Three SonicWall Executives Named to Annual CRN 2021 Channel Chiefs List
Three SonicWall channel team leaders have been recognized as a 2021 CRN Channel Chief. Bob VanKirk, HoJin Kim and David Bankemper made the annual list with Kim ranking in the top 25. The prestigious list recognizes leading IT channel vendor executives who continually demonstrate outstanding leadership, influence, innovation and growth.
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“CRN’s 2021 Channel Chiefs list includes the industry’s biggest channel evangelists, a group of individuals who work tirelessly on behalf of their partners and drive growth through the development of strong partner programs and innovative business strategies that help bring business-critical solutions to market,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “The Channel Company is proud to recognize these channel influencers and looks forward to following their continued success.”
HoJin Kim, Vice President, Worldwide Channels for SonicWall, is responsible for driving the design, development and deployment of SonicWall’s global channel efforts. He leads the implementation of the company’s modern channel strategy to build a sustainable competitive advantage for both SonicWall and its partners.
“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that things can change very quickly,” said SVP and Chief Revenue Officer Bob VanKirk, who is responsible for all SonicWall revenue streams and driving continued revenue growth. “What we’ve seen in our business, and with our partners, is that we’re both successful when we stay close to the relationships that matter most. That could be the relationships we have with our customers or our vendors. In 2021, that’s going to be even more important. The more we understand our customers’ business needs, the better we will be at using technology to address those needs and finding partners that can help us be successful.”
Prior to his current role, VanKirk was tasked with increasing top-line revenue across SonicWall’s global regions as SVP of Strategic Sales and was responsible for implementing direct customer touch across strategic accounts and key verticals such as the U.S. federal government, retail, state and local government, and education.
This year’s Channel Chief listing is the second for SonicWall Vice President of Channel Sales David Bankemper, who is an active member of the GTDC Advisory Council and the Channel Leadership Forum.
The 2021 Channel Chiefs are prominent leaders who have influenced the IT channel with cutting-edge strategies, programs and partnerships. All honorees are selected by CRN’s editorial staff based on their dedication, industry prestige, and exceptional accomplishments as channel advocates.
CRN’s 2021 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs.
