Larissa Crandall (Veeam)
Veeam Software is looking to make adjustments to its partner program within the second half of this year, although it has stressed a complete overhaul is off the table.
According to Larissa Crandall, VP of global channel and alliances, the vendor is considering slight “evolutions” to its existing ProPartner Network based on partner feedback to be introduced later this year.
“We will enhance pieces in the program related to the rest of the partner ecosystem, outside of possibly the bar to incent increased alliances, VSCP business – those type of different tracks,” she said to ARN.
Crandall also highlighted that the program wouldn't be deconstructed and replaced with a whole new program anytime soon, as she wasn’t looking to “break what's not broken”.
The VP of global channel and alliances has only been in the role for the last six months, with her tenure at Veeam only starting last December.
However, Crandall has had channel-facing positions over the last nine years, so while she hasn’t had a long time within the Veeam ecosystem, she does have experience with channel programs.
“I've always built programs outside in, not inside out,” she said. “What I mean by that is you have to learn from the field, you have to learn from spending time with partners – me sitting in a technical briefing with 50 partner SEs and having them be transparent with me, that's where I will continue to do to bring it back into Veeam.”
As she has been in the job for such a short time frame, it is understandable then that Crandall is not looking to rock the boat and make any wide-ranging changes.
“I'm not looking to completely revamp just because and that's never been my track, where I come in and change a program just to be able to publicise and rename something,” she added. “I know a lot of organisations do that. We'll continue to listen to the partners and pay attention to that.”
Crandall's comments come a month after Veeam launched a new competency program for its value-added resellers (VAR) and cloud and service provider (CSP) partners, featuring dedicated expertise and resources to support customers and partners using the Veeam Data Platform.
Sasha Karen travelled to VeeamON 2023 as a guest of Veeam.
