BURLINGTON, Mass., Feb. 11, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sophos  (LSE: SOPH ), a global leader in network and endpoint security, today announced that CRN ® , a brand of The Channel Company , has named six Sophos executives to its prestigious list of 2019 Channel Chiefs. The top IT channel leaders included on this list continually strive to drive growth and revenue in their organization through their channel partners.

The selected Channel Chiefs from Sophos include Michael Valentine, senior vice president of worldwide sales; Kendra Krause, vice president of global channels; John Keenan, vice president, Americas; Erin Malone, vice president of North America channel sales; Scott Barlow, vice president of global MSP sales; and Allison Clarke, director, global channel programs.

Additionally, Michael Valentine has been recognized as one of CRN’s 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs for the fourth consecutive year, along with Kendra Krause, who has been named to the elite list for the third consecutive year. Mike and Kendra’s inclusion in this distinguished group comes as a result of their outstanding contribution and support in the development of robust partner programs and innovative business strategies within Sophos, as well as their significant influence in prominently guiding and shaping the wider IT channel ecosystem.

Each of the 2019 Channel Chiefs has demonstrated exceptional leadership, vision and commitment to their channel partner programs. Channel Chief honorees are selected by CRN’s editorial staff as a result of their professional achievements, standing in the industry, dedication to the channel partner community, and strategies for driving future growth and innovation.

Over the last year, Sophos has strengthened its leadership as a next-generation security vendor in the channel on a global scale with the expansion of innovative product offerings and training initiatives developed to fuel and streamline growth opportunities, including:

  • Enhancing Sophos’ MSP Connect program to make it effortless for MSP partners to sell, market, distribute and implement a comprehensive next-generation security portfolio for every customer through Sophos Central  
  • Providing advanced training options in Sophos’ Synchronized Security Accreditation program, enabling partners to sell and deliver an intuitive security platform with award-winning products that actively work together as a cybersecurity system  
  • Increasing Sophos’ nationwide roadshow presence in FY18 to give more partners across North America the ability to learn about and demo new products, receive tips on upselling and cross selling products, and talk through industry challenges to help them grow their business both immediately and in the longer term as they make their clients safer from disparate forms of cyber-attacks and zero-day exploits  
  • Extending the momentum of Sophos’ Cloud Security Provider program by furthering the investment in educational resources and financial incentives to better help channel partners support their customers’ cloud security and migration and seize the public cloud revenue growth opportunity

“The individuals on CRN’s 2019 Channel Chiefs list deserve special recognition for their contribution and support in the development of robust partner programs, innovative business strategies, and significant influence to the overall health of the IT channel,” said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. “We applaud each Channel Chief’s remarkable record of accomplishments and look forward to following their continued success.”

“We’re thrilled to have six of our executives recognized for their significant role and contributions to advance Sophos’ ‘channel best’ mission and security innovation strategy at the partner level,” said Michael Valentine, senior vice president of worldwide sales for Sophos. “From product to personnel, we’ve built Sophos’ corporate culture around serving our partners, and our position as a channel industry leader is reinforced by CRN honoring us with their highest accolades in addition to Channel Chiefs, including Women of the Channel , Tech Innovators and Products of the Year . In 2019, we’ll continue to invest heavily in the innovative security solutions, services, support, and resources that are important to our channel partners’ business.”

The 2019 CRN Channel Chiefs list, including the 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs, is featured online at www.crn.com/channelchiefs and will appear in the February 2019 issue of CRN.

About Sophos Sophos is a leader in next-generation endpoint and network security. As the pioneer of synchronized security Sophos develops its innovative portfolio of endpoint, network, encryption, web, email and mobile security solutions to work better together. More than 100 million users in 150 countries rely on Sophos solutions as the best protection against sophisticated threats and data loss. Sophos products are exclusively available through a global channel of more than 39,000 registered partners. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, UK and is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange under the symbol "SOPH." More information is available at www.sophos.com .

About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelco.com  

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Copyright ©2019. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC.  All rights reserved.

Press Contacts:

Sophos:

Rebecca Ferrick, March Communications sophos@marchcomms.com 617-960-9857

The Channel Company Contact:          

Jennifer Hogan The Channel Company  jhogan@thechannelco.com