This series provides insight into what drives Dell EMC channel executives. Missed the other posts in the series? Get to know them now: John Byrne (Dell EMC President of Global Channels); Michael Collins (Dell EMC Senior Vice President, Channel, EMEA); Ng Tian Beng (Dell EMC Senior Vice President, APJ Channels); Joyce Mullen (Dell EMC Senior Vice President and General Manager, Global OEM and IoT Solutions); Jim DeFoe (Dell EMC Senior Vice President, Global Distribution); Gregg Ambulos (Dell EMC Senior Vice President, North American Channels); Jay Snyder (Dell EMC Senior Vice President, Global Alliances, Service Providers and Industries).
Meet Cheryl Cook – Senior Vice President, Global Channel Marketing
What is your current role/area of responsibility?
As Senior Vice President, Global Channel Marketing, I am responsible for Dell/EMC global partner marketing programs and engagement, including:
- Channel events and promotions
- Branding and communications
- Partner marketing tools and enablement
- MDF program strategy and execution
In addition, I am responsible for collaborating with regional Commercial and Enterprise sales teams on partner planning and partner experience.
How long have you worked with the channel partner community?
I have been working in the channel for 20+ years, holding various sales and marketing leadership positions that covered nearly all partner types—solution providers, distributors, global systems integrators—across multiple companies in the industry.
What most excites you about the Dell EMC opportunity?
We have the right team, the right products, the right partners, and excellent timing- we’re in a great place! We have a bold vision, a clear strategy, the industry’s broadest portfolio of essential infrastructure solutions, with an incredibly talented and strong leadership team, focused on delighting our customers and partners, and winning in the market place. The entire industry is in a transition, and transforming. We’re a part of history in the making, and I believe, a once-in-a-career opportunity to significantly deliver unique value to our customers, and a growth opportunity for our partners.
As the industry consolidates, and customers and partners look to narrow the number of vendors they do business with, we’re in an enviable position. We have great positive momentum in our business right now, with huge upside opportunity. Our partners are energized about our new partner program, and the growth opportunity with Dell EMC.
We have to stay focused on our customers and partners, and delight them. We’re winning! People like playing and cheering for winning teams!
What most excites you about the Dell EMC Partner Program?
We tried to bring the best of both programs together in our new unified partner program. Our commitment is Simple, Predictable, and Profitable.TM
- It is simple in that it takes the best of both the Dell and EMC Partner Programs and provides all partner tracks with simplified, common structure and tiers.
- It’s predictable in the clarity of the programs, transparency in sales engagement and enhanced visibility into the business, in terms of the scorecard, for example.
- And with the incremental investments we’ve made in the industry’s most lucrative program, the Dell EMC Partner Program is profitable—with rewards that are focused on growth, new business and services and incentives to partners that actively sell the full Dell EMC portfolio.
We’ve also created excitement and tier envy, with innovations in partner tiering with Titanium Black. It’s an exciting time to be a Dell EMC Partner.
What do you see as the biggest opportunity for Dell EMC partners in 2017?
We’re a market leader in the essential infrastructure categories, and we have great growth opportunity in channel share. We have the broadest end-to-end product portfolio in the industry, and a significant R&D investment at $4.5B per year, to ensure we drive innovation to bring advances and technology to help our partners and customers navigate this digital transformation.
Our partners have choices, and they need to bet on vendors they can win with. We’re a company to bet on! Lean in!
We’re growing faster in the channel than others, gaining market share. We’ve just launched an extraordinary partner program, and we’re still listening. We will continue to be transparent, and collaborate, and deliver on our promise of Simple, Predictable, and Profitable. The market is moving fast, and we’re all on an extraordinary journey.
No one vendor can do what we can do, and partners can make a lot of money with Dell EMC. We’re having fun! Come join the team, and have fun, and make money.
Do you have a favorite country, place or city to visit; and why?
Of all the places I have traveled in this world, one of my favorite places is Rome. I love the history, the culture, the food, the weather, the fashion and shopping- the shoes, and handbags. Did I mention shoes?
I have been many times, but my fondest memories are spending the Millennium, the turn of the century on New Year’s Eve in Rome, one of the most ancient places, and the first trip with both of my sons, Garrett and Logan. It was wonderful to experience it all through their eyes. They really appreciated the history, and the food, and the language. I think their favorite stop along the tour was the Colosseum, typical boys—they had swords and were reciting lines from the movie, Gladiator. It was amazing to see them soak all the sights and experiences in. They still say it’s one of their favorite places, too.
What do you do for fun outside of Dell EMC?
When I’m not running from airport to Dell EMC office or partner sites, I enjoy working out, shopping, and spending time with friends and family. Although I live in Texas, I do enjoy the water and being outdoors. I’m a Florida girl who is very happy in Texas, but am an avid Florida Gator fan (there’s nothing passive about being a Gator). I am also a University of Florida alumna and a board member of the University of Florida Foundation.
Follow Cheryl Cook on Twitter: @CookCherylS.
