Cloudli Nabs 2 More Sangoma Executive Team Members

Veteran Sangona executive team members Chris Holloway and Ryan Herrmann have moved to the company's competitor, Cloudli, following the January appointment of former Sangoma CRO and channel vet Jamie Minner as the company's CEO.

Holloway, who was Sangoma's VP of channels for nearly two years, will join Cloudli as SVP of sales. It's a role that a Cloudli spokesperson said he will leverage to "revamp its sales organization, further sharing that Holloway will be "deeply focused on expanding the company’s presence in the channel." 

Cloudli's Chris Holloway

Herrmann was VP of channel sales at Sangoma for a year, and now assumes the same title at Cloudli. He also previously worked at 8x8, where he finished as regional VP of channel sales for the West.

Combined, the two bring 50-plus years of technology and channel knowledge to the table.

Moving to Cloudli Was 'Easy'

Herrmann said signing on with Cloudli was "easy," noting that the company's focus on integrity, ethics and accountability help ensure its commitment to the channel.

Herrmann said Cloudli has not abandoned its core SMB customer "like everyone else is doing."  

Recognizing that Cloudli's core customer base is comprised of SMBs and micro-SMBs, Herrmann said it comes down to providing a white-glove approach to a group that often feels overlooked.

Cloudli's Ryan Herrmann

"We've been chasing this for a while, so why not join a company where we don't have to build this from the ground up?" Herrmann pondered.

With the foundation already built, the man poised to take over as head of channel, Chris Holloway, said there is a lot of experience already embedded in Cloudli, but the strategy at Cloudli is what resonated with him most.

Tapped to manage hundreds of channel members, he said the space is full of untapped potential, telling Channel Futures that most of the businesses in the space are technology-dependent, meaning the chance for partners to make money is real, as is the ability to extend the service he sees as needed in the SMB space.

"We want to extend white-glove service to businesses in this underserved space, the same level of support enterprise companies give their customers," Holloway said. 

Cloudli's Long-Term Channel Play Is Accelerated Growth

Holloway and Herrmann told us that partners who have been with the company for a while want reassurance that margins will stay the same or grow.

"There is a lot earning that needs to happen and that doesn't go for just Cloudli, it transfers over to the channel too," Holloway said. 

Above: Cloudli CEO Jamie Minner discusses the company's upcoming appearance at the Channel Partners Conference & Expo, March 11-14, at the Venetian Las Vegas.

Having spent time with partners already, Holloway said, "We have to do what we say and say what we do." 

With 100% of sales coming from the channel, things like co-marketing materials, training and other investments will follow as Cloudli looks to beef up its channel efforts. The former Sangoma executive team members seem optimistic about Cloudli's outlook in the vertical market. 

There is a great deal of promise in that area, they told Channel Futures. And that comes down to the fact that vertical markets can offer a company a lot of business, namely regarding SMBs in regulated areas such as health care.