CompTIA Honors Three Future Leaders as ChannelChangers

DOWNERS GROVE, Ill., July 12, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- CompTIA, the IT industry trade association, today announced three IT channel #FutureLeaders from AT&T, Intel Security and LOGICnow, who have earned the title of ChannelChanger.

The CompTIA ChannelChanger award recognizes young entrepreneurs, leaders and innovators under 30 who are using their energy, education and expertise to positively influence the IT industry and drive change within the IT channel. This year's honorees include:  

Dana Bullister, 26, Program Manager, Strategic Data Initiatives, LOGICnow, Cambridge, MA

Dana is an award-winning problem solver. Her first role within the IT channel was to serve as a "Data Scientist" for GFI, which later became LOGICnow and is now part of SolarWinds MSP. Always fascinated by how things work and what drives behavior, Dana was the director and visionary behind LOGICnow's LOGICcards initiative, a predictive analytics and machine learning effort that looks across billions of data points to deliver real-time, value-driving intelligence to LOGICnow's channel partners. Proven by thousands of MSPs to work, the program is expanding under Dana's leadership and using analytics to empower MSPs around the world with the data science tools needed to build better businesses, deliver exceptional services and simply be more successful. Her life hashtag: #ShowMeTheData

Taylor H. Conklin, 29, Director, Marketing Communications, AT&T Partner Exchange®, Dallas, TX

Taylor is a master communicator, an aspiring world traveler, and the visionary behind AT&T Partner Exchange's successful 2016 "A Channel Executive's Guide to Mobility." Since 2015, her team has secured and planned AT&T Partner Exchange's presence at more than 30 channel-minded events, and in 2016, put the wheels in motion to host a series of regional events across the U.S. for their solution providers. Taylor and her team have simplified the AT&T Partner Exchange tier structure, helped to create a turnkey marketing experience for program members, and are currently preparing for the third annual AT&T Partner Exchange Summit. When she is not working, Taylor is supporting non-profits and meaningful causes focused on youth education both locally and abroad. Her life hashtag:  #BeTheChange

Katie Hightower, 29, Channel Marketing, Intel Security, Plano, TX

Katie is a celebrated channel marketing maven. Recently, Intel Security presented her with its Marketing Excellence award for her work in 2015, making Katie the first North America Channel Marketing employee to receive this global honor. In 2016, she earned Intel Security's Q1 Friend of the Channel award for consistently going beyond to drive strategic results. Katie's day-to-day responsibilities include managing the execution of all of the North America channel-related demand generation initiatives and served as the project manager for the 2015 & 2016 North America Intel Security Partner Specialist Summit. Her life hashtag: #2Blessed2BStressed

"These three honorees are inspired, accomplished and dedicated to making a difference and building a career that contributes to the greater success of the industry they work in," said Kelly Ricker, senior vice president, events and education, CompTIA. "Congratulations to our 2016 ChannelChangers; and thank you to those who make the time to lead, encourage and mentor our industry's future leaders."   

This is the third year CompTIA has recognized up and coming leaders in the IT industry and the first time that an all-female line-up has received the honor. Young professionals between the ages of 23 and 29 as of August 2016, with two years' experience within the IT industry and current employment with a CompTIA member company were eligible for consideration.

The 2016 ChannelChangers were selected by a committee of industry experts and executives including, Rob Butler, managing partner, Crossvergence; Robert Demarzo, senior vice president, strategic content, The Channel Company; Doug Erickson, vice president, worldwide partner sales, Pulse Secure; Mary Ellen Grom, vice president, US marketing, SYNNEX Corporation; Janet O'Sullivan, channel marketing manager, StorageCraft Technology Corporation; and Brittani Von Roden, CMO, VAR Dynamics.

Nominees were evaluated based on their career accomplishments and achievements, understanding of the industry, potential to serve as a role model and proven ability to draw on their own experiences to make business decisions that are and will continue to positively impact the industry.

The 2016 CompTIA ChannelChangers will be formally recognized at CompTIA ChannelCon, the premier training and partnering event for the IT channel, taking place Aug. 1 – 3, 2016 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.  Registration for CompTIA ChannelCon and the ChannelCon Vendor Summit is open and available online.

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SOURCE CompTIA