Investible Partnerships™

Des Russell

Not all partnerships succeed, but every partnership leader wants to be a driver of Partner impact. In the Investible Partnerships™ podcast, Des Russell dives into the daily battle for partner success that every partnership leader faces , as they try to maximize their relevance and value in partnerships. Des, through conversations with industry and business leaders dives into the thinking, tools and tenants partnership leaders are using to stop being constrained by a handful of partners to grow with and instead scale their impact with more investible partnerships.

  1. Mar 19

    Your Partner Model Was Built for a Different Era with Alex Smith

    The traditional partner model was built for a very different era of technology and go-to-market execution. If you lead partnerships, channels, or ecosystem strategy, you’re likely seeing the shift firsthand. Modern partner ecosystems are evolving rapidly, yet many organisations are still trying to run them on assumptions designed for a previous era. For years, channel programs were built around resale. Partners sold products, vendors drove demand, and distributors helped scale reach. That model worked well when technology was simpler and go-to-market motions were easier to define. Today, the structure of the technology ecosystem looks very different. Partner ecosystems are expanding, marketplaces are accelerating new buying motions, and artificial intelligence is reshaping how customers adopt, deploy, and operate technology. As a result, the role partners play in the technology value chain is changing quickly. In this episode of the Investible Partnerships™ Podcast, Des Russell speaks with Alex Smith from the Futurum Group about how partner models have evolved across major industry shifts, from the client-server era and traditional channel resale, through the rise of cloud platforms, to today’s ecosystem-led and AI-driven go-to-market models. Together they explore: • Why the traditional resale-driven partner model no longer explains how value is created • How marketplaces are changing procurement while increasing the need for partner expertise • Why simply signing more partners rarely solves ecosystem growth challenges • How the growing complexity of ecosystems is forcing organisations to rethink partner roles • What Futurum Group describes as the next generation of “frontier partners,” and how AI may reshape partner operating models

    33 min

  2. 11/26/2025

    From Strategy to Scale: Emma Davidson on Helping Partners Win in the Marketplace Era

    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.

    27 min

  3. 08/18/2025

    Beyond the Portal: How to Build a Partner-First Tech Stack That Actually Drives Engagement with Trevor Burnett

    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 disconnectWhere AI and automation are already delivering value in partner opsHow to clean and structure your data for scalable partner insightsWhat targeted, relevant partner engagement really looks likeWhy 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.

    47 min

  4. 07/07/2025

    Busting the Myths of Partner-Led Growth with Bryan Williams

    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/ 📥 Subscribe & never miss an episode of Investible Partnerships.

    43 min

  5. 05/05/2025

    From Migration to Marketplace: Where AWS Wants Partners to Play in APJ

    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 partnershipsWhat migration and modernization really mean in 2025, and how VMware dynamics are shaping urgencyWhy generative AI starts with good data — and how partners can create practical valueThe strategic role of startups and SMB-focused solutions in AWS’s next waveWhat 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.

    34 min

  6. 11/28/2024

    Balancing Direct and Channel Sales: Damian Bach Shares His Game Plan Partnership for Success

    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!

    43 min

  7. 11/07/2024

    Mastering Investment Efficiency: The Key to Creating Investible Partnerships

    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: Why investment efficiency is essential for creating sustainable, customer-centered partnerships. What different strategies are used for building partner capacity and capability. The framework for evaluating partners based on specialization and reliability. How targeted investment can transform partners into reliable, high-impact contributors. Discover how to bring a new level of focus and effectiveness to your partnerships with Des’s insights on investment efficiency!

    13 min

  8. 10/24/2024

    Trust and Storytelling: Stephanie Goveas on Building Investible Partnerships

    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: Steph’s unique journey from IT to pre-sales, and eventually partnerships. Her insights on building trust with different types of partners, from GSIs to regional resellers. How she shifted from a structured partnership approach to a more fluid, instinctual strategy. The role of storytelling and personal branding in establishing relevance and fostering deeper connections. The challenges and rewards of navigating the partnership space, and why a sense of community is invaluable for partnership leaders. 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!

    49 min
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Not all partnerships succeed, but every partnership leader wants to be a driver of Partner impact. In the Investible Partnerships™ podcast, Des Russell dives into the daily battle for partner success that every partnership leader faces , as they try to maximize their relevance and value in partnerships. Des, through conversations with industry and business leaders dives into the thinking, tools and tenants partnership leaders are using to stop being constrained by a handful of partners to grow with and instead scale their impact with more investible partnerships.

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