Carol Ann McKeown ─ transforming partner ecosystems into “the” X-factor”.
January 12, 2021 • 3 Minute Read
(Updated October 2022)
Carol Ann
McKeown
Retired
(Previously — Global Lead of Regional & Channel Marketing
VIAVI Solutions)
Are you looking for a fabulous partner ecosystems marketing leader? We know one of the hardest working global leaders─Carol Ann McKeown!
Carol Ann McKeown is the global lead of regional and channel marketing for VIAVI Solutions. Since March 2017, she has been responsible for driving pipeline through marketing activities (global events, and regional and channel marketing execution, etc.) to align with sales.
Please meet this IT Wondrous Woman™, Carol Ann McKeown!
Our 10 Questions for this IT Wondrous Woman.
Fun Facts
1. What’s the one thing about you that your business colleagues don’t know about you?
My master’s thesis was on the role the Internet played in the 1996 Presidential election, Clinton vs. Dole.
2. Before the pandemic, how many air miles/KMs did you flying annually?
75,000 to 125,000 miles.
3. What is the most adventurous food you have eaten and what city/location did you eat it?
My husband’s cooking living in London when I did a work rotation for three months.
Your Career
4. What are the top two experiences, achievements or failures that shaped your journey as a successful leader?
Taking on the leadership of the services partner marketing team at Cisco Systems when we moved to a partner-led model. This role built my passion for working with the partner community.
Working globally taught me to understand the challenges of time zones and work-life balance when working with a U.S. based company.
5. Did you have a mentor in the early part of your career and, if so, what is the biggest lesson you learned from your mentor or influencer?
While I did have mentors in my career, I learned that the more important person to have is a sponsor.
Walking In Your Shoes
6. What is one piece of business or career advice you would give to your younger self?
Ask for what you want, no one else will do it for you.
7. As a leader, how do you remain a resource for people early in their careers?
I am a mentor for students at University of California at Santa Cruz. I enjoy working with people at the start of their careers.
Today’s Business Environment
8. What is the most interesting project you have worked on in the last few years?
As our service provider customers have outsourced their network testing requirements to contractors, we have had to research and market to a very different buyer. I’ve learned a lot on how to craft new stories to appeal to this unique audience.
9. What skills are you currently developing or refining (in yourself) that will make you a more successful leader in the digital economy?
Building the story behind the numbers to apply to successful content marketing. While it’s all about the data, it is the human stories that connect and resonate.
10. What is your greatest business challenge today?
With the pivot to digital marketing, the biggest challenge is moving buyers from engagement to purchase without the physical events that our sales and partner teams rely on.
