I found my passion for partnerships at a very young age. This was thanks to my father, who's been active in indirect channels for >30 years and shared his lessons with me on a daily basis at our kitchen table.

When I founded my first company (a B2B agency) at the age of 20, we worked mainly for companies with an indirect channel of partners in automotive and ICT. I've experienced firsthand how hard it is to engage partners in vendor marketing activities. 

It could take months and dozens of touches to get something live on the website and social media profiles of partners. Once it was finally live, the campaign was almost over... Not to start about retrieving the data to measure the results and ROI, that was even harder.

Why was it so hard? Because most vendors rely on their partner portal for partner marketing. 

The partner portal... The tool that everybody has, but nobody likes. Portals are reactive, waiting for partners to proactively collect assets and publish them. But partners aren't doing this. In fact, less than 10% of partners actively use the portals provided by their vendors.

When we founded Channext, we asked ourselves the question: Why wait for partners to come to your portal? Why don't we bring the content of the portal to the partners?

Instead of a portal, we have built a SaaS solution that integrates with your partner's systems and proactively distributes content and information to their websites, social media, digital advertising, and CRMs. Data is automatically retrieved from the partners and displayed in a central dashboard. It helps channel professionals to measure crucial partner engagement and end-user demand generation KPIs.

We call it the Channext Partner Hub. The Partner Hub increases the partner participation from less than 10% to up to 95%. The integrations with partner systems enable a 12X faster go-to-market of new product introductions and campaigns. The Hub gives channel teams and partners access to real-time data, being able to iterate much faster.

With Channext, partnerships professionals can take the wheel and steer their channel towards Scalable & Predictable Growth. Our software helps channel teams to create happy & engaged partners, accelerate pipeline, and get more grip on their channel.

Rick van den Bosch

Vince Menzione

Founder of Cloud Wave Partners LLC

I help technology leaders thrive in an era of rapid, tectonic change—mastering Microsoft, AWS, and Google partnerships to drive growth, innovation, and impact.

From scaling startups to leading a $4.6B business at Microsoft, I’ve learned one enduring truth: success is built on meaningful connections—between people, ideas, and opportunities. And the multiplier is always trust.

I was raised in a close-knit Italian family in New Jersey. My grandfather arrived in the U.S. with $20 in his pocket and built sustainable businesses through grit and determination. My dad—an Army veteran of WWII—taught me that integrity and trust aren’t “nice to have.” They’re everything. Those lessons became the foundation of my leadership.

I’ve spent my career building—and rebuilding—organizations through partnerships:

In the startup world, I helped scale a company from $6M to $125M and to a successful public exit.

At General Dynamics, I turned around a struggling division—driving exponential growth, securing $20M in defense appropriations, and delivering roughly a third of the company’s revenue by aligning partners around execution.

Then came nearly a decade at Microsoft, where I led the U.S. Public Sector Partner business through a major transformation. We grew revenue from $2.5B to $4.6B, helped shape the modern cloud reseller model, and built high-performing teams known for alignment, results, and credibility.

But along the way, I saw a gap: leaders didn’t just need strategy decks. They needed focus, practical frameworks, and a trusted space to learn from one another.

So in 2017, I founded Ultimate Partner® to be that compass for technology leaders navigating ecosystem-led growth. Through the Ultimate Guide to Partnering® podcast (270+ episodes) and Ultimate Partner LIVE events, I bring together top voices from Microsoft, AWS, Google, and the broader partner ecosystem. I also developed the 8 Principles of Partnering Success—a practical framework leaders use to align strategy and drive measurable outcomes.

My mission is simple: empower leaders and their organizations to grow with clarity, connection, and credibility—building partnerships that scale with purpose.

If you’re building in the hyperscaler ecosystem—and want to grow faster, execute better, and lead with trust—let’s connect.

Founder

Over six years ago, I embarked on a mission to empower partners struggling to navigate the complex world of tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and AWS. 

Having witnessed the industry from multiple perspectives – leading a $4.6 billion Ecosystem at Microsoft, spearheading partnerships for a billion-dollar company, and hosting 200 episodes of the Ultimate Guide to Partnering®, I’ve gained invaluable insights and crafted a manifesto of principles to guide your success.

In an era defined by tectonic shifts, such as the global pandemic, economic headwinds, and the rise of AI, the role of hyperscalers has become increasingly critical. With investments of billions of dollars in ecosystems, technology, and customer acquisition costs, they have secured over $200 billion in customer commitments to durable cloud budgets. We stand on the precipice of a marketplace moment where simplifying and streamlining economic models associated with co-selling and ecosystem-led growth will shape the decade ahead.

Yet, as vendors and organizations demand more from us while resources diminish, we ask, “Where do we go? How do we navigate these seismic shifts? How do we thrive during this decade of the ecosystem?”

If you’re a partner, you’re likely grappling with these questions. The watering holes of the past no longer offer the guidance required to transform into a Cloud GTM and embrace Ecosystem Led Growth. That’s why Ultimate Partner exists – to be your trusted compass amidst the noise.

Visit our website, tune into Ultimate Guide to Partnering and join The Ultimate Partner LIVE events.

I’ve been sitting this morning thinking about what we’ve been building at Ultimate Partner®—and why it’s so damn different.

We’re not a Slack channel.

We’re not “content.”

We’re not another online community where everyone posts and nobody actually knows each other.

What we’ve built is relationships—the kind that go back 10, 15, even 20 years for me—brought together in one inclusive place where leaders can show up as they are, compare experiences, tell the truth, and help each other win.

And here’s what I love most: people from other communities come into this one and thrive together. 

Leaders from The WIT Network, IAMCP, BCPA… even Partnership Leaders. Not competing. Not posturing. Collaborating.

Two weeks from today, we’ll be back in Boca for the Executive Winter Retreat—our kickoff—our ninth event!

And as you all have been watching the industry shift under our feet, this matters.

Because 2026 is about clarity, and execution muscle to make money through these tectonic shifts: 

AI. 

Marketplaces. 

Co-selling. 

Cloud GTM. 

Ecosystem orchestration. 

If you want to be part of that—if you want to be with leaders who are actually building the future—come join us.

I want you to feel the energy we feel in these rooms.

I want you to grow with us in 2026.

Let’s go 🙌

Founder, Ultimate Partner® | Host, Ultimate Guide to Partnering® | Building UPX: the community for hyperscaler partner leaders

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My LinkedIn post today was of reflection…

My life and career hasn’t been a straight climb….

I call each period my “transformations” because —I had to pivot how I thought, how I responded, and what I believed I was capable of.

It started with going from being the fattest kid in school to being much more…

When I hit the business world, things moved almost straight up! 

Top salesperson three times, then top leader. I was often the youngest in the room.

Yet I felt I had not gotten as far as I wanted...

Then I hit my first real “misstep”—the kind that humbles you.

I landed in a turnaround situation. Tough. Pressure. No safety net.

I turned lemons into lemonade. Built a channel. Created momentum where there wasn’t any.

And, after 9/11, I found myself on Capitol Hill, working with influential government leaders to help our country in a moment that was bigger than business.

That changed me. I turned my mindset around. 

And the company sold for 10X.

Then Microsoft recruited me as a GM, led a significant partner business, and at one point was skip-level to the now co-CEO.

From the outside : mission accomplished.

And then… my world got rocked.

In my 50s, I had to figure it out—I didn’t know where to start.

My coach said something that sounded almost ridiculous:

“Start a podcast.”

I did.

That lit a fuse. I learned how to ask better questions. During COVID it took off. The podcast became a platform. The platform became live events. The events became a community.

And Ultimate Partner didn’t just grow—we doubled and tripled the business.

Here’s what I’ve learned—especially heading into 2026:

A growth mindset isn’t a slogan. It’s a competitive advantage.

Leaders like Dr Michael Gervais and Coach T reinforced this for me: performance under pressure—it’s about conditioning your mindset. 

In 2026, most organizations won’t struggle because they lack talent. They’ll struggle because they can’t move through change.

They cling to what worked last cycle.

Then wait too long to adapt—then ask their teams to sprint without alignment.

So as we each learn to navigate the incredible tectonic shifts we are facing, don’t assume you’re behind.

You might be in the exact moment that creates your next chapter.

Stay coachable. Choose a growth mindset.

2026 belongs to the leaders who can adapt fastest—and bring others with them.

#GrowthMindset #Leadership #Resilience #Change #Performanceo

My birthday this year has me thinking more about my life and legacy…

The people I love are what truly matters and the realization that time is so damn precious.

I’m also so energized to find  my “Igikai” and why this all matters. 

This thing weve built didn’t come from a business plan, it came from a decade of conversations.

I’ve listened to leaders tell the truth about what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s next. NOT scripts and blah,blah,blah…

Watching this partner ecosystem shift—tectonic — is now abundantly clear. 

Frankly this is the most unpredictable time. 

AI. Marketplaces. Co-sell. Ecosystem-led growth —they’re the operating system and moving more rapidly than ever!

Our events, grounded in proximity, relationships, and shared ambition—leaders come together to learn to navigate, survive and thrive. 

— Boca : Feb 25 - a full house kicking off the year the right way: intentional, candid, forward-looking.

— Bellevue : May 11-13 — will take it to the next level, more leaders, more connection, more momentum.

If you’ve been watching from the sidelines, don’t observe the shifts. Come on the journey with us.

We won’t recognize this industry in five years. 

The next chapter of partnership teaching won’t be built in slack channels or webinars - it will require people willing to show up, lean in, and lead.

If that’s you—let’s go.

PS - Happy Valentine’s Day 

#UltimatePartner #SparkTheEcosystem #Ecosystem #Partnerships #Microsoft #AI #Marketplaces #CoSell #Leadership #Community

Last week in Las Vegas at Right of Boom, something clicked for me deeply.

It took me to an earlier chapter of my career—when the industry was trying to figure out “the cloud,” and partners were asking the same fundamental questions:

❓ Where do we place our bets? How do we align with Microsoft? How do we build a real services engine—not just chase the latest program?

Back then, I was a GM helping partners make that transition—moving from on-prem assumptions to cloud realities, from transactional motions to outcome-driven relationships.

And here’s what hit me in Vegas:
The MSP community is standing at that same kind of inflection point again

—MSPs are on the front lines. You’re the ones translating platform strategy into customer outcomes. You’re the ones absorbing the complexity so customers can move forward with confidence.

But MSPs don’t need more noise right now. They need a better playbook for how to work with the tech giants—especially Microsoft:

Being on stage with Monica French, Lior Bela, Ravi Gokani and Andrew Morgan reminded me why we need ot double down on this community and bring them into Ultimate Partner®

We are committed to helping this group of tech leaders achieve their greatest results with sessions and breakout at our events and in our community. 

Thank you Nabil Aitoumeziane, Dux Raymond Sy and Andrew Morgan for awakening us at this amazing time!

I hope you join us

Most companies don’t lose deals at the finish line. They lose them months earlier — and may never even know the deal existed.

In this week’s podcast and newsletter, Jay McBain breaks down the AstraZeneca SAP deal and the reality of the 28 Moments buying journey — where trusted partners win in the middle, long before an MQL ever shows up.

This screams "decade of the ecosystem." 

If you’re still managing pipeline without the ecosystem, you’re WAY behind:

 — The invisible pipeline is real.
 — Ecosystems beat funnels.
 — Partners close deals before sales ever sees them.

This might change how you are thinking.

View newsletter: Ultimate Partner Newsletter

The Deal You Never Knew Existed. After we kicked off 2026 in the Boca Studio, we had so many rich nuggets from my conversation with Jay McBain that I 

Open article: The Millions You’re Losing Without Even Knowing It by Vince Menzione • 2 min read

The Millions You’re Losing Without Even Knowing It

We kicked off 2026 in the Boca Studio—and the conversation with Cyril Belikoff was too important to keep to just one episode.

The Microsoft Marketplace has entered a new phase.

A $300B partner opportunity is taking shape.

AI apps, agents, and resale-enabled offers are already changing deal economics—right now.

The flywheel is spinning.

Those who wait for a “perfect strategy” risk being left behind by partners who are learning by doing.

More insights, key takeaways, and what this means for 2026 in this week’s podcast, YouTube and newsletter 👇

After we kicked off 2026 in the Boca Studio, we had so many rich nuggets from my conversation with Cyril Belikoff that I needed to share more with you

Open article: The $300B Marketplace Shift: Why Agents, REO, and the Channel Will Decide Who Wins by Vince Menzione • 2 min read

The $300B Marketplace Shift: Why Agents, REO, and the Channel Will Decide Who Wins

Ultimate Partner® Executive Winter Retreat, is sold out - I might be able to add a couple of chairs so register before the site comes down!

Woke up to Allie K. Miller’s video discussing this must read - AI is moving so fast, at UP we will continue to work with the tech leaders so you can stay on top and ahead!

We are most likely sold out for Boca, but our flagship event is just around the corner and this will be your chance to stay on top of the change!

Open article: Something Big Is Happening by Matt Shumer • 21 min read

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Rick van den Bosch

Vince Menzione

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The Battle

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