ChannelTalks - How to Win the Platform Race

Michelle Ragusa-McBain is a highly visible thought leader in the global technology channel and serves as Global Chief at SonicWall. Entrepreneur Magazine named her as one of the top 4 people to inspire women to pursue a career in Tech and was recognized by SMB Magazine as one of the 150 most influential people in the global IT Business Community. Michelle was recognized as 2021 Leader for Advancing Women in Technology by CompTIA and serves as Florida Leader for Alliance of Channel Women and sat on the board of CRN Women of the Channel.

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Jay McBain is a Chief Analyst at Canalys, leading channels research in North America, as well as being an integral part of the worldwide channels research and advisory team. Jay is one of the most visible and respected thought leaders in the global channel ecosystem. Prior to joining Canalys, Jay was a Principal Analyst at Forrester, covering channels and ecosystems. Jay has also held various executive roles with IBM, Lenovo and ChannelEyes over a 28-year career.

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Nick has been involved with the IT industry for more than 30 years and has successfully blended entrepreneurial ventures with a career spanning marketing, product development, sales, executive/general management and director’s duties. In 1994 Nick founded IT distributor 1World Systems and later co-directed LAN Systems, both highly profitable ventures which were later acquired. In 2004 Nick co-founded Distribution Central and grew the business from a start-up to revenues of $700 million in 15 years.

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Scott is a seasoned entrepreneur with nearly 40 years of experience in building IT companies across the Asia Pacific region. In 2008, he founded iasset.com, the world's first channel-friendly revenue and sales automation platform designed for IT vendors, distributors, resellers and MSPs. Today, iasset.com is trusted by leading tech brands, managing over $20 billion worth of assets across its global customer base.

Before iasset.com, Scott co-founded and served as Executive Chairman of Distribution Central. Under his leadership, the company grew from a five-person team with a $1.7 million turnover to an organization with more than 160 employees across two countries and revenues exceeding $520 million. Prior to that, Scott established other successful technology businesses that were later acquired, including MarketEntry, LAN Systems and Micro Networks.

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