Neil Sawyer

Name: Neil Sawyer

Role: Managing director & general manager, Lenovo UK and Ireland

Spirit animal: Dolphin

Walk-on song: Tiny Dancer

How would you summarise Lenovo's channel philosophy?

Lenovo is highly committed to our partner eco-system and we have a ‘Channel First' strategy. As a result, 97 per cent of all the business we do is via our channel partners.

97 per cent of all the business we do is via our channel partners

Tell us about Lenovo's partner programme in 100 words or fewer...

The Lenovo 360 channel partner framework provides easy access to the entire Lenovo portfolio across workspace, data centre and mobile. The framework also helps partners capitalise on the service-led and solutions-based opportunity with their customers and drive additional revenue streams.

How many partners do you work with in the UK?

We work with thousands of partners each year. Our team is built around the focus and need to serve all our active partners. We're proud that alongside our distribution partners, all our focus and attention is delivered by our UK-based team.

Are you looking either to expand or reduce that? If so, what partner profile does this apply to?

Lenovo is continually developing and building out our industry relevant technology and solutions to deliver strong customer outcomes. Lenovo is committed to expanding our partner base in line with these developments and innovations.

Smart collaboration, datacentre and infrastructure solutions are key growth areas, and while there are partners covering our full portfolio, we're committed to developing and investing in our relationships with specialist partners.

Have you made any major changes to your partner programme recently, or are you about to?

As Lenovo is focused on continual development, in December 2021 we updated our channel programme to give our partners easier access to the entire Lenovo portfolio across devices, infrastructure, and services and solutions. This will help create new opportunities for our partners.

Our partners see Lenovo as one business. And we deliver this message through delivering consistency in our partner engagement and management.

Describe your perfect partner?

Our perfect partner embraces new technology, innovation, and change. They challenge the customer's wants and needs and propose solutions that are relevant while delivering the required outcomes. We like partners who are entrepreneurial, have a willingness to embrace the Lenovo proposition, add their unique value to it, and deliver exceptional outcomes.

In which areas would you most like to see your partners invest over the next 12 months?

Over the next 12 months, we'll start to see significant and rapid growth in end-user computing, specifically around flexible services and supporting infrastructure. This will be driven by more flexible working and dynamic and fluctuating workforces amongst our clients. It will be a key issue for CIO and CTOs, and successful partners will help our customers with their digital transformations.

How do you see vendor channel programmes and channel engagement models evolving over the next few years?

We see many channel programmes come and go, and we learn from what works effectively with our partners. We recognise that it is so important to maintain the focus on the core business and reward and recognise our partners for their loyalty, while also investing in those partners to ensure that they can grow with us.

What are your priorities for the next 12 months?

We're helping partners on their sustainability journeys, and focusing our industry on the importance of diversity and inclusion

There are several things we're focused on right now. Primarily it is helping our customers transform to new ways of working, but we're also helping them on their sustainability journeys, and focusing our industry on the importance of diversity and inclusion.

Do you feel Lenovo is doing enough to cater for non-resale partners, including those that sell technology as a managed service, ISVs or agents?

We absolutely recognise the value that these types of partners deliver, and more of our customers are asking for these solutions. It's more important than ever that we embrace these partners and develop propositions and programmes to capitalise on this market opportunity.

Is direct-channel conflict ever an issue in your partner ecosystem, and if so how do you mitigate that?

The overwhelming majority of our business (97 per cent) in the UK is delivered by our channel partners. Early communication, transparency and strong trusted engagement are key to managing those key decisions.

Name one trait you prize highly in partners, and one you deplore?

Being positive, entrepreneurial and finding a solution makes a huge difference in partnership. We value the relationship and trust we have amongst all our partners. I am not a big fan of allowing issues to fester longer than necessary - thankfully this doesn't happen too often.

How do you feel Lenovo's margin proposition stacks up against your peers.

There are always strong opportunities to drive a margin agenda within a reseller business with Lenovo. From pocket to cloud, we have the right proposition that is wrapped with the right services offering.

If you could wave a magic wand and change one aspect of your channel performance or strategy overnight, what would it be?

Accelerating the progress, we are making in our adjacent businesses beyond workspace. Smart collaboration, data centre, services, security, and industry solutions make a huge difference in our ability to win alongside our partners.

What's the most challenging aspect of being a channel leader?

The macro-economic landscape has an impact on the day-to-day cadence of running a channel centric business. Learning and adapting to supply chain, market capitalisation and changing demand profiles quickly has been a challenge for everyone. But the channel is the best of the best at reinventing and adapting to these many changes.

Before joining the IT industry, I worked as a chef and spent many years working in restaurants and sporting events

Tell us something about yourself most people won't know

Before joining the IT industry, I worked as a chef and spent many years working in restaurants and sporting events.

What is your spirit animal?

A dolphin. Loves meeting new friends and where loyalty matters.