Working in tech demands restlessness. Competing hardware and software race on endlessly, and the people behind every iteration must set both the pace and audacity of innovations. Every year, CRN recognizes such visionaries with their Women of the Channel award, praising expertise that pushes companies forward in channel advocacy and channel growth. This year, six Lenovo women joined the ranks:
- Rachel Canales, North America OEM and IoT Channel Executive, Data Center Group
- Ana Flores-Siemsen, National Director of Distribution, Data Center Group
- Jayne Franchino, VP & Chief Transformation Officer, Data Center Group
- Stacey Goodman, Director, North America Channel Programs
- Kim Johnson, Director, North America Channel Communities
- Nicole Evans Roskill, Executive Director and Worldwide Channel Chief, Data Center Group
Within the larger set of honorees, CRN also selects a Power 100 who further distinguished themselves. We’re proud to share that three of our channel experts made the cut: Stacey Goodman, Kim Johnson, and Nicole Evans Roskill.
Scroll down for a brief quote from each of their CRN interviews about a woman they admire. Click through to dig into the details of channel innovation, past successes, and their goals for the next year.
Though Ruth Bader Ginsberg may seem like the choice du jour for anyone seeking a badge of fierceness and pride, I choose her for what she represents. In her youth, she represented resoluteness not only in pursuing her education despite societal expectations and the scourge of sexism, but also chose a partner who supported her in a manner that proved ahead of its time. Today, she represents such estimable resolve – working diligently despite ailments that would halt lessers half her age. To me she represents maximized potential (for all of us).
This is a difficult question for me, there are so many individual women that I admire. Rather than one name, I feel it is better for me to describe the women I admire. Social media and technology allows us to hear more about all the great women in the world, present and past. I admire women that don’t let society define who they are. I admire women that don’t let someone else’s preconceived ideas about what women can do stop them. I admire women that lift other women up and help them see we can all be successful.
It has to be Amelia Earhart, for not only her contribution to aviation but also her perseverance and courage to achieve her dreams. Her sense of adventure as a child followed her into adulthood and she became being the first female aviator to fly solo across the Atlantic. She was quoted as saying “‘what do dreams know of boundaries,”‘ and she carried this through not only her flying, but also in her role as a visiting faculty member at Purdue University (where I got my undergrad degree) as an advisor to aeronautical engineering and a career counselor to female students.
Michelle Obama. She has such grace and confidence so many of us would aspire to have. Not only was she the first African-American First Lady and holds a law degree from Harvard, but she is also an activist, philanthropist, and published author! Her work around children’s nutrition and fitness especially resonates. Through her work there are many new charters, changes, and initiatives with schools, care providers, grocers, food manufacturers and others all working to support these efforts which is so critical in our country today where technology has become a substitute for physical activity.
Judy Miller, CEO and founder of RSVP Communications, a marketing support services provider is someone that I truly admire. For over 30 years, Mrs. Miller has kept her business relevant by adapting to changes in both her customer’s needs and in the ever evolving marketing industry while consistently providing an excellent customer experience. She’s a fierce business woman with a servant’s heart known for her generosity and passion for family, friends and community.
Alice Paul, who inspires me greatly. As a suffragist, she dedicated her life to an equity issue that was greater than herself, organized a movement and effected change that benefits women today. She proved you can move mountains with dedication, intelligence and grit.