8 keys to success from Barracuda’s CRN Women of the Channel

This week, CRN, a brand of The Channel Company, announced its highly respected Women of the Channel list for 2021. We’re excited to share that a total of eight Barracuda team members made the list!

The women honored on this year’s list pushed forward with comprehensive business plans, marketing initiatives and other innovative ideas to support their partners and customers, helping them through the uncertainty brought on by the global COVID-19 pandemic. CRN celebrates these exceptional women for their leadership, dedication, and channel advocacy.

Barracuda’s honorees are:

• Rachel Barnett, Manager, National Channel, Field Operations


• Lindsay Faria, Director, Content, Partner Marketing, Barracuda MSP


• Jennifer Harrison, Partner Success Manager, Barracuda MSP


• Mimish Lesperance, Director, Americas Channel, Field Marketing


• Jenna Renaud, Director, National Accounts


• Kate Reuther, Partner Success Operations Manager, Barracuda MSP


• Erin Shaw Crowley, Marketing Manager, Events, Barracuda MSP


• Rachel Williams-Petit, Outside Channel Manager

What's the key to success for channel partners in 2021?

To help channel partners, we asked these eight Women of the Channel to share their thoughts on what partners need to focus on and be aware of in order to find success in the year ahead. For further insights, click on each name to view their full Women of the Channel listings.

“The key to success for our channel partners in 2021 will be leveraging the programs and resources made available to them. As many continue to work remote in the coming year and virtual events still take the place of onsite meetings, it is important that our partners take full advantage of the tailored content and training materials our team has built to help them succeed and made easily accessible to them.” —Rachel Barnett, Sr. Manager, National Channel, Field Operations

“Many MSP have a decision to make - are they going to transform their business into the security-centric organization it needs to be in order to thrive in today's threat landscape, or not? The ones who choose to seize that opportunity will succeed. They'll look at their own internal operations as well as their service delivery through a security lens. They'll proactively seek to continuously identify gaps in their and their customers security posture and to address them. And they'll look for ways to partner with their vendors to take advantage of all of the resources they can provide.” —Lindsay Faria, Director, Content, Partner Marketing, Barracuda MSP

“Success means transforming your MSP business into a security-centric operation. Remote work is here to stay, and along with it, there is significant opportunity. Workers are using any device they can to remain productive, which present vulnerabilities if the appropriate security processes aren't in place. It is important for MSPs to prioritize protecting both the end-user and their data, whether it resides on the device or in the cloud. In addition, success will require MSPs to continually assess their (and their customers') security posture to identify and address gaps.” —Jennifer Harrison, Sr. Partner Success Manager, Barracuda MSP

“Working for a company focused on security, we are acutely aware of the rise of cybersecurity breaches. It is important that our partners enable themselves so they can bring tremendous value to their customers who need guidance and support in this area. Establishing themselves as security experts will be an important differentiator for our partners.” —Mimish Lesperance, Director, Americas Channel, Field Marketing

“Partners that embrace cloud adoption and the ways they can use Barracuda to increase their services will come out on top in 2021. Vendor engagement, alignment, and enablement are all important factors for a successful partnership and true channel growth. Partners need to recognize the areas where a vendor is winning and why and then be able to align their sales teams to these successes.” —Jenna Renaud, Director, National Accounts

“In 2021, the key to success for channel partners will be their ability to transition into a security-centric operation. The ability to continually assess both their (and their customers') security posture will be needed to address the evolving threat landscape. Work-from-home is here to stay, and savvy MSPs will rely on their technology partners to provide solutions and services that enable them to successfully make the transition.” —Kate Reuther, Sr. Partner Success Operations Manager, Barracuda MSP

“Success means transforming your MSP business into a security-centric operation. Remote work is here to stay, and along with it, there is significant opportunity. Workers are using any device they can to remain productive, which presents vulnerabilities if the appropriate security processes aren't in place. It is important for MSPs to prioritize protecting both the end-user and their data, whether it resides on the device or in the cloud. In addition, success will require MSPs to continually assess their (and their customers') security posture to identify and address gaps.” —Erin Shaw Crowley, Sr. Marketing Manager, Events, Barracuda MSP

“Staying current with what is happening in the world relating to technology and security and properly aligning with vendors that match a company's core values are paramount to a channel partner's success. Relationship building is also a critical overlay strategy. This will allow channel partners to deliver flexible, high-value, and best-in-breed solutions to their customers.” —Rachel Williams-Petit, Outside Channel Manager

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