Telesystem Centers Channel Around Master Agents, Promotes 2 National Channel Managers

Written by James Anderson
January 14, 2020

It's the "next step" in the channel program's evolution, one executive says.

Telesystem has simplified its channel approach to focus on reaching the master agent community.

Telesystem’s Brian Buchman

The company’s model now focuses on two national channel managers that handle “statically assigned master agent relationships.” Denver-based Raymond Belair and Philadelphia-based Brian Buchman will serve as the two national channel managers. Both earned promotions from regional channel manager.

Telesystem chief business development officer Bruce Wirt called the news the next evolution of the company’s channel program.

“For the last two years, we’ve heard our agent advisory board members tell us that they wanted a simplified support structure at the master-agent level and more field resources available to aide the success of the subagents,” Wirt said. “This move will accomplish both goals, and set the program up to better scale for future growth.”

Telesystem’s Ray Belair

The strategy utilizes account executives, who will focus on subagents in specific geographical markets. They’ll play a role in helping customer sales presentations, according to Telesystem. Telesystem already has account executives serving in the mid-Atlantic and northern Midwest, and it will hire account executives based in Kentucky and Illinois. Telesystem will eventually appoint account executives in the Western region. The company is based in Northwood, Ohio.

Here’s our most recent list of important channel-program changes you should know.

Belair, a former Windstream and CenturyLink employee, joined Telesystem in 2018 to support partners in the Mountain West region. Buchman has worked at Telesystem since 2014.

As of 2018, Telesystem worked with at least 10 “Elite” master agent partners, including Telarus, TBI, Telegration and VentureGroup. The company promoted Laura Kennedy to coordinate its relationship with the masters, but she has since left to pursue personal opportunities.

The company last month hired Lori Graber to manage sales operations.

Telesystem’s product offerings include SD-WAN, CCaaS and UCaaS.