Illumio’s Deborah Caldwell Is a 2024 CRN Woman of the Channel

Illumio is excited that CRN Magazine has named two of our team members as a CRN Woman of the Channel for 2024: Sam Reese, Director of Americas Field Marketing, and Deborah Caldwell, Global Channel Director. This is the second year in a row that they’ve been named to the list.

The CRN Women of the Channel list honors women for their strategic vision, thought leadership, and channel advocacy that impacts growth and innovation in the channel.  

We sat down with Deborah to discuss the award, why partner success is so important, and her advice to women getting started in tech.

What does being part of the CRN Women of the Channel list mean to you?

CRN has done a great job building a community, and it’s such an honor to be recognized as part of the Women of the Channel list within that community. Personally, I’m very proud, and professionally, it’s nice to be recognized for my work with partners. The award really highlights the importance of continuing to push boundaries in my work with the channel. It feels like validation that I am on the right path.

‍How would you describe your role at Illumio?

I’m a Global Channel Director at Illumio. My focus is on supporting our global systems integrators (GSIs) and advisory partners.

In my role, building sales pipeline is a very important metric. I believe that building genuine relationships with our partners fuels that process. I want to have a real connection with them so that when they’re sitting in front of their customers, it’s second nature to bring Illumio into the conversation.  

‍Why is partner success so important to you?

Partner success is directly aligned to Illumio’s success. It’s really a better together story. When we enable our partners and collaborate with them, we create this multiplier effect that benefits everyone. When we succeed, our partners succeed, and so do our customers.  

What are your goals to drive channel success at Illumio in 2024?

I would sum up my goals this year in three words: Inspire, Infuse, and Illuminate.

• Inspire: I want our partners to feel the same energy and excitement about Illumio that we do. That’s going to make our relationships with them even stronger and drive further success for all.
• Infuse: I’m always looking for ways to help our partners leverage Illumio to help drive their business, whether that’s putting them in touch with our sales engineers for training or using our marketing resources for cobranding opportunities.
• Illuminate: An excited, supported partner ecosystem is the spark we can use to light the fire on go-to-market and make it happen. I want to find even more ways for us to market and sell together, helping Illumio and our partners’ businesses grow – and making our customers more secure.

As a successful woman in the channel, what is your advice to women getting started in tech?

If getting into tech is what you want and what you’re passionate about, then do it! Trust your instincts – and this is especially important in an industry that’s still largely male-dominated. When I was starting out in my career, there were so many times I’d have an idea but would talk myself out of sharing it. Then, moments later, someone else would say what I’d been thinking! Trust yourself to have a voice and speak up, even if you’re not completely certain it’s the “right” answer. It’s important to make your ideas heard and have the resilience to continue sharing your thoughts.

Celebrate your wins. It’s easy to keep your wins to yourself, and no one wants to feel like they’re bragging. But it’s important to promote yourself and your success. You never know who you might be inspiring or what doors may be opening to your future.

See the other 2024 CRN Women of the Channel award winners.

Learn more about Illumio’s Partner Program, or contact us today.