Strategy · Operations · Design
A global enterprise infrastructure company generating over $900M in annual partner revenue needed to replace its aging Bronze/Silver/Gold partner program. The existing model was revenue-gated — locking smaller, high-investment partners out of top-tier incentives regardless of their commitment to certifications or pipeline generation.
Leadership wanted a program that rewarded the right behaviors, not just the biggest partners.
The legacy tier structure created a single path to the top: sell more. Partners who invested heavily in product certifications or generated qualified pipeline had no mechanism to advance. This meant the company's most technically capable and strategically aligned partners were often stuck in lower tiers with worse economics — while large-volume partners with minimal engagement beyond transactions held the top spots.
The program only rewarded one dimension of partner engagement — and had stopped incentivizing the behaviors that actually drive growth.
I was in charge of architecting a points-based incentive model that replaced the single revenue gate with a multi-dimensional scoring system. Partners earned points across three categories: revenue attainment, product certifications, and converted deal registrations. Each activity carried a weighted point value, and partners could reach top-tier status through any combination — a smaller partner who invested deeply in certifications and pipeline could unlock the same discount structures as a high-revenue partner.
The financial modeling underneath was the critical piece. I built scenario analyses across the full partner base to stress-test discount structures, make sure the math worked at every tier, and model the revenue impact of partners shifting between levels. These recommendations were delivered directly to the Channel Chief and informed the final program structure, incentive thresholds, and tier economics.
Once launched, I designed, implemented, and managed the ongoing evaluation framework — tracking partner performance across all three dimensions, advising leadership on tier movement decisions, and advising our partner managers with clear, actionable criteria for advancement of their partners.
Within the first year, product certifications across the partner base increased by 30% — that was 30% more certified sales people and 30% more qualified partners selling into the market. Deal registration conversions rose 25%, driving a measurable increase in qualified pipeline. The program earned a CRN 5-Star Rating for Partner Program Excellence from The Channel Company — the industry's benchmark for best-in-class channel programs.
More importantly, it gave every partner in the ecosystem — from boutique specialists to our largest global partners — a transparent, achievable path to the company's best economics. The model replaced guesswork with structure and gave leadership a defensible, data-driven framework for every partner conversation.