CDN’s fourth annual list of Women in the IT channel ecosystem selected 25 top personalities from the vendor, distributor, and channel communities along with a few surprises. These senior women executives play a huge role in shaping the economy of Canada and the IT industry overall.
These 25 executives also influence the direction of IT in business. The list has changed slightly from last year. There are 16 returning executives. There are only two non-Canadians on this list. As for those 23 Canadians three of them hold a worldwide role, while five others have North American responsibility.
These 25 special executives helped produce more than $80 billion (estimated in Canadian dollars) combined in revenue.
RENEE BERGERON: INGRAM MICRO – VP MSP & CLOUD
“Ingram Micro has been dedicated to serving as a leader in the cloud services market and, as such, we have concentrated on aggregating breadth and depth solutions to meet the needs of our reseller partners, regardless of their chosen role in the cloud.”
Click to read: Snowden & old sales model barriers for full cloud adoption
NANCY BRIGLIO: IBM CANADA – BUSINESS PARTNER DIR.
“We continue to share strategies and new opportunities to help our Canadian Business Partners grow their businesses within the key areas of cloud computing, business analytics and what we call “smarter planet.”
Click to read: IBM Canada appoints new channel chief
LEYLAND BROWN: HP CANADA – PPS ENTERPRISE LEADER
“I want people to be engaged with what they do. The IT products we sell makes a difference in people’s lives and it is personal. It impacts how people work, share and collaborate with each other.”
Click to read: 2011 Newsmaker of the Year: Leyland Brown of HP Canada
COLEEN BROWNE: VIEWSONIC – DIRECTOR OF NORTH AMERICAN SALES
“Partners should also look forward to seeing “more aggressive pricing discounts and the expanded availability of our evaluation units.”
Click to read: #19 Newsmaker: Colleen Browne of ViewSonic
SIOBHAN BYRON: WESTCON CANADA – VP & GM
“Working together, I believe we can create new opportunities and business for our reseller partners across the region.”
Click to read: Westcon Canada has a new leader
TARA FINE: DELL INC.– DIRECTOR, GLOBAL COMMERCIAL CHANNELS, NORTH AMERICA.
“Leading a ‘Customer First’ culture by successfully implementing SLA reporting which has led to a more accurate ETA representation for customers.”
LINDA FITZGERALD: NCR CANADA – PRESIDENT
“It changes all the time. At NCR I’m still learning about self-service and banking. If you like to learn and grow, high tech is a fantastic industry to be in.”
Click to Read: New NCR Canada president goes mobile
MANDY GREWAL: SOFTWAREONE CANADA – CANADIAN LEADER
“Where others see complexities, we see opportunities to make the most of a company’s software assets.”
Click to Read: Large American reseller enters Canadian market
JOEANNE HARDY: WBM OFFICE SYSTEMS – PRESIDENT
“Being taken seriously was a challenge for me in the early years. As a young woman, there can be a tendency to make judgments based on appearance.”
Click to Read: Women in the IT Channel: JoeAnne Hardy
SUSIE IBBOTSON: NAVANTIS – VP MARKETING & ALLIANCES
CANADIAN CHANNEL CHIEFS COUNCIL: EXECUTIVE BOARD –TREASURER
“We wanted to deliver content that was impactful, insightful, enlightening and sometimes controversial.”
Click to Read: CEA: Best Channel Marketing Initiative winners
YASMIN JIVRAJ: ACRODEX – PRESIDENT
“Remember life is a journey with the occasional construction on the road. It sometimes may even require a detour. And, many times these detours bring you to many places you may not have discovered.”
Click to Read: Women in the IT Channel: Yasmin Jivraj
DARLENE KELLY: TERAMACH TECHNOLOGIES – COO
“There are very few women in this field but there are lots of great female and male role models out there. Above all, it’s important to be results-oriented and to be relevant, and that applies to both women and men.”
Click to Read: Women in the IT channel: Darlene Kelly
JANET KENNEDY: MICROSOFT CANADA – PRESIDENT
“The foundations that have been built by my predecessors are incredibly strong, and I’m honoured to be making Canada – and Microsoft Canada – my new home.”
Click to Read: Microsoft appoints new Canadian subsidiary president to replace Max Long
RENEE LALONDE: CA CANADA – VP CANADIAN SALES
“IT is changing rapidly, and providing our Canadian partners and customers with the solutions they need to keep pace is of critical importance.”
REBECCA LEACH: CISCO CANADA – DIRECTOR, PARTNER LED
“Working in IT offers an opportunity to embrace innovation, to experience it first-hand. It’s about being a part of an evolution that impacts every facet of the lives we lead and the communities we live in.”
Click to Read: Cisco to double Partner-Led resources in Canada
WENDY LUCAS: DIMENSION DATA CANADA – AREA DIRECTOR
“Cloud is a new growth engine for businesses and I think more women will have a more positive outlook towards an IT career in the cloud as a result. It’s allowing women to work from anywhere, any place, anytime. This helps work life balance which is critical.”
Click to Read: What’s next for Dimension Data in Canada?
JOANNE MORETTI: DELL Inc.– VP GLOBAL SOFTWARE OPERATIONS
“We’re giving people the freedom to choose what they need to do, and what’s right for their business. That’s the beauty of working with Dell: the power to do more. ”
CARMELA ORLANDO: INSIGHT CANADA – GENERAL MANAGER
“There is a different dynamic when women enter this sector. Women have a unique ability to understand (this sector). I would encourage women to enter IT as a second career because we are facing a worldwide shortage of IT talent.”
Click to Read: CDN Women of IT event explores empowerment
MARY PETERSON: SAP CANADA – NATIONAL DIR. CHANNELS
“SAP has made a global commitment to drive more business to the channel. Our corporation wants to have 40 per cent of the business indirect by 2015. And, in Canada we are leading that charge.”
Click to Read: SAP Canada’s new channel chief outlines priorities
MANDY SHAPANSKY: XEROX CANADA – PRESIDENT & CEO
”It is often the challenging assignments that give you the most personal development and get you noticed.”
LYNN SMURTHWAITE-MURPHY: WESTCON – SVP of N.A.
“Success is earned regardless of your gender. For me, it’s a lot about respect and working hard. Sometimes being a leader is a lonely job and you have to be comfortable and confidant in the decisions you make. But above all, don’t take yourself too seriously.”
Click to Read: #16 Newsmaker: Lynn Smurthwaite-Murphy of Westcon Group
JENNIFER STODDART: PRIVACY COMMISSONER OF CANADA.
“Our office feels federal organizations and Canadians would benefit from an instrument of greater weight to provide increased certainty such as enshrining such direction into law.”
Click to Read: Canada’s Privacy Commissioner urges a creative approach to new privacy challenges
NICOLE WENGLE: F5 NETWORKS CANADA – VP & GM
Played a critical role in Softchoice’s U.S. expansion, building a network of 40 sales branches and 200 account executives across North American, which currently generates annual sales of $1.2 Billion.
MARY WHITTLE: AVAYA – WORLDWIDE CHANNEL DIRECTOR
“This industry is still in its infancy and provides opportunities for young innovators to get in on the ground floor of the next big thing. Technology is at the heart of every corporation now.”
Click to Read: Women in the IT channel: Mary Whittle
MARY ANN YULE: CDW CANADA – GENERAL MANAGER
“Don’t let technology frighten you, jump in. A lot of times, women may be intimidated or scared of technology but it’s always evolving. Just be yourself and bring all of your talents and work hard.”
Click to Read: CDW Canada GM appointed to CanWIT advisory board
