Spotlight on Corinne Cassidy

How did you get into partnerships?

I was a Business Development Director at Alcatel Telecom. When the dot.com bubble burst in 2000 most Telco providers had a freeze on capex spend. As a provider of large network systems Alcatel had to find new markets. I identified a new opportunity within the public sector. It soon became clear that in order to succeed in this new market we would need to rely on collaboration with selected partners. Once the go to market plan was signed off, I was then appointed Partner Director.

What do you love the most about it? 

The variety. You retain the thrill of chasing and closing sales and work closely with other departments – commercial, marketing, presales, service delivery. I have also built some very close, enduring relationships with partners over the years and travelled the world to work with them.

What are the biggest challenges?

Educating the organisation in how partner sales work and that partner sales should complement not replace or compete with direct sales.

What attributes make you good at your job as Partner Director?

I am an effective communicator and enjoy learning about different organisations and working cultures. I am persistent and persuasive. I can also think outside the box and find solutions to issues and events that may suddenly throw plans into disarray – such as Covid!

What advice would you give to someone wanting to move into partnerships?

• Build strong relationships with your cross functional co-workers – a successful partner strategy/programme will need support from marketing, finance, commercial, legal and direct sales,

• Become a trusted advisor to your partners and an advocate for the company you work for.

How important do you think partnerships will be in the next five years?

Extremely. With the rapid rise in new technologies, such as AI and the increased importance of robust cyber security, organisations are looking for expertise in several areas and often the answer is to select a solution which combines the best of breed from a few companies.

Do you see any difference in how men and women apply themselves in partnerships?

This might be a huge generalisation, but in my experience, men quite often approach partnerships from more of a technical perspective. Although, I have not worked with, or for, many male partner managers!

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