NextivaThe new global chain manager says there is a “huge” opportunity for Nextiva chain partners to help their customers adjust to the new normal and hybrid workforce.

Nextiva has hired Marc Stein as the new Vice President of Channel Sales and Global Channel Head. He was previously responsible for the chains of Splunk.

Stein is responsible for managing channel sales, channel development and strategic channel partnerships. In addition, he will manage NeXus, Nextiva’s partner program that the company launched last August.

In addition, he will manage the overall experience of Nextiva channel partners.

Stein brings over 20 years of experience building go-to-market strategies and leading SaaS sales teams. He spent over 10 years at Adobe, most recently as Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Global Partners.

Earlier this month, Nextiva has partnered with Five9 to provide an integrated unified communications and cloud contact center offering.

In a Q&A with Channel Futures, Stein talks about his plans for Nextiva channel partners in the coming months.

Channel Futures: Why did you want to take on this role with Nextiva?

Marc Stein: I joined Nextiva because it’s a founder-run, customer-obsessed company that is redefining customer communication. I love that Nextiva is a game-changer by delivering a robust, purpose-built cloud platform and helping businesses deliver world-class customer engagement channels. I respect how the company has done so many things right, from growing organically, to sustaining its culture of unique people, to innovation, and to obsessing about solving customer problems.

And, many companies can tell, but Nextiva is a true channel organization first. Not only is indirect sales the fastest growing and majority market entry route, the company continues to make significant investments in its partners through its programs, marketing and models. live assistance.

CF: How will this role be different from your previous one as Splunk Channel Manager?

MRS: Whether it’s UCaaS, IT resellers, MSPs, or integrators, the common theme is not just who you partner with, but how you treat your partners as well as your customers. I have studied and seen the leaders of the companies I have worked with in the past gain the opinions of partners by leading with these values ​​and being both consistent and transparent. At the same time, the market demand for cloud communications continues to grow. And the innovative and easy-to-use approach to technology that Nextiva brings to market excites me to create a world-class partner organization here.

CF: How will your previous experience at Splunk, Adobe and Intuit come into play in this new role?

MRS: I have had the privilege of working with category definition companies at Splunk, Adobe, and Intuit, who solve major problems for medium and large businesses. At Nextiva, and aided by our ecosystem of channel partners, I plan to do the same for cloud communications.

CF: The demand for cloud communications has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic. How will you help Nextiva channel partners meet the evolving needs of their customers due to the new normal and hybrid workforce?

MRS: the pandemic emphasized the importance of providing customer service from every communication channel. And businesses have taken note. In order to be successful and outperform their competitors, companies are changing the way they think about their communications. Partners have a huge opportunity to help clients make sense of the new normal. [And they can] provide a modernized way to communicate with new processes, protocols and tools to compete in any environment.

CF: Who are Nextiva’s biggest competitors, and how are you going to give Nextiva and its partners a competitive advantage?

MRS: There are many options for connected communications, but our channel partners help customers choose Nextiva with confidence thanks to our four remarkable differentiators: our powerful solution, easy-to-use features, award-winning service and a reliable network. Nextiva not only provides a better customer experience for every business through connected customer communications. It also frees the company’s sales, support, service and finance teams from the difficulty of understanding any situation with each customer. We help businesses examine the entire customer journey to deliver the best customer experience.