CRN Channel Awards Australia: Finalist Q&A with Robert Cipriani, Alliances and Distribution Director - APAC at ConnectWise

Robert Cipriani talks about being a finalist at this year's CRN Channel Awards Australia

Robert Cipriani is an experienced technology and channel leader with more than 30 years across sales, partnerships, business development and cybersecurity in Australia and New Zealand. He has held senior roles with leading technology organisations including Ping Identity, Druva and Forcepoint, where he helped build partner ecosystems and drive channel-led growth. Robert recently joined ConnectWise, bringing deep channel expertise and a strong focus on partner success. In his role as Alliances and Distribution Director - APAC, he is focused on strengthening relationships across the ANZ partner community and supporting ConnectWise’s continued regional growth and investment.

What prompted you to enter the CRN Channel Awards Australia this year without giving anything away, of course?

For me, entering the CRN Channel Awards Australia is about recognising the people and partnerships behind the results. I’ve spent more than 30 years in the ANZ channel, and I know first-hand what strong partner ecosystems can achieve. ConnectWise has an outstanding partner community, and these awards are a great opportunity to celebrate the work our teams and partners are doing together to help MSPs grow, innovate and deliver stronger customer outcomes — without giving too much away, of course!

What would winning this award mean to both your teams and your customers/partners?

Winning would be meaningful recognition for our team, but more importantly, for our partners and customers. Everything we do at ConnectWise is centred on helping MSPs operate more efficiently, scale sustainably and deliver better outcomes for the businesses they support. Recognition from CRN would validate the investment, collaboration and trust that sit behind those relationships every day.

What would you say is your company's proudest achievement over the past year?

Our proudest achievement has been the momentum we are building around the future of the MSP. ConnectWise is helping the industry move beyond reactive IT towards Predictive IT, bringing together automation, AI, cybersecurity and our broader platform to help partners work smarter and deliver greater value to customers. Seeing ANZ partners embrace that shift and apply innovation in practical ways to improve service delivery and business performance, has been a real highlight.

What lessons do you think the industry has learned over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?

The past year has reinforced that technology alone is not enough. AI and automation are advancing quickly, but adoption has to be supported by the right strategy, education, governance and partner enablement. The industry needs to keep making innovation practical, secure and commercially meaningful so MSPs can translate new technology into measurable customer and business outcomes.

What do you see as the main opportunities for the industry in the coming 12 months? How do you plan to capitalise on those opportunities?

Agentic AI is one of the biggest opportunities ahead. MSPs are looking for ways to automate more intelligently, become more proactive and create capacity for their teams without compromising customer experience. At ConnectWise, our focus is on helping partners turn AI into practical outcomes through platform-led automation, agentic capabilities and a clear path towards Predictive IT. The opportunity is not just to do the same work faster, but to help MSPs build more efficient, resilient and profitable businesses.

Be part of the celebration that brings the industry’s brightest talent together. Join us at the CRN Channel Awards Australia and experience an unforgettable evening of recognition, networking, and inspiration.

Tables are filling fast – secure yours today and don’t miss the chance to be in the room where excellence is celebrated.