https://www.channelfutures.com/wp-content/themes/channelfutures_child/assets/images/logo/footer-new-logo.png
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Master Agents
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity & Inclusion
  • MSSP Insider
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • Apply Now
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Channel Educational Series
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
    • Channel Convergence
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Content Resources
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Circle of Excellence
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • DE&I
Channel Futures
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Technologies
    • Back
    • SDN/SD-WAN
    • Cloud
    • RMM/PSA
    • Security
    • Telephony/UC/Collaboration
    • Cable
    • Mobility & Wireless
    • Fiber/Ethernet
    • Data Centers
    • Backup & Disaster Recovery
    • IoT
    • Desktop
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Analytics
  • Strategy
    • Back
    • Mergers and Acquisitions
    • Channel Research
    • Business Models
    • Distribution
    • Master Agents
    • Sales & Marketing
    • Best Practices
    • Vertical Markets
    • Regulation & Compliance
    • Diversity & Inclusion
  • MSSP Insider
  • MSP 501
    • Back
    • Apply Now
    • 2020 MSP 501 Rankings
    • 2020 Hot 101 Rankings
    • 2020 MSP 501 Report
  • Intelligence
    • Back
    • Galleries
    • Podcasts
    • Videos
    • From the Industry
    • Reports/Digital Issues
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • Channel Educational Series
  • EMEA
  • Channel Chatter
    • Back
    • People on the Move
    • New/Changing Channel Programs
    • New Products & Services
    • Industry Honors
    • Channel Convergence
  • Resources
    • Back
    • Advisory Boards
    • Industry Organizations
    • Our Sponsors
    • Content Resources
  • Awards
    • Back
    • 2021 MSP 501
    • Circle of Excellence
    • Excellence in Digital Services
    • Top Gun 51
  • Events
    • Back
    • CP Conference & Expo
    • Channel Evolution Europe
    • Channel Partners Event Coverage
    • Webinars
    • Industry Events
  • DE&I
    • Newsletter
  • REGISTER
  • MSPs
  • VARs / SIs
  • Agents
  • Cloud Service Providers
  • Channel Partners Events
 Channel Futures

Industry Honors


Channel Partners Top Gun 51 logo

Top Gun 51 Profile: Cyxtera’s Tina Gravel on Embracing Change and the Channel ‘Dance’

There is a key ingredient to success and being a progressive business leader.

By Allison Francis

There is a key ingredient to success and being a progressive business leader that perhaps sounds overly simple, but you bet your bottom dollar it’s necessary. Vital, even. That is constantly learning about what’s working and what’s not when it comes to one’s business.

Cyxtera's Tina Gravel

Cyxtera’s Tina Gravel

When it comes to evolving partner programs and products to match the rapidly changing tides in the industry, Tina Gravel, senior vice president of channels and alliances for Cyxtera Technologies, is at the helm, leading the charge forward.

It’s this approach that has placed Gravel in our Top Gun 51, a collection of top channel executives who build and execute partner programs in a way that drives partner, customer and supplier success. We interviewed Gravel about her career and her change-embracing accomplishments at Cyxtera — and have edited the transcript for length and clarity.

Channel Partners: What attributes do you think next-gen channel leaders must have? 

Tina Gravel: I have heard Channel executives referred to as psychotherapists or marriage counselors, sales executives, marketing folks [and so on]. The job requires many different hats, but I think one of the most important is direct sales experience. How can you can lead folks to sell for you if you do not intimately understand how to do it yourself?

CP: What’s different about the Cyxtera partner program, and how does it reflect what’s currently going on in the industry? 

TG: Our program continues to evolve. Cyxtera is only two-and-a-half years old as a company and we are constantly learning about what’s working and what’s not working. My stance is always, how can we innovate? The industry is rapidly evolving and our programs must do that as well. Cyxtera is leading with innovation in our products now and we must have a program that reflects that.

CP: If you had to sum up the current channel ecosystem in a few sentences, what would you say? 

We recently unveiled our “Top Gun 51,” a list of today’s channel executives who deserve recognition for building and executing programs in a way that drives partner, customer and supplier success.

TG: At the risk of being controversial (yes, I was at Channel Partners [Evolution] and heard about this session), I think the resellers (formerly VARs) are morphing into MSPs. The master agents appear to be morphing into traditional distribution companies with services.

CP: What’s the one thing that’s commonly misunderstood about the channel? 

TG: I myself used to think the channel was populated by “lesser sales creatures” (joking). I now know that the channel job can actually be much harder because you are constantly trying to manage folks outside of your company and trying to help close deals in which you are three to four persons removed from.

CP: If you could give one piece of advice to partners, what would it be? 

TG: Keep an open mind about your business. Embrace change as it is happening whether you like it or not. Try new things; what have you really got to lose?

CP: What do you think Cyxtera and other vendors should be doing that maybe you aren’t delivering as well as you should? 

TG: One thing we are doing well is what I call “dancing with the one who brought you to the dance.” That’s an old “Texasism” that means when you receive a lead from a channel partner, you must endeavor to buy as much as you can from that partner to support the sale, whether that be services, bandwidth, equipment, or even data-center pieces and parts. I am so lucky that Cyxtera’s purchasing departments are completely on board when I ask them to implement these things.

CP: Any other thoughts on this award? 

TG: I am full of gratitude for having been named a Top Gun 51 [honoree] and I want everyone to know that I could not have done anything without the great supportive team that I enjoy working with — my Cyxtera family.

Tags: Agents Business Models Industry Honors

Related


  • Merge road sign
    Agents Voice Concerns, Hopes for Master Agent Consolidation
    Subagents weigh in on how mergers and acquisitions could impact them long-term.
  • Advantage
    TBI Adds Rival Intelisys Alum, Tech Data, 8x8 Vets
    The new leadership members are already making improvements at TBI.
  • Convergence
    Convergence in the Channel: Is It Happening, and What Does This Mean for MSPs?
    Is IT-telecom channel convergence already happening? Do the two speak the same language? We explore the different sides.
  • Pink slip, layoff, termination
    T-Mobile Acquisition Fallout: Shentel Wireless Job Cuts Create 'Disruption and Uncertainty'
    T-Mobile is acquiring the Shentel assets for nearly $2 billion in cash.

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your Channel Futures account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • Welcome to the Future
  • AT&T Alliance Channel Recognizes Top Partners
  • As Telecom Channel Undergoes Consolidation, Partners Ponder the Future
  • Court Swings in Zoom's Favor in Ongoing Zoom-RingCentral Court Battle

Galleries

View all

AppSmart Agents Embrace Cross-Selling, Add Energy, Cloud Solutions

April 21, 2021

Industry Perspectives

View all

What the Recent Microsoft Exchange Vulnerabilities Mean for Channel Partners

April 21, 2021

Annual MSP Benchmark Survey Reveals Remote Work Still a Top Challenge

April 20, 2021

Why Digital Transformation Is the ‘Invisible Hand’ of Our Time

April 19, 2021

Webinars

View all

What to Look For: 2021 Threat Report

April 22, 2021

Health Care and SD-WAN: A Seller’s Guide

April 27, 2021

How MSPs Can Leverage SOCaaS to Improve Security & Grow Revenue

May 4, 2021

White Papers

View all

Hacker Personas: A Deeper Look into Cybercrime

April 20, 2021

Carbonite Data Protection and Cyber Resilience

April 15, 2021

Top Tips: How Resellers Can Leverage Rackspace to Enhance Customer’s Cyber Security Protection with Microsoft 365 Security

March 30, 2021

Upcoming Events

View all

Channel Partners Conference & Expo

November 1, 2021 - November 4, 2021

MSP Summit

November 1, 2021 - November 2, 2021

Channel Evolution Europe

November 30, 2021 - December 1, 2021

Videos and Fastchats

View all

ACC’s Nancy Ridge on Gender Diversity in the Channel

5 Reasons Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Is Important

April 14, 2021

Five9 Shares Insights on Implementing a DE&I Strategy

April 13, 2021

FASTCHAT: How Fortinet Reduces Complexity Through Networking, Security

March 31, 2021

Twitter

ChannelFutures

.@pulsesecure #VPN hack prompts federal emergency directive. dlvr.it/Ry9TWn https://t.co/5KKQWvGYRN

April 21, 2021
ChannelFutures

Channel partners shared their stories of evolution at #AppSmartUnleash. @AppSmartcom dlvr.it/Ry9NM6 https://t.co/UMmchLvpfj

April 21, 2021
ChannelFutures

What do #MicrosoftExchange vulnerabilities mean for #ChannelPartners?@Sophos #security #cybersecurity… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 21, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@AppSmartcom touted its platform at its #AppSmartUnleash event. dlvr.it/Ry5SSF https://t.co/RQdXFffe9N

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@digicert Security Summit highlights growth, innovation amid #COVID19. dlvr.it/Ry5SNP https://t.co/g1yFRHHjKa

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

Congrats to @CatSolazzo on her new #marketing gig at @Tech_Data. The channel knows her well from #IBM.… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

.@OtavaLLC unveils #partnerprogram enhancements. #cloud dlvr.it/Ry4g4t https://t.co/D9dUuezdn9

April 20, 2021
ChannelFutures

#MSP business is still strong & growing @KaseyaCorp 2021 benchmark survey #digitaltransformation #remotework… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

April 20, 2021

MSSP Insider

Business advice for MSSPs and news from the broader security channel.

Newsletters and Updates

Sign up for The Channel Report, Channel Futures Update, MSP 501 Newsletter and more.

Live Channel Events

Get the latest information on the next industry-leading Channel Partners event.

Galleries

Educational slide shows and images from live events.

Media Kit And Advertising

Want to reach our audience? Access our media kit.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • Channel Partners Events
  • Telecoms.com
  • MSP 501
  • Black Hat
  • IoT World Today
  • Omdia

WORKING WITH US

  • Contact
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Newsletter

FOLLOW Channel Futures ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2021 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.
This website uses cookies, including third party ones, to allow for analysis of how people use our website in order to improve your experience and our services. By continuing to use our website, you agree to the use of such cookies. Click here for more information on our Cookie Policy and Privacy Policy.
X