Dell Technologies has appointed Denise Millard, a longtime leader in Dell and EMC’s channel operations, as its new Chief Partner Officer. This strategic move aims to enhance Dell’s partner ecosystem and align it more closely with the company’s direct sales efforts. Millard, who previously served as Senior Vice President of Global Alliances, Industries, Partner Strategy, and Programs, now oversees Dell’s global channel initiatives while retaining her previous responsibilities.
Under Millard’s leadership, Dell is restructuring its channel program to foster better collaboration between channel partners and regional sales teams. This reorganization reflects Dell’s commitment to a “partner-first” strategy, particularly in its storage business. The company’s direct sales teams, known as core sellers, are now incentivized to route more deals through the channel, enhancing profitability for both Dell and its partners.
Millard’s appointment follows significant leadership changes at Dell, including the departure of former Global Channel Chief Rola Dagher in October 2023 and Global Channel Sales leader Diego Majdalani in March 2024. Reporting to Bill Scannell, President of Global Sales and Customer Operations, Millard is tasked with driving growth through Dell’s partner ecosystem. Scannell praised Millard’s experience and leadership, emphasizing the importance of the partner ecosystem in Dell’s strategy to build new capabilities and scale effectively.
Over the past year, partners have accounted for approximately 50% of Dell’s net revenue, with significant contributions from new and renewed customers. To maintain and accelerate this momentum, Dell is introducing new programs and incentives. These include streamlined offerings in the Apex product categories, now divided into Server+ and Storage+. The revised structure aims to simplify the market approach for partners, enhancing their ability to leverage Dell’s comprehensive portfolio.
Millard and Darren Sullivan, Senior Vice President of Dell’s Global Partner Program and Operations, highlighted the importance of feedback from partners in shaping these changes. Dell’s Partner Advisory Panels and other listening mechanisms guide program design and implementation, ensuring that the company remains responsive to partner needs. The introduction of enhanced incentives for Apex consumption offers, which now qualify for both upfront and backend incentives, underscores Dell’s commitment to making its programs more profitable for partners.
In addition to boosting incentives for new business acquisitions, Dell is collaborating closely with its Titanium partners to develop account plans and set joint growth goals. This collaborative approach is designed to maximize the benefits of the partner-first strategy, particularly in emerging technology areas such as AI, multi-cloud, and edge computing.
Dell’s emphasis on innovation is evident in its recent launches, including Apex for Azure and Apex for Red Hat OpenShift. These offerings provide partners and customers with greater flexibility and choice, aligning with the growing demand for asset-light, consumption-based models. As Dell continues to evolve its channel strategy, the company is well-positioned to capitalize on upcoming technology refresh cycles, driven by advancements in AI and the impending Windows refresh.
With Millard at the helm, Dell’s channel strategy is poised for significant growth, leveraging strong partnerships to drive mutual success and deliver innovative solutions to customers. As the company celebrates its 40th anniversary, the role of the partner ecosystem is more pivotal than ever in Dell’s go-to-market strategy.