Steven Pivnik, Entrepreneur & Founder, Joins Ultimate Partner® Steven Pivnik is a highly accomplished serial entrepreneur and CEO of a leading Microsoft partner, renowned for his ability to apply a growth mindset and agility in leadership. With a sharp focus on innovation and results, Steven has led his company to success, demonstrating what it means to embrace challenges and drive meaningful progress. His expertise in guiding businesses to achieve their greatest potential has made him a sou...
Oct 08, 2024•37 min
Miri Rodriguez Joins Ultimate Partner® I was thrilled to welcome Miri Rodriguez to Ultimate Partner for our first in person interview at our Boca Studio. Miri is a multifaceted professional with an impressive track record, recognized as an award-winning writer and an extraordinary public speaker. In her role as the Chief Storyteller at Microsoft, Miri has harnessed the power of narrative to create deep, personal connections between brands and their audiences. Her ability to blend creativity with...
Sep 25, 2024•55 min
Rodney Clark Joins Ultimate Partner® I was delighted to welcome Rodney Clark, Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Small and Medium Business at Cisco, to Ultimate Partner. Rodney and I worked together at Microsoft, and he was a guest on this platform while leading Microsoft’s Industry-renowned Ecosystem. This distinguished technology sector leader is bringing his expertise to shape Cisco’s market evolution, specifically the future of partnerships and co-selling to drive innovation and growt...
Sep 18, 2024•51 min
Jay McBain Joins Ultimate Partner® In today’s episode, we revisit a conversation with a special guest, Jay McBain, Chief Analyst at Canalys. Jay McBain is an accomplished speaker, author, and innovator in the IT industry. Named Channel Influencer of the Year by Channel Partners Magazine, Top 40 Under Forty by the Business Review, Channel A-List by CRN, Top 8 Thought Leader by Channel Marketing Journal, Top 20 Visionary by ChannelPro, Top 25 Newsmaker by CDN Magazine, Top 50 Channel Influencer by...
Sep 02, 2024•19 min
EY’s Vice Chair Emeritus Joins Ultimate Partner® In this episode, Greg Sarafin delves into the imperative of the ecosystem, the pivotal role of chief partner officers, career progression in consulting, and the dynamics of organizational leadership. Discover how Greg oversaw EY’s Alliance Partner Ecosystem, driving substantial growth and impact, with a staggering 40% contribution to EY’s growth over the past six years, surpassing $10B in revenue. With insights from his extensive experience, inclu...
Aug 27, 2024•21 min
Per Werngren Joins Ultimate Partner® In this episode, we sit down with Per Werngren, CEO of Idenxt, an expert who advises partners within the Microsoft ecosystem across North America and Europe. With a wealth of experience in building relationships and growing business opportunities, Per shares his insights on how partnering with Microsoft can drive success, particularly through the strategic use of AI. We also explore the tech industry’s crucial role in shaping policy, focusing on its impact on...
Aug 19, 2024•18 min
Cassandra Gholston Joins Ultimate Partner® Join us as we dive into partner-led sales with Cassandra Gholston, CEO of PartnerTap, the industry’s leading Ecosystem Co-Selling Platform. Cassandra is a visionary leader who has dedicated her career to driving revenue growth through strategic partnerships. In this episode, she shares her journey from being an enterprise sales rep to founding PartnerTap. This groundbreaking platform empowers companies like HPE, ADP, SAP Concur, and more to maximize the...
Aug 13, 2024•34 min
Oguo Atuanya Join Ultimate Partner® In this Ultimate Partner episode, I enjoyed welcoming a friend and leader into the studio for an insightful conversation. Oguo Atuanya, a General Manager within Microsoft GPS, leads the selling efforts for one of Microsoft’s most important segments, SMC – Small, Medium, and Corporate. With over 20 years at Microsoft, Oguo shares his proven track record in global business strategy development, organizational culture transformation, partner ecosystem transformat...
Aug 06, 2024•50 min
Sanjay Mehta & Erin Figer of Tackle.io join Ultimate Partner I so enjoyed bringing two friends and experts into the studio for an insightful conversation. In this episode, we explore the world of cloud go-to-market strategies and co-selling with two of the industry’s top leaders: Erin Figer (VP of Co-Sell) and Sanjay Mehta (Chief Cloud Officer) of Tackle.io. With extensive experience in B2B technology marketing and the hyperscalers ecosystems, Erin specializes in amplifying your reputation t...
Jul 30, 2024•35 min
Microsoft’s Jason Rook joins Ultimate Partner Jason Rook is an accomplished channel and sales leader with a wealth of experience in cloud computing. As the senior director of Product Marketing and commercial Marketplace Channel Sales at Microsoft, he leads strategy to help Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) build and sell applications through channel partners. Before Microsoft, Jason was the Global Modernization Program Lead – Systems Integrators at Amazon Web Services (AWS), where he grew reve...
Jul 23, 2024•43 min
Trunal Bhanse, Co-Founder & CEO at Clazar, joins the Ultimate Partner. On this episode of Ultimate Partner, we dive into the intricate world of cloud marketplaces and AI with our esteemed guest, Trunal Bhanse, Co-Founder and CEO of Clazar. Trunal’s journey from engineering leader to innovator in the marketplace ecosystem is nothing short of inspiring. Whether you’re a tech alliance leader, ecosystem leader, or an entrepreneur, this episode promises invaluable insights into how Clazar is shap...
Jul 15, 2024•55 min
Laurent Mechain, Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Elastic, joins the Ultimate Partner. With an impressive background in cloud technology and strategic alliances, Laurent Mechain brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role of VP of Strategic Alliances at Elastic. Laurent has played a crucial role in driving the company’s success in the highly competitive cloud industry, rising to Pinnacle Partner Status with all three Hyperscalers.. The Journey of Laurent Mechain Laurent Mecha...
Jul 08, 2024•29 min
Nicole Dezen, Chief Partner Officer and CVP of Microsoft Global Partner Solutions, joins the Ultimate Partner. In the latest Ultimate Partner episode, host Vince Menzione flew to Redmond, Washington. He sat down with Nicole Dezen, Microsoft’s Chief Partner Officer, to discuss Microsoft’s plans for its new fiscal year 25 and the evolving landscape of technology, security, and the partner ecosystem. This engaging conversation delves into the transformative power of AI, the critical importance of c...
Jun 24, 2024•26 min
Ashleigh Vogstad, CEO of Transcends Joins Ultimate Partner With a background rich in entrepreneurship and a mission-driven approach, Ashleigh Vogstad has carved out a unique space in the marketing landscape within the Microsoft ecosystem. About Ashleigh and Transcends Ashleigh’s journey to becoming a renowned entrepreneur is nothing short of inspiring. Her early entrepreneurial spirit and impactful volunteer work set the stage for her current success. Transcends, the marketing agency she founded...
Jun 18, 2024•29 min
Dux Raymond Sy, Chief Brand Officer at AvePoint, joins Ultimate Partner® With over 20 years of business, marketing, and technology experience, Dux has driven organizational transformations worldwide with his ability to simplify complex ideas and deliver relevant solutions. He is recognized by Microsoft as Regional Director (RD) and Most Valuable Professional (MVP), as well as the author of LinkedIn Learning course How to Build Your Personal Brand, book SharePoint for Project Management, and nume...
Jun 11, 2024
John Jahnke joins Ultimate Partner® I’m excited to welcome my next guest to Ultimate Partner, John Jahnke – CEO at Tackle.io, a Cloud Go To Market Platform that enables software companies to sell via the cloud. As the CEO of Tackle, John has been instrumental in helping Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) streamline their business operations by leveraging cloud marketplaces. Since its inception in 2016, Tackle has been at the forefront of this transformation, creating a new category of software ...
Jun 05, 2024•35 min
Elliotte Dunlap’s Top Rated Ultimate Partner LIVE Session is now on Ultimate Partner. In November 2023, over 300 Microsoft partners, leaders, experts from Microsoft, and ambassadors assembled for an incredible two days in Dallas, Texas. Today, we bring you back to another astonishing session led by Elliotte Dunlap, a Microsoft Partnership Leader. In this recorded session, Elliotte demystifies and decodes Microsoft’s Sales Engagement Methodology (MCEM) for this partner audience to help them best ...
May 19, 2024•41 min
Kevin Peesker’s Ultimate Partner LIVE Session now on Ultimate Partner® Today, we have a very exclusive interview. In November of 2023, over 300 Microsoft partners, leaders, experts, from Microsoft, and ambassadors all assembled in Dallas, Texas, for an incredible two days. Today, we bring you back to this incredible session with Kevin Peesker, President of Worldwide SMC & Digital at Microsoft, where he takes us on a journey through technology and the advent of AI. We also deep dive into why ...
May 08, 2024
Janet Schijns joins Ultimate Partner®. I’m excited to welcome my next guest to Ultimate Partner. Janet Schijns is a go-to-market and profitable growth expert, board member, ecosystem growth expert, and megacosm guru. As CEO of JS Group, a transformative market consulting firm, Janet is a visionary of the channel ecosystem; she is in charge of developing GTM plans and numerous 5-star, award-winning channel programs. Her approach is to manage challenges with a razor-sharp problem-solving skill set...
Apr 30, 2024
Our First Ultimate Partner® Solocast in Years! This is my first solocast in the new Boca Raton Studio. Come listen as I share a synopsis of the first four months of 2024. Throughout the episode, I will dive deep into working with the top hyperscalers like Microsoft, the importance of marketplaces and co-selling, rapid changes after the global pandemic, and how we have voted the business, including the highly successful previous Ultimate Partner LIVE event. You will also get a glimpse of what’s a...
Apr 23, 2024
Josh Greene Joins Ultimate Partner® We are excited to launch our first AWS episode in years. Join us as we delve into marketplace development and partnership success at AWS with our special guest, Josh Greene. Josh is responsible for Marketplace Success at AWS and brings over 20 years of experience in startups, channel partners, and ISVs to this role. In this episode, Josh brings valuable insights into driving revenue generation, strategic partnerships, and global expansion, decoding AWS Marketp...
Apr 15, 2024•38 min
Dexter Hardy Joins Ultimate Partner® Dexter Hardy, President and Chief Technology Officer of Integral, a company that brings over two decades of IT expertise to helping companies massively shift to Microsoft Azure. Last year alone, Ntegral’s over 300 Marketplace offerings drove over 100 million hours of Microsoft Azure consumption. In this Ultimate Partner episode, he shares his journey from SI to ISV success, unlocking his cloud marketplace growth strategies. From cloud migration to fostering p...
Apr 08, 2024•44 min
Chelsea Berlucchi Joins Ultimate Partner® Effective co-selling, its where the rubber meets the road on the path to successful partnering. In this episode of Ultimate Partner, we delve into the intricate world of co-selling strategies alongside Chelsea Berlucchi, Head of Google Subregional Co-Sell, North America, a trailblazing leader spearheading revenue acceleration and partner expansion throughout North America. In this episode, you will embark on a journey as Chelsea drives priceless insights...
Apr 01, 2024
Greg Sarafin Joins Ultimate Partner® In this episode, Greg Sarafin, Global Managing Partner—Alliance Ecosystem at EY, joins us to explore the pivotal role of the Chief Partner Officers, his career progression, and the dynamics of successful partnership and organizational leadership. Discover how Greg oversees EY’s Alliance Partner Ecosystem, driving substantial growth and impact. He has contributed 40% to EY’s growth over the past six years, creating billions in revenue. With insights from his e...
Mar 25, 2024
Brandon Lee Joins Ultimate Partner® Welcome to an exciting new episode of the Ultimate Partner. Today, we dive deep into a topic we have not covered, Modern Selling and the Buyer’s Journey, with special guest Brandon Lee, the Founder of Fist Bump and the Co-Host of Mastering Modern Marketing. In this engaging discussion, Brandon shares his experience navigating through the oversaturated world of marketing and sales, shedding light on the importance of creating demand rather than simply capturing...
Mar 18, 2024
Yvonne Muench Joins Ultimate Partner® Join Vince Menzione as he sits down with Yvonne Muench, a seasoned leader in business strategy, product management, and partner programs. Together, Vince and Yvonne delve into the transformative power of marketplaces, emphasizing the growing importance of AI adoption within the Microsoft ecosystem. Gain insights into the rewards awaiting Microsoft partners, the tangible benefits of Microsoft’s marketplace, and key strategies for success in the commercial mar...
Mar 11, 2024•32 min
Six Timer – Jay McBain Joins Ultimate Partner® We are thrilled to welcome special guest Jay McBain, industry analyst, as he joins our host Vince Menzione for an enlightening discussion. Together, they navigate the ever-evolving landscape of the technology industry, covering diverse topics such as changing market dynamics, the transformative influence of generative AI, and the digital-first mindset adopted by millennial buyers. Join us as we uncover invaluable insights into business strategies, p...
Mar 04, 2024•30 min
Dee Burger & Tony Safoian Join Ultimate Partner® In this episode, I’m joined by two remarkable leaders and friends. Dee Burger is the President of Insight North America, and Tony Safoian is the CEO of SADA Systems, a Google Partner of the Year for many years. Both Dee and Tony have been guests before on Ultimate Partner. Tony was one of our first guests seven years ago and was an inspiration to start the podcast. He is also one of only two six-timers on this podcast. Listen as Dee and Tony s...
Feb 25, 2024
Ultimate Partner® Special Join host Vince Menzione as he delves into the essential principles for achieving success in the dynamic partnership landscape, with a special focus on strategies tailored for Microsoft collaborations. In this episode, you’ll discover the transformative power of a growth mindset, leadership principles, and the keys to executing a winning partner strategy. Explore firsthand accounts of partner success with Microsoft, learn about branding essentials, and understand the cr...
Feb 18, 2024•12 min
Ultimate Partner® Special Interview Join Vince Menzione in this special episode of The Ultimate Partner, where he shares insights from an exclusive interview conducted on the Partnerships Unraveled podcast hosted by Rick van den Bosch. Explore the intricate realm of tech partnerships and ecosystems, delving into Microsoft’s dynamic partner ecosystem, mid-market focus, and AI investments. Discover invaluable perspectives on Microsoft’s channel strategy and growth opportunities alongside expert ad...
Feb 11, 2024
