Biography:
Jeff Klenner joined EVOTEK as President in 2016. During his tenure, revenue has expanded tenfold, customer reach has expanded globally, and the company successfully completed its first acquisition. Klenner serves on the board of directors of an emerging technology firm, Fulcrum, is a Venture Partner for Greatscale Ventures, where he advises founders of early-stage companies, volunteers as a board member of Junior Achievement of San Diego and is a graduate of the FBI Citizens Academy.
Current Role: Start Date:
July 2016
When was your company founded?
2014
How many years have you been in the channel?
15
Is the Channel Leader the highest ranking channel executive in your company?
No
Who does the Channel Leader executive report to?
CEO Chuck Robbins
CEO, J.J. Kardwell
CEO, Janet Schijns
CEO/President – Marc Haskelson
What are the top services/products sold through the channel:
EVOTEK was founded to pursue a disruptive new vision: to provide technology leadership on innovative ways to thrive in a digital world. With technology offerings from data center to cloud, EVOTEK is uniquely equipped to enable customers with the industry shift from traditional IT computing to secure multi-cloud. Practice areas in cybersecurity, data center, networking, digital platforms, and intelligent automation.
What are your top channel accomplishments:
EVOTEK was named to Inc Magazine’s Best Places to work in 2018. From 2016-2020, EVOTEK was named to The San Diego Business Journal’s Best Places to Work and recognized in CRN’s Solution Provider 500 list, CRN’s Next-Generation 250 list, CRN’s Triple Crown, and highlighted as CRN’s Top 150 Growth Companies, holding the #1 spot in 2017, as the fastest-growing system integrator in the country.
What is your largest channel challenge in 2022?
Growth requires an increased focus on partners. We have uniquely placed our alliance team within marketing, to focus on automation of our process while improving the experience for our partners when they interact with our company.
How much do you expect to grow your channel in 2022?
Grow >30%
How much do you expect to grow your MDF (Marketing Development Funds) in 2022?
Grow >30%
What are your top channel goals for 2022?
We have set a target to double our MDF in 2022 and are already on a pace to do that. We have begun EVOTEK Executive Experiences, which are world class events where executives can network with their peers, with EVOTEK as the host.
What else should we know about the Channel Leader or Channel Program?
We have shifted from a channel mange’s company, to an experiential one. Aligning partner management inside of marketing, has enabled us to sell Executive Experiences. This way we increase our MDF, while differentiating our offerings. Feedback in our automated website for sponsorships and a full year of events published has been exceptional. We look forward to continuing to expand MDF while growing our brand through differentiation.
