Global channel leaders discuss what channel success means to them

From Sophos to Cisco, these 12 executives tell CRN how they measure their wins.

Success within the channel is different for every vendor.

Putting financials aside, success for a top cybersecurity vendor could be educating partners around security risks.

For a components vendor it could be ensuring that partners aren’t paying top dollar for highly lucrative memory parts. For a software vendor success could reflect in how their partners success.

In this list, a dozen global channel leaders discuss how they measure success within their channel organisation besides financial growth.

Amy Kodl, SVP of WW Partner and Alliances, Snowflake

The Snowflake partner ecosystem has grown to include more than 12,000 partners globally. Now, we want to provide these partners with greater profitability, consistency and predictability, scale and differentiation.

We do that with the three 'R's of partnering: Reach: Expanding our reach to new territories and companies by working arm and arm with our partners Relationships: Leaning on our partners relationships to expand in accounts Revenue: Both of these will help us accelerate our revenues together

Denise Millard, Chief Partner Officer, Dell Technologies

An important metric is partner engagement from Dell's sales teams. This is something we measure and drive with our sales teams. No one company can deliver all customer outcomes alone, so Dell's omni-channel approach is a differentiator and a key part of our success.

Michael Durkin, Head Of Global Partner Support, Enablement, Broadcom

We measure the success of our organization in two ways. First, we monitor support KPI's including but not limited to Customer Satisfaction Scores, ISLO, and Deflection Rates back to Broadcom Support. We consistently share best practices as well enablement to ensure a high level of support and customer satisfaction.

Secondly, we measure the number of enablement certifications by role to ensure our partners are meeting the requirements of their business plans. This builds partner teams with excellent skills and capabilities in regards to the Broadcom products they support.

Marty Falaro, COO, Wasabi Technologies

We continue to add new partners, increase Sales and SE certifications, grow deal registrations and pipeline via joint alliance partners and our distributors with our resellers and MSP channels.

Christine Gassman, Global Director of Partner Success, OpenText

We measure success by the growth and success of our MSP partners. When partners expand their client base, increase recurring revenue, and confidently lead with our solutions, it's a clear indicator that our enablement efforts are working. Financial growth is a byproduct, not the goal.

Our true success lies in helping MSPs build stronger, more resilient businesses through education, activation, and ongoing support. We regularly assess metrics like partner engagement, activation rates, and customer retention to ensure our programs are driving real-world results and empowering MSPs to scale sustainably.

Daniel Bernard, Chief Business Officer, CrowdStrike

We measure success through partner sentiment and opportunity - the two indicators that define true leadership. Sentiment reflects trust, alignment, and the simplicity of doing business with CrowdStrike. Opportunity captures the growth our partners achieve through pipeline creation, new customer acquisition, and platform expansion.

Success isn't defined by scale alone - it's about building an ecosystem where partners grow faster, win more, and set the standard for what partnership means in the AI era.

Tim Coogan, SVP, Global Partner Sales, Cisco

Cisco measures the success of our partners through a variety of outcome-based and operational metrics across four categories in the Partner Value Index within the Cisco 360 Partner Program: Foundational (practice maturity for lifecycle as well as managed services), Capabilities, (investment in technical skills, training and resourcing), Performance (ability to land, retain, expand, and grow the customer base), and Engagement (engagement along the customer journey and within the partner ecosystem).

Together, these metrics provide a comprehensive view of partner success that focuses on outcomes and the ability to drive durable growth and customer success.

Stan de Boisset, SVP, Global Channels, Proofpoint

Beyond financial growth, we measure the success of our channel organization through both leading indicators and key performance outcomes. Leading indicators include pipeline-generating activities such as call-out days, targeted sales campaigns, and partner-sourced deal registrations that drive consistent pipeline creation.

Success is ultimately reflected in measurable KPIs like new logo acquisition, growth in partner-sourced business, customer retention rates, transaction volume, and portfolio sales expansion. Together, these metrics provide a holistic view of partner engagement, enablement, and long-term value creation across our ecosystem.

Chris Bell, SVP, Global Channel Sales, Alliances, Corporate Development, Sophos

For us, channel success means more than numbers. We want partners who are engaged and excited to work with us, who use our tools and training to be productive, and who deliver real value to customers. It's also about ecosystem health - having the right mix of partners reaching the right markets.

And importantly, success shows up in collaboration. When partners co-sell, co-market, and advocate for Sophos, it signals strong trust and alignment. That's when we know the channel is truly thriving: when partners are not just participating, but actively growing with us and championing our solutions in the market.

Laura Padilla, Senior Vice President, Global Partners and Alliances, Okta

In addition to financial metrics, we measure the success of the Okta partner ecosystem based on the following: transaction (resell) mix, partner service delivery, partner sourced deals, deal volume mix (the number of deals partners are in as a ratio of total deals), and unique IP solutions delivered by partners.

Alex Ruslyakov, Chief Channel Officer, Acronis

Beyond financial growth, we measure channel success through multiple strategic metrics. We track the net change of transacting partners, balancing new additions against churn to gauge ecosystem health.

Compliance is monitored via the percentage of partners meeting Partner Program requirements, ensuring alignment with standards and best practices. Net ARR retention reflects partner performance in maintaining and expanding recurring revenue, while the share of partners with joint business plans indicates collaboration and strategic alignment.

Finally, we assess the percentage of partners hitting quarterly targets, providing a clear view of execution, operational effectiveness, and overall contribution to long-term growth.

Michael Park, SVP, Global Partnerships, Channels, ServiceNow

I define success by the customer value we deliver at speed. To me, success is helping organizations reinvent how work gets done in the AI era. It happens when our partners innovate, collaborate, and co-create AI-powered solutions that accelerate time-to-outcome and transform industries.

I'm proud when I see partners differentiating, evolving, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible. True success is shared, sustained, and scaled - powered by a partner ecosystem that's redefining the future of business alongside us.

Responses were collated from CRN.com 2026 Channel Chief List.