Jim Lippie 1

A seasoned, self-motivated leader with a proven track record, Jim Lippie has a unique perspective on the channel. As the former President of IndependenceIT (iIT), one of the fastest growing cloud desktop companies in the World, Jim Lippie was responsible for helping the MSP community identify opportunities to grow recurring revenue and add value to end-users. Lippie joined iIT and built a foundation for success, growing the partner base over 250 percent and increasing revenue nearly 300 percent over 18 months. Over the years, Lippie has developed his "Channel Eclipse" philosophy and has become a strong and outspoken advocate for the channel. His passion to help sustain the channel is what led Lippie to form Clarity Channel Advisors. He is now dedicating his experience to helping all of the companies in the channel ecosystem.

Formerly, Lippie was the President and CEO of Thrive Networks, a Staples Company. He was responsible for guiding the company’s overall business operations and strategy with a vision of becoming the premier provider of outsourced IT support for emerging and mid-market companies. In 2006, Lippie spearheaded the company's successful acquisition by Staples. Under his leadership, Thrive tripled its revenue and doubled its employee base over a six year period. During his tenure, Thrive was consistently ranked as one of the most progressive managed service providers in the world according to MSPMentor.

Lippie has also been named as one of the world's most influential people in the managed services industry three times on MSP Mentor. He has been quoted in hundreds of publications over the last several years and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. Before being named President and CEO in 2005, he served as Thrive Networks' director of business development.

Prior to joining Thrive Networks, Lippie was a partner at Client First Associates, a management and organizational development-consulting firm. He is the author of "Five Management Principles in One CREAD: A Management Guide to Live By."

A native of Massachusetts, Lippie received his bachelor's degree in public relations and his master's degree in urban affairs from Boston University.