CRN honours 2020 Channel Chiefs
February 20, 2020
Sammy Kinlaw of Lexmark was named one of CRN’s 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs for 2020 and Konica Minolta’s Laura Blackmer was recognised on CRN’s 2020 Channel Chiefs list.
Lexmark announced that CRN has named Sammy Kinlaw, Vice President of worldwide channel OEM and sales, to its exclusive list of the 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs for 2020.
Kinlaw was named to the Vice President role in February 2018.? Prior to this appointment, he spent 13 years with Lenovo, most recently as Vice President North America Commercial Channel and U.S. SMB Vertical where he had responsibility for all aspects of Lenovo’s largest path to market. Prior to Lenovo, Kinlaw spent 12 years with IBM as a regional business unit executive in sales and distribution.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the University of North Carolina.
“What an honour for Sammy to be named to this prestigious list of channel leaders,” said Brock Saladin, Lexmark Senior Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer. “Our growth in the market relies heavily on the channel and we are pleased that Sammy has been recognised as one of the best in the industry.”
CRN’s 2020 Channel Chiefs list honours the distinguished leaders who have most influenced the IT channel with cutting-edge strategies and partnerships. The 2020 Channel Chiefs have shown outstanding commitment, an ability to lead, and a passion for progress within the channel through their partner programs.
Also receiving recognition is Greg Chavers, Lexmark’s Vice President, North American channel sales.
Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. announced that CRN has named Laura Blackmer, Senior Vice President, Dealer Sales to its 2020 list of Channel Chiefs.
Laura Blackmer has extensive industry experience, including various roles in both sales and executive leadership positions at Hewlett Packard. She has been awarded “Best Female Executive” for five consecutive years by The Cannata Report, and is a two-time honouree of CRN’s prestigious Women of the Channel list. In May 2018, she joined the Colorado State University Business Leadership Council.
“The dealer community is an amazing group of people and entrepreneurs, and being able to watch them grow and transition their businesses has been an amazing experience,” said Laura Blackmer, Senior Vice President, Dealer Sales, Konica Minolta. “Thank you to CRN for this honour, and to all our dealer partners who have given me the opportunity to be a part of their success.”
“Laura’s vision and dedication continue to drive the success of our dealers and we are so pleased to see her hard work recognised,” said Rick Taylor, President and CEO, Konica Minolta. “Laura is a true leader, guiding our partner network to realize opportunities for growth through digital transformation, and really listening to their needs as they navigate the workplace of the future.”
“The IT channel is undergoing constant evolution to meet customer demands and changing business environments,” said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. “CRN’s Channel Chiefs work tirelessly, leading the industry forward through superior partner programs and strategies with a focus on helping solution providers transform and grow. Our team here at The Channel Company congratulates these outstanding individuals for their dedication to the channel.”
CRN’s 2020 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2020 issue of CRN Magazine and online at CRN.com.
Categories : Around the Industry
Tags : Channel Chiefs 2020 CRN Honours
