Juniper Network’s new head of EMEA channels, Sander Groot has overhauled Juniper’s coverage model in the region to help achieve his “number one goal” of growing the channel business.
Groot, who stepped into the role five months ago, says he has made immediate changes that see Juniper go all-in with the company’s managed partners. From now on account managers and directors will focus on their managed partners, because that focus will drive growth.
Groot wants partners who want to co-invest alongside Juniper. He said that he owned EMEA marketing development funds and channel OPEX, so all the investment decisions go through him.
Juniper has 80 managed partners in EMEA and 15 in the UK and Ireland, most of which are certified as Elite, its highest tier.
Groot says Juniper wants to recruit new partners in specific niches…and explore the partner landscape around ecosystem partners – predominantly Nutanix and Red Hat.
He wants to grow the channel by driving partners to win net new logos or pockets of business within existing customers. As part of this, the firm will be incentivising the use of deal registration, which has a lower uptake in EMEA than in the US.
