In this episode of the Investible Partnerships™ Podcast, host Des Russell sits down with Emma Davidson, VP of Cloud at NEXTGEN, to explore how marketplaces are reshaping the way partners, distributors, and vendors drive growth.

Emma shares her journey from agency life to leading one of the fastest-growing cloud businesses in ANZ — and why she believes marketplaces aren’t just a new channel, but a complete reinvention of how technology is sold and scaled.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why marketplaces are more than a procurement mechanism — they’re a new go-to-market model.
• The biggest challenges partners face when adopting marketplace strategies (and how to overcome them).
• The 3-step playbook for partners to get marketplace-ready: strategy, listing, and seller enablement.
• What “operationalising” marketplace success really looks like.
• The leadership mindset needed to guide teams through change in a digital-first ecosystem.

Emma also reveals how NEXTGEN is helping partners bridge the gap between ambition and execution , building capability, accelerating CPPO enablement, and creating demand through smarter go-to-market motion.

If you’re a vendor, distributor, or partner leader trying to make sense of the marketplace opportunity, this conversation gives you both the strategy and the steps to take action.

Listen now to learn how to move from strategy to scale in the marketplace era.

Most partner tech stacks track activity but activity isn’t engagement, and it definitely isn’t impact.

In this episode of Investible Partnerships™, Des Russell is joined by Trevor Burnett, VP of Product Marketing at Impartner, to explore how modern partner teams are moving beyond legacy PRMs and portals. They’re building modular, AI-powered stacks that are frictionless, data-smart, and actually used by partners.

If you’re trying to scale partner impact without adding complexity, this episode is packed with insights on what’s working and what’s not.

You’ll learn:

• Why buying tools ≠ building a strategy — and how to fix the disconnect
• Where AI and automation are already delivering value in partner ops
• How to clean and structure your data for scalable partner insights
• What targeted, relevant partner engagement really looks like
• Why the future of partner tech is embedded, invisible and far more powerful

Whether you're shaping partner strategy, managing ecosystem ops, or rolling out a new PRM, this is your playbook for building a partner tech stack that enables action, not just administration.

Not all partnerships succeed—but every partnership leader wants to drive real, lasting impact.

In this episode of Investible Partnerships™, Des Russell sits down with long-time industry peer and partnership expert Bryan Williams to demystify the concept of partner-led growth. With years of experience helping ambitious startups and scale-ups grow through intentional collaboration, Bryan shares what truly separates scalable, investible partnerships from the hype-driven noise.

If you've ever felt stuck between too many partners—or too few—you’ll walk away from this episode with clarity, strategy, and a renewed mindset to unlock more meaningful, systemized growth through partnerships.

This isn’t just theory. It’s a tactical deep-dive into how today’s leading partnership thinkers are scaling their relevance, value, and influence—without being constrained by a handful of partners.

🔥 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

-Why partner-led growth is often misunderstood—and what it really looks like in practice

-How to align partnerships with business goals rather than treat them as side hustles

-The traits of a high-value partner (and how to tell when to walk away)

-Practical, AI-resilient strategies to build sustainable, scalable partnership systems

🎧 Listen now to discover how to move beyond buzzwords and start scaling with truly investible partnerships.

🔗 Connect with Des Russell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desrussell/

🔗 Learn more about Bryan Williams: Hockey Stick Advisory: https://www.hockeystickadvisory.com/

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What does it really take to win as a partner in one of the fastest-evolving regions in the world?

In this episode of Investible Partnerships, I sit down with Chris Casey, now leading the AWS Partner Organization across Asia Pacific and Japan. From the rise of partner-led growth to the role of marketplace, Chris shares what’s really driving momentum for AWS partners — and where he wants partners to double down.

We cover:

• How AWS is scaling impact through regional expansion and local partnerships
• What migration and modernization really mean in 2025, and how VMware dynamics are shaping urgency
• Why generative AI starts with good data — and how partners can create practical value
• The strategic role of startups and SMB-focused solutions in AWS’s next wave
• What it looks like when channel partners are seen as growth accelerators, not just sellers

Chris also speaks candidly about innovation at the edge, why culture matters more than strategy, and the partner behaviours that signal long-term alignment with AWS priorities.

If you’re trying to stay relevant, stay ahead, and stay investible in the APJ cloud partner ecosystem — this episode is essential listening.

In this week’s Investible Partnerships episode, Des Russell speaks with Damian Bach, APJ Channel Director at Recorded Future.

Damian shares his incredible journey from sales to channel leadership, his experiences working across the APJ region, and his thoughts on scaling partner ecosystems.

They dive into:

• How to align stakeholders effectively using interlocks and account mapping.

• Balancing direct vs. channel-led sales motions.

• Practical ways to develop partnerships that thrive at scale.

• The Game Plan Framework for understanding vendor economics and driving partner efficiency.

Plus, Damian gives his take on what partnerships need to succeed in the Partnerships Fast Five.

If you’re a channel leader or partner manager, you won’t want to miss this insightful conversation!

In this episode of Investable Partnerships, Des Russell explores how mastering investment efficiency can transform partner ecosystems, drive sustainable growth, and create partnerships that truly matter.

Drawing on his experience with leaders across distribution, Des presents strategies for building capacity and capability, whether you're skilling up existing partners or onboarding new ones.

This episode is packed with actionable insights to help you make every resource—time, money, and effort—count.

Join Des as he shares key insights from his work with distribution leaders, reveals a practical framework for evaluating partners, and discusses how to shift your approach to investment efficiency.

Learn how to elevate partners into the ideal quadrant of specialization and reliability, unlocking their full potential for your ecosystem.

In this episode, we cover:

Discover how to bring a new level of focus and effectiveness to your partnerships with Des’s insights on investment efficiency!

In this episode of the Investible Partnerships podcast, host Des Russell sits down with Stephanie Goveas, an expert in partnerships and alliances, to explore the journey of building impactful partnerships. Steph shares her inspiring career transition from IT to partnerships, and how she has crafted a unique approach that focuses on building trust, being adaptable, and leveraging storytelling to succeed.

Join us as we explore:

This episode is packed with actionable insights for anyone looking to strengthen their partnerships, adapt their strategy, and connect on a deeper level with partners. Whether you're an established partnership leader or just starting out, you’ll find Steph’s advice incredibly valuable.

Don’t miss our Partnerships Fast-Five round where Steph gives her off-the-cuff insights into what partnerships mean to her!

As the sales landscape rapidly shifts, cloud marketplaces are emerging as powerful tools for both buyers and sellers.

But how can traditional sales teams stay relevant in a world where digital marketplaces are now a driving force?

In this episode, Des Russell takes a deep dive into the intersection of relationship-based selling and cloud marketplaces, showing how these platforms are reshaping the sales process for everyone—from sales leaders to individual salespeople.

If you’re struggling with how to adapt your sales strategy in this new age of automation and self-service purchasing, or simply want to understand how to leverage cloud marketplaces to close bigger, faster deals—this episode is for you.

Des shares insights into why sales teams should embrace these changes, what’s at stake for those who don’t, and how to harness the power of both human connections and digital efficiency.

What’s Covered in This Episode:

Tune in for a compelling look at how cloud marketplaces are redefining the sales game—and how you can come out on top.

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This week's Investible Partnerships™ podcast episode features Chris Gordon, GSI Alliances Leader at Rubrik, discussing the critical strategies for driving partner impact with Global System Integrators (GSIs) in the APAC region. Chris shares his journey from sales to partnerships, emphasizing the transformative role of self-awareness in building and maintaining successful alliances.

The episode delves into the strategic frameworks Chris employs, including a two-by-two segmentation model and a connection triangle model, to prioritize and align with GSI partners. Additionally, Chris emphasizes the value of understanding market dynamics and leveraging partnerships to drive significant business outcomes.

Tune in to gain insights from Chris Gordon on effective GSI partnership management, leveraging ecosystems, and the essential role of self-awareness in enhancing partner impact.

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This week's Investible Partnerships™ podcast episode features Jay McBain, Chief Analyst at Canalys, discussing the importance of addressing challenges such as Partner Success collectively at an ecosystem level. This approach is crucial for unlocking a $4 trillion industry opportunity and securing sustained profitability for all stakeholders.

The episode delves into the Modern Partnership Ecosystem, exploring topics such as shifting buyer demands, developing partner value propositions, and marketplace economics.

Tune in to gain insights from Jay McBain on strategies related to recruitment, skill enhancement, and building reliable teams that leaders in the channel and ecosystem can implement.

Join our podcast newsletter here, https://www.investiblepartnerships.com/