Vince Menzione

Founder of Cloud Wave Partners LLC

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

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

Raised in a close-knit Italian family in New Jersey, my upbringing shaped my leadership principles. My grandfather arrived in the U.S. with only $20 in his pocket and built multiple sustainable businesses through grit and determination.

My dad fought in WWII and taught me that integrity and trust were omnipotent. These teachings were  the foundation upon which I built lasting success.

In college, I sold goods at flea markets and created a successful business organizing watch parties— creating opportunities by connecting people. After college, that drive took me to the front lines of wireless computing, where I helped scale a startup from $6M to $125M and led it to a successful public exit.

At General Dynamics, I turned around a struggling division, driving exponential growth, securing $20M in defense appropriations, and delivering a third of the company’s revenue—through partnerships built on collaboration and execution.

Then came nearly a decade at Microsoft, where I led the US Public Sector Partner business through one of the most significant transformations in tech. We grew revenue from $2.5B to $4.6B, shaped the modern cloud reseller model, and built high performing partner teams known for trust, alignment, and results.

But I saw a gap. Leaders didn’t just need strategy decks—they needed real focus, practical frameworks, and a trusted space to learn from one another.

In 2017, I founded Ultimate Partner® to be that compass for technology leaders navigating ecosystem-led growth. Through Ultimate Guide to Partnering®, now 270+ episodes strong, and Ultimate Partner LIVE events, I bring together top voices from Microsoft, AWS, Google, and across the partner ecosystem. I also developed the 8 Principles of Partnering Success, used to align strategy and drive measurable impact.

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

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.

Like many of you, my story is one of people who had to overcome to get here.

A grandfather who came to this country with $20 in his pocket, looking for a better life.

A mother who struggled for years to conceive.

Growing up, scraping it together to build a great life and go to great schools.

A career where I kept transforming, pulling hat tricks to make the pinnacle.

A wife I met on a blind date, the beautiful children we’ve raised, and family we’ve built.

Whether you believe in divine providence or just dumb luck, my life is probably not that different than yours. 

These last few years I’ve been so damn fortunate to build something bigger than me — and to still be here to watch it all unfold.

May your day, your year, and your life be filled with the same gratitude I’m feeling today and every day.

Happy Thanksgiving. 🧡🦃

Let’s face it, we have all seen partnerships that look good on paper but never produce the expected results.  

There are lots of reasons why alliances can fail, but there’s one solution for you if you are looking to build a successful partnership with Microsoft or any of the other tech giants.

I help leaders redefine what is possible to achieve their greatest partnership results! 

A personal transformation - drove me to successful business transformations:
- Top Sales Performer at a startup - $6M to $125M.
- A Golden Gate Capital turnaround - Resulted in 5X valuation in 26 months.
- Microsoft Executive leading $4.6B Ecosystem for a decade - transformation to the cloud.
- Channel Chief for $1B SaaS - Partner of the Year, Top co-sell status, and a turnaround.

I apply the leadership lessons and learnings of the best in the business to get partnerships right, optimize for success and help YOU achieve your greatest results. 

If you want to achieve your greatest results today, all you have to do is DM or Email me: vincem@theultimatepartner.com

Connecting tech leaders through community, media and events, creating high growth in hyperscaler ecosystems | Founder, Ultimate Partner® | Host, Ultimate Guide to Partnering® | Chief Connector UPX

Microsoft just placed a HUGE bet — and partners are at the center of it.

In my latest episode, Erwin Visser breaks down the real story behind Microsoft’s AI and SMEC strategy — what’s changing, what partners need to know, and how this shift will redefine co-sell, Copilot adoption, and the future of the ecosystem.

If you lead a partner business, this is the conversation you cannot afford to miss.

 🎧 Listen to the episode https://lnkd.in/ejU4Tr4z

 📩 Subscribe for deeper insights in the newsletter https://lnkd.in/e4BCMxQ3

 🧭 And join us inside UPX, where leaders get the clarity they need to win in this new era. https://lnkd.in/e-ZpX3pB

Let’s rise to the moment. The opportunity is here — and it’s partner-led.

View newsletter: Ultimate Guide to Partnering

What a thrilling week hosting partner leaders at Ultimate Partner LIVE in Reston, VA at the Carahsoft Training Center. Even if you couldn't be with us

Open article: Microsoft Co-Sell & AI: Erwin Visser on the $600B Growth Model by Vince Menzione • 3 min read

Microsoft Co-Sell & AI: Erwin Visser on the $600B Growth Model

📅Mark your calendars. 

I’m beyond thrilled to share our plans for the first half of 2026 — and the ecosystem perspective you’ve come to expect just got even better.

We’re doubling down on executive-level conversations at the intersection of hyperscalers, ISVs, GSIs, MSPs, and the channel — and creating space for real partnerships to get made.

Here’s what’s coming:

— Ultimate Partner® Kickoff Week | Future of Marketplace, Ecosystems & AI
 📅January 13-15, 2026 (Virtual)
 Start your year with the experts and influencers who are actually sparking what’s next — AI, marketplaces, co-selling, and ecosystem-led growth. This is your decoder ring for the year ahead.

—Ultimate Partner® Winter Retreat – Boca Studio Live
 📍 Boca Raton, FL
 📅 February 25, 2026
 A highly curated executive experience from the Boca Studio — live-streamed plus an Executive Dinner for ALL attendees at the iconic Boca Raton Resort & Club. Intimate, strategic, and built for leaders who want to go deep.

— Ultimate Partner® Partner LIVE – Bellevue / Seattle Region
 📍 Bellevue, WA
 📅 May 11–13, 2026
 We’re bringing Ultimate Partner LIVE back to the Seattle region — in a venue that matches the ambition of this community. Expect senior partnership executives from Microsoft, AWS, Google Cloud, leading ISVs, SI/GSIs, MSPs, and top channel leaders all in one place, working on what’s next.

If you’re a senior leader responsible for partnerships, marketplaces, or ecosystem strategy — these are the rooms you’ll want to be in.
Drop “KICKOFF,” “BOCA,” or “BELLEVUE” in the comments (or DM me or John Menzione), and I’ll make sure you get details as we open up registration.

On the latest Ultimate Guide to Partnering podcast, I sit down with Michael Levy (#AWS) and Jon Yoo (Suger) to unpack what’s really happening inside AWS Marketplace as AI Agents and Tools go mainstream.

We get beyond the buzzwords and dig into: 

- How AWS is turning Marketplace into the launchpad for AI agents, tools, and services

- Why channel partners and CPPOs are still central to the strategy in an AI-first world

- The COSS (Characteristics of Successful Sellers) framework that’s helping top ISVs grow 31x faster

- Why “AI features” aren’t enough – and what it takes for agents to understand your tribal knowledge, processes, and buyers
- How ISVs should rethink pricing, packaging, and monetization in this new cloud economy

If you’re serious about winning with AWS in the age of AI agents, this conversation is a roadmap.

🎧 Listen + read the full breakdown in the newsletter and episode:

 Subscribe to the newsletter → https://lnkd.in/e4BCMxQ3

 Explore UPX (our executive community) → https://lnkd.in/e-ZpX3pB

If you’re building on AWS Marketplace and want to play in the next era of agentic AI, this one is for you.

#AWSMarketplace #AIagents #ISVstrategy #ChannelPartner #COSSframework #CloudMonetization #Bedrock #GenerativeAI #GoToMarket #CloudEcosystem

What do the best #AWS Partners do better?

https://lnkd.in/eWwy-Ftc

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