Right place and right time

It was interesting to sit down recently with Alison Say, the recently appointed Uk&I ecosystem lead at IBM, and hear her talk about place and purpose. When asked if she was excited about the challenge of running the channel side of the business, she spoke of being in the right place at the right time.

Her career has taken her to this point and she is clearly trusted by IBM to deliver the results there are looking for and feels more than capable of making a difference.

She joins a growing list of people who have identified working with the channel as the place to make a significant difference. Partnership, solving customer problems and making sure excellence is rewarded are all tasks that require consistency and understanding. Say’s enthusiasm for the task of doubling the channel in the next three to five years, as well as growing new logo acquisition significantly is not one to be sniffed at.

But, this goes beyond the business metrics that can be measured on a spreadsheet and Say also represents the positive trend in the channel to acknowledge the need to deal with sustainability, diversity and reaching out to bring the next generation into the business.

The channel is a people business that has to mean all people and some of the activities that big Blue is involved with, ranging from school days to degree apprenticeships, show it is prepared to open the doors to talent.

That is why this is the right place and the right time for so many of those working across the channel. It is still a transactional world but one that appreciates so much more of the human dimension.  It is also a moment when those delivering technology and services are more important than ever to their customers. The excitement shown by Say is something that we can all share as we acknowledge the power of the channel to deliver positive change.