QUINCY, Mass., July 22, 2020 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Granite Telecommunications, a $1.5 billion provider of communications services to multilocation businesses and government, announced today that Charlie Pagliazzo, Vice President of Channel and Wholesale Distribution for Granite, has been recognized as a "Top Gun 51" by the editors of Channel Partners and Channel Futures along with premier leaders in the indirect IT and telecom channel.
Pagliazzo, a 27-year telecom veteran, joined Granite 17 years ago to establish the company's channel program. In that time, he has built the company's channel organization, which now brings in more than $250 million annually. As Channel Chief, Pagliazzo has championed and overseen significant strategic investments in Granite Channels, including the additions of regional channel managers to provide local support to sales partners in market.
In addition to Granite's expanded channel management team, the company has invested in layers of support for partners, including teams for partner sales support, client solutions development, sales engineering, project management, account management and customer service.
The strategy is working. Granite Channels has grown as a percentage of Granite's overall business over the last several years, and in 2020 is growing at its greatest rate since its inception.
"Today's channel leaders must be futurists, accountants, technologists, marketers and crisis managers," said Kris Blackmon, senior content director for Channel Partners and Channel Futures. "It's important to recognize these outstanding executives on the basis of insights from within the community itself. We want to thank all everyone who helped us assemble this year's list."
To compile the Top Gun 51 list, determined each year in tandem with the annual MSP 501, Channel Partners and Channel Futures editors invited those who know channel executives best — distributors, master agents and industry analysts — to nominate leaders who exemplify channel advocacy and leadership. All nominations are strictly confidential.
A channel leader was defined as possessing integrity, knowledge and confidence, the ability to inspire others, commitment and passion. He or she must be adept at recognizing the increasing diversity of partner types, revenue models, and partner and customer journeys.
Those tasked with selecting the Top Gun 51 were asked to consider three criteria for selection:
1. Advocates for the channel model with internal leadership. Proof points: Minimal or no house or named accounts. Product or service has "channel-friendly" features and meets advertised claims for end-user functionality. Few operational roadblocks to success within partner program.
2. Is committed to partners' business success: Proof points: Has increased the percentage of revenue coming through partners during tenure. Can show data to support innovative programs for, for example, use of MDF funds, training and certifications. Provides effective enablement.
3. Works to earn trust: Proof points: Considered ethical and honest by partners. Is transparent about direction of company and limitations of product or service. Minimizes risk of engagement.
"For nearly two decades, I have been a steadfast advocate for the channel inside and outside of Granite," said Pagliazzo. "Now more than ever channel partners have taken on a significant role in helping businesses to understand, source and successfully deploy advanced technologies. And, I am honored to be recognized by the channel community as a trusted leader."
Pagliazzo and the rest of this year's #TopGun51 will be recognized in a special program during Channel Partners Virtual: Digital Events for the Modern Channel. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 situation, the Channel Partners Conference & Expo and Channel Partners Evolution have been combined into a three-day online event to be held Sept. 8-10.
The complete 2020 Top Gun 51 list is available at Channel Partners.
About Informa Tech
Channel Partners Online, Channel Futures, Channel Partners Conference & Expo and Channel Partners Evolution are part of Informa Tech, a market-leading B2B information provider with depth and specialization in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector. They help drive the future by inspiring the technology community to design, build and run a better digital world by providing market-leading research, media, training and event brands. Every year, they welcome 7,400+ subscribers to their research, more than 3.8 million unique visitors a month to their digital communities, 18,200+ students to their training programs and 225,000 delegates to their events.
Background
The 2020 Top Gun 51 list is based on data collected by Channel Partners and Channel Futures from a list of well-known master agents, distributors and channel analysts. Data was collected online from May 13 to June 3, 2020. All nominations are held in strict confidence.
About Granite
Granite delivers one-stop communications solutions to multilocation businesses and government agencies throughout the United States and Canada. The $1.5 billion company serves more than two-thirds of the Fortune 100 companies in the United States and has 1.75 million voice and data lines under management. Granite launched in 2002 and grew quickly by helping businesses to simplify sourcing and management of local and long distance phone services with one point of contact and one invoice for all their office locations nationwide. Today, Granite is the leader in aggregating Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS), and has extended its unique value proposition – "one company, one contact, one bill" – to include a range of advance business communications services, including Internet access, SD-WAN, wireless WAN, hosted PBX, SIP trunking, mobile voice and data, mobile device management, managed security, network integration and much more. Granite employs more than 2,100 people at its headquarters in Quincy, Mass., and nine regional offices nationwide. For more information, visit http://www.granitenet.com.
SOURCE Granite Telecommunications
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