Head of Channel CEE

The Head of Channel / Director Channel leads the country or regional partner business within Trend Micro's unified European Channel model. The role is accountable for turning the partner ecosystem into a predictable growth engine across partner-originated and partner-influenced revenue, ARR, New Logo acquisition, platform adoption and services-led business creation.

This is a commercial and transformational leadership role — delivering the Channel number today while building the partner capabilities required for Trend Micro's services-led, platform-based and AI-enabled cybersecurity strategy. The role leads Partner Development Managers (PDMs) and Partner Services Development Managers (PSDMs) as one coordinated motion.

The ideal candidate is a builder and operator who can create structure, challenge legacy ways of working, develop people and translate ecosystem potential into measurable outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

Channel Leadership & Execution

• Own and deliver the country/regional Channel revenue target across transactional, solutions-led and services-led streams.

• Lead, coach and develop a high-performing team of PDMs and PSDMs with clear accountability.

• Drive execution discipline across pipeline generation, deal progression, forecast accuracy, close rates and business review cadence.

• Ensure Channel operates as a revenue-generating growth engine with clear focus on ARR, New Logo, platform adoption and partner-originated revenue.

Strategic Partner Development

• Develop and manage the partner ecosystem across VARs, MSPs, MSSPs, SIs, GSIs, cloud partners, distributors and emerging service provider models.

• Ensure priority partners have joint business plans, QBRs, capability plans and measurable success criteria.

• Champion partner enablement including certifications, platform adoption, licensing models and programme compliance.

• Drive partner-sourced pipeline through joint account mapping, co-selling, executive alignment and structured follow-through.

• Move partner conversations beyond product resale towards customer outcomes: risk reduction, managed detection and response, compliance, incident response and operational resilience.

Partner Intelligence & Ecosystem Prioritisation

• Segment the ecosystem and prioritise partners by strategic relevance, growth potential, service readiness and execution capability.

• Translate European partner intelligence into local action plans and investment decisions.

• Ensure PDMs, PSDMs and technical resources focus on partners with highest potential for ARR, New Logo, platform adoption and services-led growth.

Services-Led Growth

• Lead the services-led agenda with focus on MSPs, MSSPs, DFIR, Professional Services and Risk Management partners.

• Ensure PSDMs help partners design, package, commercialise and scale repeatable managed security services on Trend Micro's platform.

• Oversee adoption of scalable managed service models including SOC integrations, automation, multitenancy and API use cases.

• Measure success through services-led ARR, service attach, partner profitability, customer retention and repeatability.

Distribution & Market Coverage

• Partner with European Distribution and local distributors to execute the country/regional distribution strategy.

• Use distribution as a growth multiplier for long-tail, SMB, MSP and volume business — not only as fulfilment.

• Support MSSD models where appropriate, enabling distributors to scale managed security services through downstream partners.

• Identify coverage gaps and emerging partner opportunities; recruit, develop, consolidate or deprioritise accordingly.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work closely with country sales leaders, technical pre-sales, Channel Marketing, Business Operations and European Channel leadership.

• Establish clear rules of engagement with direct sales to avoid conflict and maximise joint opportunity.

• Collaborate with marketing on demand generation, events, partner case studies and co-branded initiatives.

• Surface partner feedback into product, pricing and program teams.

Governance & Programme Compliance

• Ensure partners meet programme requirements: tier criteria, revenue targets, certifications and competencies.

• Drive adoption of partner tools including deal registration, pipeline management, portal usage, training platforms and QBR frameworks.

Success Measures

• Channel revenue achievement; ARR growth; partner-originated and partner-influenced pipeline/bookings; New Logo contribution.

• Trend Vision One / platform adoption; module expansion; services-led ARR; MSP/MSSP/DFIR growth.

• Partner capability progression: certifications, enablement completion, QBR discipline and business plan execution.

• Forecast accuracy, pipeline quality, close rates, distribution contribution and long-tail partner activation.

• Quality of collaboration with direct sales, channel conflict resolution and team development.

What We're Looking For

Experience

• 8–10+ years in channel sales, partner ecosystem leadership or services-led technology sales.

• 5+ years leading channel or partner teams across country, cluster or regional scope.

• Proven delivery of Channel revenue targets, ARR growth and partner-originated pipeline.

• Experience building or transforming a partner ecosystem, not only maintaining inherited relationships.

• Strong understanding of enterprise cybersecurity, cloud, SaaS/platform or managed services.

• Experience across VARs, MSPs, MSSPs, distributors, SIs, GSIs and professional services partners.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong commercial acumen across channel economics, partner P&L, ARR models, service commercialisation and recurring revenue.

• Excellent execution discipline across pipeline, forecast, deal progression and team accountability.

• Ability to use data and market insight to guide prioritisation and partner investment decisions.

• Strong services-led GTM understanding across MSP, MSSP, DFIR and co-managed models.

• Confident communicator across senior partners, country leadership and matrix stakeholders.

• Fluency in the local language; strong English required.

Personal Attributes

• Builder and operator: energised by creating structure, developing teams and driving outcomes through others.

• Services-led mindset: sees recurring, managed security services as a strategic growth engine.

• Collaborative, transparent and accountable.

• Comfortable with ambiguity and transformation; able to challenge legacy behaviours in a matrix environment.

• Willingness to travel regularly within the territory.

Why Join Us

• Join Trend Micro at a defining moment for the European Channel — unified model, specialist roles and sharper focus on partner-led security outcomes.

• Own the full partner agenda for your country or region with direct impact on revenue, ARR and strategic visibility at European level.

• Help shape how cybersecurity is delivered through partners in a services-led, AI-enabled market.