Partnerships Unraveled
The weekly podcast where we unravel the mysteries of partnerships and channel to help you become more successful.
Partnerships Unraveled
Ana Carolina Cardoso Guilhen - Channeling Growth Through Specialization
In this episode of Partnerships Unraveled, Ana Carolina “Carol” Cardoso, Global Head of Channel Partner Programs at Schneider Electric, reveals how she led a bold reinvention of Schneider’s global partner strategy.
We explore how Schneider split its channel program to reflect two distinct ecosystems, IT and OT, enabling tailored support, deeper specialization, and real partner collaboration. Carol shares how shifting from revenue-only metrics to behavior-based enablement is driving growth and partner satisfaction worldwide.
You’ll learn:
- Why segmentation was key to unlocking partner value
- How Schneider balanced global strategy with local execution
- What AI and sustainability mean for infrastructure and partner readiness
- Why rewarding the right behaviors is shaping the future of Schneider’s channel
Whether you're modernizing a program or building a partner ecosystem from the ground up, Carol’s story offers a blueprint for scalable, strategic impact.
Connect with Carol: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ana-carolina-cardoso-guilhen/
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Welcome back to Partnerships Unraveled, the podcast where we unravel the mysteries about partnerships, and channel on a weekly basis. My name is Alex Whitford. I'm the VP of Revenue here at Channingston. This week I'm very excited to welcome our special guest Carol. How are you doing?
Speaker 1:I'm excellent. Thank you for inviting me to this conversation. Happy to be here.
Speaker 2:Yeah, really, really excited to have you on. It's been a few weeks since we caught up and did our prep call, but I know you've got a lot to share today. Maybe, for the uninitiated, you can give us a little bit of an introduction about who you are and what you do.
Speaker 1:Oh, thank you. Well, thank you again for inviting me. It's a pleasure to be with you all today and share a little bit of the whole transformation that we are doing on the channel partner program in Schneider Electric. So you can call me Carol. I am like I'm working on this IT world like 25 years now. Today I'm leading the channel partner program for secure power inside of Schneider Electric globally. My responsibility is really to drive growth through the partner program and with our partners, but before that I was channel sales, channel marketing and also sales and business development. I am Brazilian, living in Barcelona for nine years now a great journey so far. So it's a little bit of background really cultural diversity, a lot of working with women in STEM, so very active on these works as well.
Speaker 2:Awesome. Now we were sort of giggling a few weeks ago when I did our practical. I like to really research both people that are coming on but also the companies that they work for, and I sort of very openly said Schneider confuses me, because you seem to do everything which puts someone in your position quite in a program design place in a slightly complicated space. Talk to me about the sort of constructs of the company and why you've chosen to build two distinct programs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so it's very complicated, but it's very unique, I would say, and for us it's really like I would say I'm accustomed to say that Schneider Electric is unique because we can bring the two words together into very important words. Two words together, two very important words the IT world because of the descendant of APC you know the heritage of APC that we bought more than 10 years ago and then we have the OT world right, the very electrical and infrastructure world that we have, not only with, as well, it or the power and the cooling, but also all the building automations, industrial automation, power distribution, all this OT environment that you can bring as well. So Schneider did have this unique position to bring those two worlds together. And this is more or less what we were doing, as with the partner program, exactly trying to understand how the partners are unique, how the partners have different business models and how can we adapt and how can we offer them customized solutions, customized sales enablement and support for support them to grow.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, so a lot of different divisions. So we have a division very focused on industrial automation side and in process automation, and then an energy management division very focused on everything that is power distribution, power, sport, and then we have, as well, services. That is for us a big goal for us, for growth, right so? And then we can combine everything and create this, what we call it, this ecosystem of partner. That is our challenge.
Speaker 2:And one of the things that I think is really important when you're in your position is you're sort of looking at 10,000 feet. But part of feedback is really important, right, they tell you where you're going well, sometimes where you're going wrong. Talk to me about how the feedback was once you started to separate and build these distinct programs.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we started changing and evolving the program in 2022, right, so three years ago that we really decided to look for the partners, much more than revenue, but, like, which kind of behavior, which kind of partner type that we have, right? So it's where we started to understand that this is not only us. If you think of Cisco, Lenovo, hpe, they started to doing more or less the same right To measure partners based on behavior, based on how they are adopting new technology and new tools that we are launching, and also, absolutely, revenue, like we're not forgetting that, the revenue, right. So this story started in 2022, when we really decided to change the program, when our program was nine years old, you know. So we were measuring the power partners, basic, basically on revenue only, and then we decided to to change and see a little bit of behavior. So this is when we identified the two kinds of partners. And this is where this IT and OT world came alive, because we saw that we have a type of partner that is very focused on the IT Partners, coming exactly from those alliances that we have and work together with Cisco, lenovo, it, you know, and with Dell. We bring them together and then we call it the MIT solution providers. And then we have another type of partners that are very focused on data centers, that are partners that are capable to design a solution of data center. They are mechanical installers, they are electrical installers, they are data center designers. So, identifying those two partners partners, you know and putting them and identifying them and then say, okay, they are not the same partners, so we cannot put them in the same program. So this is where we started to change and then we launched, at first, the it solution provider. Today we have more than 10 000 partners in this program, very focusing on the partners that are selling servers and now AI, right, driving the AI and then they can add the infrastructure that Schneider does with power cooling racks, power distribution, everything that supports this IT solution. So we continue working with them. We launched a full certification focused on them and now last year we launched a certification really focused on those OT partners, those partners focused on them. And now last year we launched a certification really focused on those OT partners, those partners focused on infrastructure. So, basically, when we were deciding to go to this program, we started working together with the overall Schneider business, because Schneider already had a program organized by CRN, you know very established, called Echo Experts, and those Echo Experts were really the partners that does this for us. They are able to design, build, commission, install infrastructure solutions. So we have these for building automation, we have these for power solutions and now we have that for data centers, these for power solutions and now we have that for data centers. So, basically, what we did is bring those partners to this EcoExpert program because it was recognized already for that and those partners are the ones who recognize it for accepting, for building for us this infrastructure on their customers.
Speaker 1:And one of the reasons one of and asking come to your point on feedback right. And one of the reasons one of and asking Camtria, a point on feedback right. One of our doubts is exactly because our partners they were our top level, so they were our elite partners, right, our top level. So we were changing the naming convention. You are changing their names, you're changing their program. They would be happy, right?
Speaker 1:And this was really surprising because when we launched the program and we started, before launching, talking with the program to get those feedbacks, the feedback was really good because they feel that they will be differentiated.
Speaker 1:So this is the main ask from the partners, like they want to differentiate who they are, they want to be known who they are and, more than that, differentiating those two kind of partners we could also start getting and this is what we are getting now is partners working together.
Speaker 1:So they started to identify they are different, they have different competencies, they have different kind of abilities and they can work together on the deals. So we started seeing that an eco-expert, an IT social provider are not competitors but they are complementary. So they started work. We are starting to promote them to work together and then started working. For me, the big feedback that we had, for example, were regions that at the beginning would not launch it, that would not do the change, but at the end they did it and the feedback from the partners were very positive, exactly showing this difference. So I think that my point here like when you listen to the customers and understand my point here, like when you listen to the customers and understand their needs, understand their particularities, their behaviors, you know and then you offer something that attend their needs, you know absolutely we are in the right directions and I think that so far the feedback is being very good.
Speaker 2:That's awesome. It must be very gratifying to get that positive feedback. I know one of the complexities. I'm sat in a similar position to yours, and every country in the world thinks that they are wonderful and unique, and yet we need some level of standardization right. Otherwise we need 100 carols in 100 countries and that gets quite expensive. Talk to me about how you balance globalization versus localization.
Speaker 1:I think this is key. You know and also remember that, for example, in the global role, we are responsible to set up the framework. The deployment is really happening in the countries. So if we do this alone, globally, without understanding these particularities, absolutely we have a big challenge. So my way of working and the way of working that I work on this whole transformation is involving the region since the beginning.
Speaker 1:So we didn't launch it anything without listening to feedback from the regions. So, like this would work for you, this would not. You know, like what do you think that would? What do you recommend? You know, like so view these in that. So and this is difficult, right, because this can take more time than expected for you to get all the feedback, but you give you the consistency and the certainty that is your work, right? So so get the feedback from the regions, understand the company and not only giving the receiving this feedback, build together, build this in a collaborative way, but also give them permission to do this and that.
Speaker 1:So I'll give you some examples. So we have some benefits that are launched in some countries, but the other is not because of the market, because of some similarities on some markets, and we can accept that we have markets that launched so in the Eco so and we can accept that we have markets that launch it. So, in the EcoXpert, we launched five badges. So we have regions that decided to launch only one badge, and that's fine, you know, because your customer type, you know they could not find other customer types. So those are the type of customizations that we allow and we work together in the regions and we give them permission to to do this. I think that is key if you need some engagement because, as I said at the end, they are the ones that are going to deploy, so we need to trust on them on doing this awesome.
Speaker 2:now, one of the things I think is fairly unique in terms of the program that you're building towards is that you're really focused on this sort of specialization, skill set and activity of a particular partner, but there are end users that want to buy your entire portfolio, while partners only service one part of your portfolio. How do you drive, improve, encourage that collaboration between partners to service that same customer?
Speaker 1:This is something that I really because this is a topic I really love, and I'm very passionate because when I was in CEOs for Portugal and Spain, I was managing the partners some years ago and this is something that we started building and work at very well, and then we are seeing this is helping at a global level, that this is happening in other countries. So it's not easy. It's not easy right, because first, partner needs to understand that they have different competencies, right, and we do not restrict the partners to identify the solution. So, as you said, customers would like to one-stop shop right, they would like one partner to be responsible for the project right, but this partner don't need to be the one responsible to deliver all the project, right, so we do not. So all our certifications, we do not enable the partner to say, hey, you can sell this, you cannot sell that. What we enable the partner like, what you can sell, what you can install and what you can maintain right. So this is the differentiation that we do. But enable the partners to find opportunities and support the customers. This is what we do. So we enable the partners. We support the customers. This is what we do. So we enable the partners. We train them to how to identify the solution, how to sell the solution, how to identify the opportunity, how to support the customers.
Speaker 1:You know, adding infrastructure like power cooling racks, into the whole solution, because, let's remember right, that infrastructure came first than any other place, you know? So you have the CVU and you are building a data center. You have all the buildings and then you have the infrastructure and then you're going to install the IT solution. So one thing that we are accustomed to say to the customers is like adding the infrastructure help you to improve your share of wallet, but also help you to stay longer into the opportunity to the customer, right Into the intimacy, and offer the total solution. So this is something that we work and we enable the partners. But what happened? Some partners have the ability to do the commissioning, the project, but also the installation, but some others not. But this could not limit the partners. So this is where this ecosystem enters.
Speaker 1:So what we started doing is like introduce the partner to other partners, say, hey, you do not have this competence, but I can help you to identify a person or a partner that have this competence. I can tell you that the first thing that we did. We had two partners here in Spain that were in the same city and they were saying that they are competitors, competitors. We did not work together because we sell both of them sell Schneider and we are competitors. And we were working, talking about the different competencies, what they do, what the others do and we joined them with the first project. What they do, what the others do, and we joined them with the first project. Now we said that we created two monsters because now they are doing a lot of partnership that we don't have an idea what they are doing, right. But that's the type of things people are sometimes afraid right To change, to think differently, and we needed to stimulate.
Speaker 1:So what we are doing the status perspective is stimulating is putting the partners. So we just did an event in Prague some months ago and what we did is like the Tinder for the partners, right. So we did like a very dynamic section for the partners to know each other, for the partners to interact. So we did some interactive sections for them to know each other globally, right. So this is something that we can stimulate. We need to stimulate. And coming back to my first approach, like Schneider, have this unique position that we have these two kinds of partners or three or four because we have building automation, industrial automation as well that we can together, like having those partners working together to really deliver one solution for the partner, for the customer right, and it doesn't matter if the one partner will be in one side or the partner will be on the other side, but they are working together. But the key here is to make them understand that they have different competencies and value those different competencies and not see each other as a competitor.
Speaker 2:So this is our responsibility and so one of the things that I think is awesome to hear is not only driving collaboration, but you're also rewarding the right behavior, right? I think the partner programs of old where you pick your three medal statuses and you know, the partner that does a hundred gets a different rebate than the partner programs of old where you pick your three medal statuses and the partner that does 100 gets a different rebate than the partner that does 1,000. That's not the way you have designed your program. Talk me through why.
Speaker 1:Um because business as usual right, like business as usual you give, it will give you absolutely the revenue that you need but potentially will not give you the growth right. So for us, open new markets, you know, open new solutions, like having partners supporting to open the market for new solutions really driving this behavior for us is very important. So how we are driving behaviors, like we are measuring, for example, more than transactional, we are measuring solution sales, so how they are really being able to build the solution, not only sell transactional. We are another behavior that we are measuring, like he's just setting opportunities right. Why? Because we would like to build trust. So we expect from the partners that they came and also we can have these opportunities. You know, working with them, having the visibility and build this trust. So this is another thing. And also adding other type of solutions like services. And then we are giving them awards, rebates, MDFs.
Speaker 1:As I said, this depends country to country, but for us, like this kind of behavior, we move it absolutely. The transactional is where we find revenue, but the growth will help us really from the solutions from coming from. For example, we just bought Motivare with liquid cooling. You know that's a new solution for us. So like how those partners can drive us or can help us to drive this conversation with their end users. You know, because everything that move out from the comfort zone right is the most challenging, and if it is more challenging it must be rewarded.
Speaker 2:So this is the way that we see that we can reward, based on behavior, to help us to grow, mainly on those activities that move out from the comfort zone so we've talked about the complexity of running a global program that specializes locally and you sort of remodeled your entire program to incentivize and drive the right behavior, foster collaboration between partners, which is all extremely complicated. Now I'm about to say two letters which I think are going to make it more complicated, which is AI. Talk to me around what this means for today and where you think that transformation is going to play towards Shania in the future and where you think that transformation is going to play towards Schneider in the future.
Speaker 1:Well, it's already. It's not with the future, like it's already transforming now. Right, because the business shift, the business changed so hard with the advent of AI. So Schneider is adopting AI in a lot of different so, like internally in our tools, the way that we deliver solutions, you know, the way that we even measure the partners. We are discussing, like, how can we evolve in this direction? Uh, but absolutely, we are heavily impacted with the ai growth, right, and we are business transformation. We are being impacted from product perspective. So, like, as I mentioned, we just bought motivate exactly because of this is of this need of liquid cooling driven by AI. We just mounted racks, for example, for high density, because they are higher, you know, and also with more structure to support the AI solution, and also adding some configurations with NVIDIA, you know, and giving some partnership that was announced some months ago. So it's driving totally different the way that we are growing the business.
Speaker 1:The business is growing really on the cloud and services providers and also those customers that are enabling much more AI. So this is where, you see, we are seeing opportunities with the partners. There is a big opportunity with the partner and I just saw this week something related to this If the partners are seeing their customers implementing AI on their solutions. More than 40% said yes. So you see that the opportunities, not only on the cloud and service providers the opportunities that we are seeing but also with the partners. So I think that the challenge here is, like the partners absolutely are on those discussions, are on those conversations and there is a huge impact on any AI installation on infrastructure. So a lot of data centers today and we have some cases with some partners already that for end users implementing AI where the infrastructure that they have do not support it. And when I say infrastructure, I'm talking about cooling, I'm talking about energy you know some countries, because of AI, do not have energy enough to deploy, you know, so this would be a huge impact and also around sustainability. So if you think on the level of efficiency that AI is needed, you know customers are looking for it. So the mainly so. If you think on the CEOs, or on the mind of the CEOs, with application of AI, one of the key areas they are looking is efficiency, exactly because they are thinking on how they can implement in AI with the less consumption of energy and the biggest consumption of energy in a data center is the cooling. So how we can help them with solutions, with monitoring, with efficient solutions on cooling and also with the sustainability.
Speaker 1:Sustainability, for us, is a business and it's a business available to the partners as well, so we have a lot of solutions to focus it on tools, on efficient solutions, exactly to help the partners to have these conversations. We have a training like a sustainability school, call it. It's a training focusing on sustainability to enable the partners to have this conversation about sustainability with their customers, right? So AI goes beyond the chativity or the software that we're seeing, and there's a huge impact on efficiency and also on infrastructure. So, as I said, we are seeing this as a big transformation on our business, driven by the cloud and service providers, but we are starting to see the partners in some opportunities to support their customers. But what my suggestion and my for the partners that are listening to us here? I think that do not forget about infrastructure, efficiency and sustainability, because sustainability is an approach that we can drive. We can have this conversation with the customer and can change the way that you sell a solution and the sustainability school that we have can absolutely support the partners on this direction.
Speaker 2:Well, Carol, that's been amazing. One of the things that we love on this podcast is also sustainability, which is why we asked our current guests to recommend our next guest. Who do you have in mind?
Speaker 1:Okay, I will recommend. A very friend of mine Can be friend, right, of course, a very friend of mine. This is João Marques, that he's responsible for channels as well in ServiceNow. He's Brazilian as well, living in Mexico. It's an amazing person focusing on people, people development, so I'm sure that you have a great conversation with him.
Speaker 2:I'm excited to have a moment. Carol, thanks so much for sharing your wisdom. It's been awesome.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much. Thank you for inviting me. It's a pleasure to share with you and I hope that we can see you in another opportunity.
Speaker 2:It was amazing.