Meet our CRN Women and Diversity in Channel Shortlisters

With CRN’s 2024 Women & Diversity in Channel Awards around the corner, we’re taking a moment to introduce you to some amazing women. Meet the boxxers shortlisted for their passion, drive and expertise, to find out what it takes to make an impact and push the boundaries within the IT Channel.

Hi Tarah, congrats on making the shortlist! Tell us a little bit about your role — what do you do? 

Thanks! I’m Senior Account Director for Defence, leading client relationships in the defence sector, ensuring satisfaction and growth. Sales lie at the heart of my role which involves a good dose of strategic leadership, as well as managing large accounts, identifying new business opportunities, and advocating for clients' needs within boxxe.

How did you get started in Sales?

I entered the tech field through my career progression, where I discovered its strategic importance and impact on business goals, sparking my interest despite not having an early passion for it. 

What’s the best thing about your job?

The power of technology to transform businesses hooked me from the start — why just admire it when I can sell it? I get to be the matchmaker between cutting-edge solutions and the companies that need them. Turns out, helping businesses find their tech soulmates is pretty fun!

How do you build relationships with your customers?

As a Yorkshire lass, I keep things simple and straightforward. I’m all about honest conversations, a good cup of tea, and a sprinkle of Yorkshire charm. I believe in hard graft and doing right by people, which helps me earn their trust. And of course, a bit of friendly banter never hurts — I’ve found that a laugh and a genuine approach goes a long way.

How do you stay motivated and driven in such a competitive industry?

It’s all about embracing the challenge and finding joy in the hustle. I thrive on the energy of the competition and love the satisfaction that comes from helping my clients succeed. Setting personal goals and celebrating the wins — big or small — keeps me going. And let’s be honest, a bit of healthy competition just makes the victories that much sweeter!

Congratulations on the nomination Laura! So tell us, what do you do? 

As the Marketing Communications Manager at boxxe, I work on the development and execution of our marketing strategies and pushing the boxxe brand forward. That means collaborating with various departments and external partners to ensure our campaigns align with our brand’s objectives and resonate with our target audience. 

How did you get started in Marketing?

I began my career in IT nearly 10 years ago, unexpectedly stepping into a Vendor Marketing Account Manager role at a reseller. This experience ignited my passion for channel marketing, and over the years, I've held positions in both reseller and distribution, gaining a comprehensive understanding of the IT marketing landscape.

What's the best thing about your job? 

There isn’t just one thing I love about my job! I enjoy the combination of creativity, collaboration, and impact. Whether it's developing innovative campaigns, planning successful events, or mentoring colleagues, I thrive on working with people to drive results. Seeing how our efforts contribute to the company’s growth while building strong connections along the way is incredibly fulfilling.

How easy is it to communicate tech in engaging ways in marketing campaigns?

Communicating tech in engaging ways can be challenging but also rewarding. It’s about simplifying complex concepts without losing their essence and making them relatable to our audience. Using creative visuals, compelling storytelling, and real-world examples helps make tech accessible and interesting.

What is the key skill you need to succeed in Marketing? 

The key skill for success in marketing is authenticity and to be personable. Both of these encourage trust and connection with your audience. It involves being genuine in your messaging, believing in your ideas, and prioritising people in every decision you make.

Ruth, you’ve been nominated for two awards, congratulations! How does it feel to be recognised for both?

Truth be told it was a big surprise and very humbling but also really amazing — primarily because these awards are voted for by my colleagues! We have so many amazing boxxers, who put a tonne of hard work into the business so for those individuals to recognise my own efforts means a lot, and reminds me that my own hard work is valued and as a team we can do great things together. 

Tell us about your role — what do you do?

As General Counsel & Company Secretary, I use my legal sector, financial, tech and media experience to help shape boxxe’s future. It’s a real privilege to work with a company at the forefront of digital growth, and to be able to use my strategic business know-how to continue driving innovation and growth at pace. 

What's the best thing about your job? 

Working with the people on the ground - our boxxers, our customers and strategic partners! We are lucky at boxxe to have some awesome colleagues who really help drive our business forward and who believe that teamwork helps get things done quicker. My own teams are a classic example of being willing to do anything for anyone!

What qualities do you believe are essential for being an effective mentor?

Empathy and compassion. Sometimes people need some tough love and a bit of advice they don’t want to hear, other times people just need a supportive shoulder to lean on. Mentoring is really about getting to understand someone, how they work and what they would benefit from because we’re all different. It’s the most rewarding thing in any job to be able to help someone else develop and get the best out of themselves whilst simultaneously doing their best for the business. 

What impact does mentorship have on professional growth?

It can have a huge impact on a person’s confidence in themselves and their own abilities, and it can really be a missed opportunity when someone doesn’t have any mentorship… Even informal mentorship can help guide someone through their career, to look at what steps would be right to help that person develop — everyone is different, so we don’t all need to take the same path. 

Welcome back, Lizzie! Tell us about your role — what do you do, and is it the same job you did before? 

I currently head up the Healthcare and Policing team here at boxxe. Prior to maternity leave I led the Government, Education and Policing team. The change in role is something I had requested, as I wanted to narrow down my focus from 4 verticals to 2, so I could better understand and support these areas.

What's the best thing about your job? 

It’s the people I get to meet, be that our boxxers, our partners or the many brilliant and committed people working across Policing and the NHS that I am regularly inspired and humbled by.  

What challenges did you face when re- entering the workforce, and how did you overcome them?

From a work perspective, boxxe has always been brilliant and supportive towards working parents. The only challenge, which will be familiar to many working parents, is managing a daily life militantly — in order to balance 2 under 5’s, a full time job and an exercise regime!

What support systems or resources were most helpful to you during your transition back to work?

I was worried about how I was going to manage dropping off children at nursery and school and getting to my desk at 09:00. I asked if I could return on changed hours of 09.30-18:00 and this was supported without hesitation. boxxe’s mentality to support and accommodate their people meant that I felt supported coming back into work and not up against it. I think that’s hugely important in allowing mums to feel that they can fit back into the workplace successfully. 

What advice would you give to others considering a return to their careers after a break?

Speak up and ask for the things you need from your workplace in order to manage. Be clear as to why you are asking for them. But ask. Secondly, get yourself as physically and mentally ready as possible — be disciplined in working towards this. Make time. 

A massive congratulations to our four boxxers — your hard work and dedication does not go unnoticed here at boxxe, and this shortlist proves the same goes for the wider Channel too. We're honoured to support you, and help you flourish — your success is our success! Good luck at the awards ceremony and remember to have some fun, you've earned it.