Collab Convo

Partner marketing is evolving. The expectation is no longer simply to deliver campaigns, events and visibility. It's to help drive business growth.Jo Dunkley is joined by Catherine Dutton, VP Global Growth Marketing at Pega, to explore how the role of partner marketing is evolving and what that means for marketers, their teams and the wider business.Catherine shares how Pega has integrated partner marketing into its wider go-to-market strategy, why strong relationships need to be backed by a clear joint value proposition, and why partner marketers increasingly need to think commercially.We explore four key ideas at the heart of modern partner marketing:1️⃣ From marketing activity to business growth [00:45]How partner marketing has moved closer to the core of business strategy, and the impact AI and increasingly complex partner ecosystems are having on the role.2️⃣ Relationships, strategy and shared value [03:30]Why successful partnerships need both strong relationships and a meaningful joint value proposition, with shared goals and outcomes providing the foundation for growth.3️⃣ Integrating partner marketing with the wider business [05:16]How Pega aligns partner marketers with sales, regions and strategic partners, builds joint plans collaboratively, and measures success against engagement, pipeline and other business outcomes.4️⃣ Developing as a marketing leader [11:16]Why curiosity, commercial awareness, relationships and focusing on outcomes rather than activities can help marketers progress, and why you don't need a management title to start leading.We also discuss what makes a great partner marketer, the importance of understanding how partner businesses operate, and Catherine's work as Co-Executive Sponsor of Women@Pega.Her partner marketing motto sums up the conversation nicely: "Think ecosystem first, think about outcomes second, and always lead with value."Thanks to Catherine for joining the show and sharing her perspective.If you enjoyed the episode, follow or subscribe for more conversations on partner marketing and growth.👤 Follow the speakersJo DunkleyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-dunkley/Catherine DuttonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catdutton1/ 🌐 About CoterieCoterie is a partner marketing specialist focused on helping organisations turn partnerships into a genuine growth driver.We work with global technology companies, including vendors, resellers, distributors, systems integrators and MSPs, to build more effective partner strategies, combining insight, structure and practical execution. Alongside this, Coterie Connect brings together a community of partner marketers to share ideas, learn from each other and raise the standard of the discipline.Through advisory, programmes and events, our focus is simple: helping partner marketing deliver measurable commercial impact, not just activity.#PartnerMarketing #B2BMarketing #ChannelMarketing #PartnerEcosystems

What does it take to build a partner marketing function when you're starting from scratch?Jo Dunkley is joined by Amber Dacres, Global Head of Partner Marketing at DeepL, who has spent the past 18 months doing exactly that.As DeepL's first partner marketer, Amber has helped grow a new partner ecosystem while building the processes, relationships and internal understanding needed to support it. In this conversation, she shares what she's learned about prioritising partners, scaling a one-person function and using AI to help her do more with less.We explore four key ideas at the heart of building and scaling partner marketing:1️⃣ Why partner marketing is a team sport [03:28]Why successful partner marketing should operate more like a relay than a solo sprint, and why collaboration across the business is essential to making partnerships work.2️⃣ Using AI to do more with less [06:12]How Amber is using AI to make a one-person global partner marketing function more scalable, while finding new ways to support partners and the wider marketing team.3️⃣ Deciding which partners deserve your time [08:35]How Amber assesses partners based on their potential impact, joint value proposition, marketing resources and ability to create something genuinely interesting in the market.4️⃣ Why relationships are everything in partner marketing [12:30]How internal and external relationships have shaped Amber's career, and why understanding how partnerships actually work is essential for anyone looking to build a career in the discipline.We also discuss DeepL's rapid partner growth, the importance of finding a clear "better together" story, and why the biggest partner isn't necessarily the one that deserves the most attention.Thanks to Amber for joining the show and sharing her perspective.If you found this useful, subscribe for more conversations with partner marketing and alliance leaders across the global tech ecosystem.👤 Follow the speakersJo DunkleyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-dunkley/Amber DacresLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amberdacres/🌐 About CoterieCoterie is a partner marketing specialist focused on helping organisations turn partnerships into a genuine growth driver.We work with global technology companies, including vendors, resellers, distributors, systems integrators and MSPs, to build more effective partner strategies, combining insight, structure and practical execution. Alongside this, Coterie Connect brings together a community of partner marketers to share ideas, learn from each other and raise the standard of the discipline.Through advisory, programmes and events, our focus is simple: helping partner marketing deliver measurable commercial impact, not just activity.

Partner marketing has no shortage of tactics to deploy. The challenge is knowing which ones will actually enable growth.In this conversation, Jo Dunkley is joined by Amy Coleman, Marketing Director at Orange Cyberdefense.Amy leads alliances, marketing and SDR at Orange Cyber Defense, bringing these functions together into a single go-to-market team. She explains why successful partner marketing starts with strategy, not tactics, and why too many organisations jump straight to execution without first understanding the problem they're trying to solve.We explore four key ideas that sit at the heart of strategic partner marketing:1️⃣ Start with the diagnosis, not the tactics [01:29]Why partner marketing often falls into a "checkbox exercise", and why understanding the joint value proposition should always come before deciding on campaigns or MDF spend.2️⃣ Choosing the partners that matter most [04:35]How Amy prioritises partners based on strategic fit and engagement, creating a clear framework for deciding where to invest time, budget and resources.3️⃣ Turning strategy into measurable growth [08:57]How joint business plans, executive sponsorship and dedicated partner marketing resources create the structure needed to deliver consistent pipeline and revenue.4️⃣ Building a successful career in partner marketing [13:35]Why being proactive, asking for opportunities and broadening your commercial understanding can accelerate your career and increase your strategic impact.We also discuss aligning direct and partner marketing, making better use of existing campaigns, and why "no plan, no pipe" should be the guiding principle behind every partner marketing programme.Thanks to Amy for joining the show and sharing her perspective.If you found this useful, subscribe for more conversations with partner marketing and alliance leaders across the global tech ecosystem.👤 Follow the speakersJo DunkleyLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-dunkley/Amy ColemanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyfperez/ 🌐 About CoterieCoterie is a partner marketing specialist focused on helping organisations turn partnerships into a genuine growth driver.We work with global technology companies, including vendors, resellers, distributors, systems integrators and MSPs, to build more effective partner strategies, combining insight, structure and practical execution. Alongside this, Coterie Connect brings together a community of partner marketers to share ideas, learn from each other and raise the standard of the discipline.Through advisory, programmes and events, our focus is simple: helping partner marketing deliver measurable commercial impact, not just activity.

In this episode of Collab Convo, Jo Dunkley is joined by Daniel Peach, Global Director of Partnerships at Kaluza.Daniel leads Kaluza's global partner ecosystem, spanning technology alliances, software integrations and consultancy partners. Working at the intersection of energy, technology and commercial growth, he helps organisations navigate complex partner relationships while building awareness in a rapidly evolving market.In this conversation, Daniel shares how partnerships can become a powerful marketing channel, why awareness and consideration matter more than ever, and how organisations can identify which partners are truly worth investing in.Drawing on experience at Google, IBM and Kaluza, he explains why energy, responsiveness and shared momentum often matter more than partner size, reputation or strategic positioning.We explore four key ideas that sit at the heart of modern partnerships:1️⃣ Partnerships as a growth and marketing channel [01:21]How partners can help build awareness, shape categories and influence buying decisions long before customers reach the point of purchase.2️⃣ The challenge of finding the right partners [05:36]Why identifying the best partners requires more than market mapping, and how Daniel uses customer insights, technology and ecosystem analysis to guide decisions.3️⃣ Why energy matters in partnerships [07:44]How responsiveness, engagement and momentum can be stronger indicators of success than size or strategic importance.4️⃣ Building a career around purpose and values [12:29]Why coaching, self-awareness and aligning work with personal values helped Daniel find his place in the energy transition sector.We also discuss AI, marketplaces, consultancy ecosystems, category creation, and why the best partners are the ones talking positively about you when you're not in the room.Thanks to Daniel for joining the show and sharing his perspective.If you found this useful, subscribe for more conversations with partner marketing and alliance leaders across the global tech ecosystem.👤 Follow the speakersJo DunkleyLinkedIn:   / jo-dunkley  Daniel PeachLinkedIn:   / danielpeach  🌐 About CoterieCoterie is a partner marketing specialist focused on helping organisations turn partnerships into a genuine growth driver.We work with global technology companies, including vendors, resellers, distributors, systems integrators and MSPs, to build more effective partner strategies, combining insight, structure and practical execution. Alongside this, Coterie Connect brings together a community of partner marketers to share ideas, learn from each other and raise the standard of the discipline.Through advisory, programmes and events, our focus is simple: helping partner marketing deliver measurable commercial impact, not just activity.🎵 Music credit: BombinSound via Pixabay#PartnerMarketing #B2BMarketing #ChannelMarketing #PartnerEcosystems

In this episode of Collab Convo, Jo Dunkley is joined by Kevin Richards, Head of Partnerships UKI at Atos.Kevin shares his perspective on how partnerships are evolving in the AI era, why traditional partner management models are struggling to keep pace, and what organisations need to do differently to create measurable commercial impact.Drawing on experience across sales, marketing and partnerships, he explains why alignment, openness and relationships are still at the heart of successful ecosystems, even as technology rapidly changes around them.We explore four key ideas that sit at the heart of modern partnerships:1️⃣ Why partnership models need to evolve [03:13]How AI, cloud and emerging ecosystems are reshaping the technology landscape, and why traditional partner management approaches are no longer enough.2️⃣ Revenue enablement and organisational alignment [06:32]Why partnerships, marketing, propositions and go-to-market teams need to operate as one connected growth engine rather than separate functions.3️⃣ Choosing the right partners to invest in [10:52]How Kevin evaluates strategic fit, openness and shared goals, and why transparency and collaboration are essential for partnerships to succeed.4️⃣ Why relationships still matter in the AI era [18:27]Why long-term success still comes down to trust, workshops, conversations and building strong human relationships across organisations.We also discuss ecosystems, proposition development, customer outcomes, and why the future belongs to organisations that can bring multiple partners together around shared goals.Thanks to Kevin for joining the show and sharing his perspective.If you found this useful, subscribe for more conversations with partner marketing and alliance leaders across the global tech ecosystem.👤 Follow the speakersJo Dunkley https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-dunkley/Kevin Richards https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinrichards7/🌐 About CoterieCoterie is a partner marketing specialist focused on helping organisations turn partnerships into a genuine growth driver.We work with global technology companies, including vendors, resellers, distributors, systems integrators and MSPs, to build more effective partner strategies, combining insight, structure and practical execution. Alongside this, Coterie Connect brings together a community of partner marketers to share ideas, learn from each other and raise the standard of the discipline.Through advisory, programmes and events, our focus is simple: helping partner marketing deliver measurable commercial impact, not just activity.🎵 Music credit: BombinSound via Pixabay#PartnerMarketing #B2BMarketing #ChannelMarketing #PartnerEcosystems

In this episode of Collab Convo, Jo Dunkley is joined by Maria Ferrara, Senior Marketing Manager at Palo Alto Networks, leading service provider marketing across EMEA.Maria works at the intersection of strategy, execution and partner growth. She shares how partner marketing is evolving from a transactional support function into a predictable, measurable growth engine, and why that shift depends on stronger alignment, deeper integration and a more commercial mindset.Together, they explore what’s holding partner marketing back today, including the gap between activity and impact, the importance of executive buy-in, and how to decide where to invest time and budget. Maria also shares her perspective on building a successful career in partner marketing, and why empathy, influence and relationships are at the core of the role.They also discuss the role of AI in shaping more precise, scalable partner campaigns, and why collaboration cannot be mandated, it has to be inspired.Thanks to Maria for joining the show.Find Maria on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariaferrara/Find Jo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-dunkley/Coterie is a partner marketing specialist helping organisations turn partnerships into a genuine growth driver through strategy, programmes and community.🔔 If you enjoyed the episode, subscribe for more conversations on partner marketing and growth.