**Editor’s Note: Click here to see which channel people were on the move in December.**

Managed telecom service provider Nitel has appointed Mikail “Mak” Shomade as its new chief operating officer. His official duties include working with the rest of Nitel’s leadership to develop and execute strategies for making the company more efficient, increasing ROI and exceeding business goals.

Nitel’s Mak Shomade

Shomade is an experienced leader in operations, planning and management with more than 20 years of telecom industry experience. He joins Nitel from Everstream Solutions, where he recently served as vice president of engineering, overseeing operations, planning and construction.

Before that, he served as vice president of network strategy, engineering and operations for Birch Communications. And earlier in his career, he held a succession of management positions with Cbeyond, which was acquired by Birch in July 2014.

“Operational efficiency is foundational in accelerating our partners’ success and delivering an exceptional customer experience,” said Rick Stern, Nitel’s CEO. “To achieve these objectives, we are continuing to invest in our people, tools and business resources. We are pleased to welcome Mak as our COO and believe he will optimize our organizational management, planning and operations as we take our business to new heights.”

Last fall, Nitel launched its first partner program open to its top-selling master agents and distributors. The Elite Partner Program delivers dedicated partner support and business development resources, including market development fund accrual and channel-director alignment for agents and channel partners in their local markets.

In a Q&A with Channel Partners, Shomade talks about what Nitel’s partners can expect from him and his top priorities in his new role.

Channel Partners: What do you want Nitel’s partners to know about you?

Mikail Shomade: I am a leader who focuses first on the customer and partner experience, and continually looks for ways to improve that experience through direct engagement and feedback.

CP: How will your role as COO benefit Nitel’s partners?

MS: Nitel’s partners should expect a relationship driven by a common goal of providing smart and customized solutions to our customers’ technology needs and providing an exceptional experience while ensuring our partners continue to be successful and profitable.

CP: What will be your top priorities in this new position?

MS: My top priority is improving operational efficiencies within Nitel to ensure we are able to meet and exceed all of our partners’ and customers’ expectations.

CP: What is your take on Nitel’s current business and channel strategies? Are changes needed?

MS: Nitel has a very solid and successful business and channel strategy, and we are focusing more on expanding the breadth of those strategies. By engaging with partners more closely and developing new products that complement our current portfolio, we hope to drive our partners (to) deliver more complete solutions.

CP: What role will partners play in Nitel improving operational efficiency, increasing ROI and exceeding business goals?

MS: Our partners are the key to our market intelligence — they will play a key part in helping us better understand the oft-changing technology landscape and deliver better technology solutions at a price that allows business flexibility.

CP: What do you plan to accomplish in your first year in this new position?

MS: I plan to get to know our customers and partners closely using their feedback to improve operational efficiencies – specifically the speed with which we deliver our technology solutions – through optimizing our systems and processes.