Mitel has hired a new executive whose mission is to grow the telecommunications company’s network of sales partners. The Kanata-based firm named Ben Macdonald vice-president of global channel go-to-market this week. Mitel said Macdonald will lead Mitel’s global channel strategy and its recently created global partner program, which allows the firm’s more than 6,000 sales […]
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Mitel has hired a new executive whose mission is to grow the telecommunications company’s network of sales partners.
The Kanata-based firm named Ben Macdonald vice-president of global channel go-to-market this week. Mitel said Macdonald will lead Mitel’s global channel strategy and its recently created global partner program, which allows the firm’s more than 6,000 sales partners to advance through various tiers that offer discounts and access to marketing resources and other tools.
The move comes as companies like Mitel that specialize in communications hardware and software strive to capture new customers that are upgrading aging technology.
According to Mitel, more than two-thirds of businesses have used their current communications systems for at least seven years. The company says more than 90 per cent of organizations that are modernizing their communications technology are turning to hybrid solutions that incorporate both on-premise and cloud-based platforms — an area Mitel describes as “a significant market opportunity” that requires a strong sales channel network.
“I think we have to be prepared to go wherever our customer wants us to go,” Mitel chief executive Mike Robinson told OBJ in an interview shortly after he was hired last September.
“There was a push to go to the public cloud, and more complicated, sophisticated organizations pretty quickly realized they need public and private and hybrid (cloud). What that speaks to first is being close enough to our customers, either through direct or indirect channels, to be that true, trusted adviser.”
Macdonald brings extensive experience in building sales channel partnerships to the new role.
He most recently served as vice-president of global sales and channels at video-conferencing software maker Owl Labs, where he spearheaded the company's enterprise channel-led growth model and secured strategic alliances with Microsoft and Lenovo. Previously, he held senior leadership roles at Poly, Juniper Networks and Ekahau, where he specialized in building sales channel networks.
"The partner opportunity in business communications right now is exceptional," Macdonald, who is based in Naples, Fla., said in a news release. "Organizations across every sector are rethinking their communications infrastructure, and they're turning to trusted channel partners to guide that journey. Mitel's global partner ecosystem is a genuine competitive advantage, and I'm excited to help develop it further for long-term growth."
Long one of the National Capital Region’s highest-profile tech companies, Mitel has gone through some tough times of late. The firm emerged from creditor protection last year under new ownership after signing off on a financial restructuring plan that slashed its debt and provided the company with US$125 million in new funding.
While Mitel is still headquartered in Kanata, only a few hundred of its 4,000 employees are now located in the region.
“The reality is we’ve become a global company over the years through acquisition and through centres of excellence for engineering and development,” Robinson said last year. “We are truly global, and I think that’s a good thing, because it’s easy to get very insular and not outward-looking enough.” 
