about the channel industry and what they are looking for when judging an entry.
Without further ado, here are your 2026 CRN Channel Awards Australia judges!
Xara Tran, CEO and Founder, Champions of Change
Why are the CRN Channel Awards important?
CRN Channel awards are important, as there is a fresh opportunity to reward new emerging talent. The criteria being based solely on merit than pedigree it offers an chance to a new generation.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
Competition spirit between competitors. The Aussie IT channels allows us to understand existing trends but also share our experience on emerging trends. It allows us to be competitive in our client base, as well as drive innovation within businesses. I often am inspired by my peers, and would enjoy celebrating achievements with the industry.
What do you hope to see in this year’s entries?
I often get approached as a judge by those who think they do not have the accolades to be acknowledged for an award. It is important that if there has been an achievement you have shared within an inner circle of your family circle, friend circle or peers, you should try and enter for an appropriate award category. Your future self would thank you, and judges do see merit in entries that tell a story. I meet many people who often think their work isn't good enough when it actually raises the bar of the quality of work in the industry as a whole and should be celebrated.
Deme Georgiou, VP sales, APJ, Coro
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
The CRN Channel Awards are important because they recognise the innovation, leadership, and impact being delivered across the Australian IT channel. They highlight the organisations and individuals driving meaningful outcomes for customers while continuing to evolve the industry through partnerships, technology, and execution excellence.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
What I enjoy most about the Australian IT channel is the strength of its relationships and community. It is a highly collaborative ecosystem where partners, vendors, and distributors genuinely work together to solve problems, support customers, and help each other grow. The resilience, adaptability, and entrepreneurial mindset across the channel is something quite unique.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
I hope to see authentic examples of innovation, customer impact, and partner success. It is always exciting to see organisations pushing boundaries, simplifying outcomes for customers, and demonstrating how collaboration across the channel can drive real business value and long-term growth.
Mark Winter, CEO inTechnology Distribution
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
CRN has long been the channel's trusted source for industry news, technology education, and market intelligence. The Channel Awards do something critical: they spotlight the partners who are genuinely moving the needle, identifying the innovators and next-generation leaders shaping our industry. That visibility matters. These awards amplify the work of partners who are doing things differently and setting the standard for what's possible in the channel.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
The Australian channel punches above its weight. Across our APAC footprint, I see Australian partners approaching problems with real creativity and pragmatism. They're not wedded to selling a product; they're focused on solving for the outcome. There's a genuine appetite here to think outside the box, to source unconventional solutions that actually fit what the client needs. That problem-first mentality is refreshing and it's not as common as it should be across the region.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
I'm looking for innovation stories. I want to see how the channel is bringing genuinely new thinking to the Australian market, how partners are creating competitive advantage through their approach, and what real business impact they're delivering for their clients. The entries that will stand out are the ones showing how the channel is expanding its own business by staying ahead of where the market is going
Victor Tsaccounis, CEO, Hubify
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
They shine a light on the partner businesses that usually work behind the scenes. For our industry, recognition like this is real currency, it builds credibility with customers, helps attract talent, and gives teams something to be proud of. The awards are also a great snapshot of where the industry is heading each year.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
How tight-knit it is. Even as competitors, we know each other and we back each other in. It's a relatively small market, but the talent, resilience and willingness to collaborate mean we punch well above our weight.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
Real outcomes, not just activity. It would be good to see customer impact backed with evidence. The entries that stand out are specific about what they did, why it mattered, and the results they delivered, plus a genuine focus on their people.
Brad Clarke, founder, Channel Guru
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
The CRN Channel Awards are one of the most important events on the Australian technology calendar because they give us an opportunity not only to celebrate success, but also to learn from one another as a community.
The technology landscape is evolving rapidly, particularly with the emergence of AI and new customer expectations. The awards provide a valuable platform to showcase what great looks like, highlight innovation, and share the approaches that are helping organisations succeed in this new era. Ultimately, they help raise the bar for the entire channel and create a stronger foundation for the year ahead.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
What I love most about the Australian IT channel is the sheer depth and diversity of capability across the ecosystem. The more you work across vendors, distributors, partners, and industry events, the more you realise just how vast and talented our channel really is.
We regularly engage with organisations outside Australia, and it continually reinforces my belief that Australian technology partners are among the best in the world. They are innovative, adaptable, and often leading the way when it comes to defining what a modern technology partner looks like. It's a community filled with passionate people who are constantly evolving to help their customers succeed.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
I'm looking forward to seeing examples of organisations that are creating meaningful impact through proactive engagement with their customers, partners, and broader channel communities.
We're operating in a period of significant change, where technology is advancing faster than ever and customers are looking for guidance, not just products. The entries that will stand out are those that demonstrate leadership in helping customers navigate this complexity, build strong foundations for the future, and embrace the opportunities that technologies like AI can create.
Whether it's a partner, vendor, or distributor, I'd love to see organisations that are leading with advice, education, and genuine customer outcomes. The strongest entries will be those that showcase a commitment to helping others succeed while driving meaningful transformation across the industry.
Mary Armstrong, Regional Leader, Partner Sales, Cisco
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
The CRN Channel Awards are a pulse of the industry. They not only celebrate success, they also provide the benchmark for excellence, by spotlighting those who raise the bar, the awards ensure the entire Australian channel continues to innovate and deliver meaningful impact.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
Gosh, it’s never been a more exciting time to be in the IT channel. The rate of innovation is insane, but I think that in Australia the IT channel is a real community, which has to be my favourite aspect. The level of trust, support, innovation and willingness to help each other succeed is incredible and what makes this eco-system something special.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
I hope to see submissions that move beyond the technical specifications of a project to demonstrate “how" technology is being used, but rather the story as to “why” technology can be a catalyst for the human element, empowering people, organizations, and communities that rely on them.
Bryan Stibbard, senior director, GTM and shared ecosystems, ANZ, Palo Alto Networks
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
As the Australian IT ecosystem undergoes a massive shift driven by rapid AI integration, the CRN Channel Awards Australia hold more relevance than ever. They are vital for three key reasons:
Navigating Transformation: With technology moving at an unprecedented pace, the awards help the wider business community identify which partners are genuinely leading the charge in AI innovation, rather than just riding the hype wave.
Mapping Specialisations: No single provider can do it all. These awards shine a light on niche capabilities, allowing organisations to pinpoint exactly where specific technical skills and industry specialisations reside.
Credibility and Validation: For the partners themselves, recognition by CRN provides peer-reviewed validation. It builds market trust at a time when buyers seek proven capability to de-risk their technology investments.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
Pinpointing a single favourite thing is tough when the ecosystem has so much going for it. If I had to choose, it’s the unique blend of fierce competition and genuine camaraderie. Unlike other markets globally, the Australian IT channel understands the power of a true ecosystem.
Partners regularly collaborate, sharing insights and leveraging collective expertise to ensure the customer wins. This is a dynamic, nationwide community where lifelong relationships are forged alongside cutting-edge innovation.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
First and foremost: please don't just use a generic AI prompt to describe your business and market opportunities! I will be looking for forward-thinking partners who anticipate where customer challenges are heading next and create innovative solutions to meet them.
Furthermore, every partner has a unique 'DNA' that sets them apart. I want to see how entrants define that uniqueness and articulate their true differentiators. My biggest piece of advice is to capture your business culture and core values alongside the actual solutions you deliver. Tell us who you are, not just what you sell.
Navneesh Garg, CEO, Adactin
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
What with so much change happening in the IT industry right now these awards represent those companies and individuals at the forefront of shaping that change and forging new ways of tapping technology to support Australian businesses and government agencies reap the benefits of this period of digital disruption.
It’s important that everyone’s voice in the industry can be heard and these awards enable vendors, partners and distributors to celebrate team and individual achievements. While working hard is always important being visible through an award submission is also important.
Ultimately, by being part of industry events, you learn from your peers and it’s good for your career.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
I’ve been in an entrepreneurial role for more than 20 years now and have seen Australian channel companies become increasingly sophisticated with motivated, high performing workforces and an asset to the wider Australian business community.
Not only is the channel talking to the talk but we’re running with our clients to drive success and opportunity while also building diverse internal cultures.
As an industry, we’re forging ahead with clarity, confidence and purpose, investing for impact and looking for solutions that can solve real world problems.
It’s an exciting place to be right now and, in the next decade, I truly believe that we’ll look back at this time and confidently claim that the Australian channel in the 2020s was a force for positive impactful change.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
It would be great to hear as many voices as possible from companies and individuals with clarity of vision, those driving real-world innovation, and the courage to create and drive impactful change. In addition, I’d love to see those champions creating positive change and a demonstration of their real-life dedication to their companies and the industry as a whole.
Kaylene O’Brien, CEO, NRI ANZ
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
The CRN Channel Awards matter because they recognise the people and organisations helping Australian businesses bridge the gap between technology ambition and real-world impact.
Awards like this help us amplify and celebrate all of that hard work, the innovation, the bravery, and most importantly the wins, alongside people who understand what this period represents.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
I really value the Australian IT channel’s balance of pragmatism and innovation.
The best conversations I have had are still centred on what is the problem or opportunity, before we even talk about the technology.
This balance is very aligned to NRI’s approach.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
I’m hoping to see entries that demonstrate innovation with purpose. Not just what was delivered, but why it matters.
There is enormous focus on emerging technologies such as AI and automation, but the strongest entries for me will be those that show how these technologies have been applied responsibly, at scale, and with a clear link to business value.
I’ll also be looking for evidence of genuine collaboration with clients. And importantly, I’d like to see diversity of thought reflected in the entries, whether that is through the teams involved, the perspectives brought into the work, or the way different capabilities have come together to solve complex modern challenges.
Moheb Moses, managing director, Channel Dynamics
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
The CRN Channel Awards recognise achievement at both an individual and organisational level. At a time when technology is becoming increasingly complex and customers are facing more choices than ever, the channel plays a critical role in helping organisations make sense of those choices and turn technology into business outcomes.
These awards recognise the people and companies making a real difference. We get the chance to celebrate innovation, leadership, and excellence, while also recognising the vital role the channel plays in bringing technology solutions to market and helping customers navigate an increasingly challenging environment.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
For me, it's the people. I've spent more than four decades in this industry, and one of the things that has always stood out is the willingness of people to support one another. Of course we're all businesses trying to succeed, but there's a genuine sense of camaraderie that exists across the Australian IT channel.
Many of the professional relationships I've built over the years have become personal friendships. Throughout my career, countless people have helped me, encouraged me, opened doors for me, and shared their knowledge. I've been fortunate to receive that support, and equally fortunate to have had opportunities to give something back. That's something quite special, and it's one of the reasons I've remained passionate about this industry for so long.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
I hope to see authenticity. AI has made it easier than ever to produce polished submissions, but the danger is that many entries start to sound the same. As judges, we're looking for genuine achievements, real impact, and evidence that the entrant has made a meaningful difference.
The entries that stand out are usually the ones that tell a compelling story in the entrant's own voice. They give us something we can connect with and believe in. A well-written submission is important, but I'd much rather read an authentic story about real results than a perfectly polished entry full of buzzwords and marketing jargon.
Robbie Upcroft, country manager ANZ, Tech Data
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
It’s super important to recognise our amazing industry’s best and brightest and the CRN Channel Awards are an opportunity for our stories to shine, and to inspire others to truly help their customers.
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
The positivity, resilience and creativity in solving genuinely hard problems on behalf of their customers.
What do you hope to see in the entries?
I’m delighted to be a part of the judging panel and look forward to review entries from a diverse range of great channel companies. Key for me will be the entrants demonstrating how they’ve driven lasting change and growth for their customers.
Chris Sharp, SVP platform expansion, Pax8
Why are the CRN Channel Awards Australia important?
Channel awards are an important celebration of the amazing things that our industry is doing each year. It is our once a year time to learn from the successes of others and secretly to benchmark ourselves against the others in market... (did I just say that out loud???)
What is your favourite thing about the Aussie IT channel?
I love the way that although we all ruthlessly compete against each other we are also here to raise the whole of the industry. They say the raising tide raises all boats and I love that about our industry. Every time I see an Australian company break out and become successful internationally it makes me proud. It shows every single one of us that there is the opportunity to do the same!
What do you hope to see in the entries?
I love reading the entries about people, what they have done and how they have grown. Our early in career people, our Leaders in the industry! It doesn't matter what level it is the human stories of how we have leaned in and learned,, how we have grown, and with that taken our businesses to new heights!
Entries for the CRN Channel Awards Australia are open until June 12, apply now!