PLANO, Texas, May 10, 2022 — Critical Start, a leading provider of Managed Detection and Response (MDR) services, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Kate Krhovjak, channel and field marketing manager – central; Katherine Pollaro, national channel marketing manager; Meredith Dishman, director of distribution channels; and Rebecca Bell, channel and field marketing manager – west to its Women of the Channel list for 2022. Additionally, Allison Stevens, director of channel and field marketing, has been named to its 2022 Power 70 Solution Providers list, an elite subset of honorees chosen from the annual CRN Women of the Channel list.
This esteemed list honors the incredible accomplishments of female leaders in the IT channel. Those named on this annual list come from all corners of the IT channel — including vendors, distributors, and solution providers whose vision, expertise, and contributions make an impact on the industry every day.
The annual Power 70 Solution Provider honorees, an incredible group of distinguished female channel leaders, are chosen by the CRN editorial team based on their expertise and contributions to building strong solution provider businesses. This exclusive list features elite industry professionals who drive success every day through leadership and a deep dedication to their organizations and the IT channel.
“Communicating our solutions to provide customers the ability to navigate today’s cybersecurity threats with ease is crucial as the current landscape continues to grow more turbulent,” said Rob Davis, founder and CEO of Critical Start. “Due to the hard work of these outstanding female leaders, Critical Start’s channel program continues to grow and develop, rising above and beyond to meet the needs of today’s security conscious businesses.”
Krhovjak sets strategy within the channel to engage prospects through marketing activities and events in the central region. Her work has advanced Critical Start’s channel operations and strengthened the company’s partner relationships. She is a dedicated channel professional focused on creating meaningful alliances that are mutually beneficial for the company and its channel partners.
Pollaro helps drive national and distribution partner strategy. In her role she is tasked with building relationships with key players in the national and district channels. Pollaro is a goal-oriented marketing and sales professional with a strong communications background and positive and determined attitude. Her ability to thrive in creative environments allows her to always look for ways to plug Critical Start and makes her a true channel champion for the company.
Dishman is a seasoned channel executive, with 15 years of experience extending across sales, marketing, and management. She has led the execution of Critical Start’s on-demand-gen with distribution partners, developed training resources to better serve the distribution channel and likewise amplified the distribution channel’s purchasing of MDR and nonfunctional requirements (NFR) services.
Bell develops the marketing strategy for the west region while increasing pipeline and influencing revenue. She collaborates closely with internal channel, marketing and sales teams as well as her counterparts in the partner ecosystem to connect Critical Start and its partners with clients and prospects through meaningful and memorable experiences. The marketing activities Bell has developed help partners, and their customers, gain a deeper understanding of product offerings and helps drive revenue.
Stevens is a results-driven channel executive with an extensive background in sales, field marketing channel marketing, and strategic alliances marketing. She manages a team of channel and field professionals who define the channel and field marketing strategy across North America. As a channel marketing professional, Stevens thrives on bringing dedicated creativity to partnerships through demand generation efforts, content creation, and internal/external enablement. Her passionate approach to the role allows her to maintain strong relationships with Critical Start’s partner network to deliver shared value and maximize ROI.
“We are proud to once again recognize the remarkable leaders on this year’s Women of the Channel list. Their influence, confidence, and diligence continue to accelerate channel success significantly,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “Their accomplishments will inspire others, and we look forward to witnessing their future contributions to the channel.”
Through strong business acumen, innovation and strategic thinking, these extraordinary women support their solution provider businesses and customers with exceptional leadership. CRN celebrates these women, who are so deserving of recognition, for their constant dedication to channel excellence.
CRN’s 2022 Women of the Channel and Power 70 lists will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/WOTC.
About Critical Start
Today’s enterprise faces radical, ever-growing, and ever-sophisticated multi-vector cyber-attacks. Facing this situation is hard, but it doesn’t have to be. Critical Start simplifies breach prevention by delivering the most effective managed detection and incident response services powered by the Zero Trust Analytics Platform (ZTAP) with the industry’s only Trusted Behavior Registry (TBR) and MOBILESOC. With 24x7x365 expert security analysts, and Cyber Research Unit (CRU), we monitor, investigate, and remediate alerts swiftly and effectively, via contractual Service Level Agreements (SLAs) for Time to Detection (TTD) and Median Time to Resolution (MTTR), and 100% transparency into our service. For more information, visit criticalstart.com.
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About The Channel Company
The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com
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