8×8, CenturyLink Vet to Build Channel Program at Everbridge

… businesses running faster, but this is in addition to that. This is keeping those employees safe and being able to be that trusted adviser to their existing customer base.

CF: What will be your top priorities in building, launching and running Everbridge’s partner program?

JM: There are a lot of things that we’re going to be working on, and we have a team that’s in place, everything from operations to marketing, to enablement and to engineering. We’re brainstorming what we’re going to put together, which is a huge program, a very competitive program [with] everything from incentives to returns on equity (ROEs), marketing funds, working on making sure that we’re a part of the partners’ events and expanding with them as they’re growing their portfolio. I’m working on bringing on individuals to help me grow from not just the program’s perspective, but an overall enablement perspective. So it’s literally a little bit of everything, and growing and building on a new channel organization.

CF: How will your prior experience with companies like 8×8, CenturyLink and Orange come into play in this new role?

JM: I think the biggest thing is the relationships and the trust that I’ve already built over the years with the partners. It’s an extended family. I’m basically just bringing on something more for their portfolios as well as keeping in touch with what their business initiatives are going to be for 2020 and beyond. Putting together an advisory council is first and foremost for me in making sure that we understand what they want to accomplish and making sure that we’re going to be a good fit for them and their business, and that we can help them grow with this new, additional portfolio.

CF: What sort of timeline are you anticipating for the completion and launch of the partner program?

JM: That’s going to take some time. I’m not saying it’s going to take a year; it’s definitely something that’s already been in the works for the past 30 days now. I’m working with an amazing team here at Everbridge helping me succeed … and what’s most crucial right now is an advisory council where I will be reaching out to some of those masters and saying, “Hey, I’d like you to be part of this council and this is what we’re doing; this is where contributions from those masters is going to be key in making the proper program.” Without them and the partners, I don’t think we would have such a strong program. It’s going to be a lot of insight from them and, of course, with our internal team in collaborating and coming up with a state-of-the-art program that will be competitive and unmatched in the industry.

CF: Have you had a chance to talk to any Everbridge partners? If so, what are they telling you?

JM: I have talked to a few and they’re very excited to see the change. They said to me, “This is great; now we can add something else for our partners to sell,” so they’re excited to see what we’re going to come up with and how we’re going to work together on it.

CF: What do you hope to have accomplished a year from now?

JM: I would hope that coming over to Everbridge, and with Everbridge being one of the most competitive in this industry from a cybersecurity perspective, we’ll have the best channel program for our partners. I would hope that we can accomplish a lot for our partners and know that we are the go-to for the security sector of this software.