Nothing reveals true character quite like adversity. The global health crisis we’re currently living through has provided character-defining moments for our communities — and in particular, our leaders Although globally women comprise only 7 percent of heads of state, in the countries, towns, and cities where they do lead, they disproportionately flattened the curve. They acted first. They listened to experts. They made data-driven decisions. And they provided a stark contrast to leaders who lacked these high-stakes skills.

Citrix doesn’t need a global crisis to know that these traits are needed to lead through uncertain times. We take pride in challenging the status quo. Maybe that’s why a record 14 Citrites — the most of any year yet — have been named to CRN’s 2020 Women of the Channel. These women are chosen by the CRN editorial team from a vast pool of channel leaders based on their exceptional achievements, expertise, and commitment to supporting IT channel success.

Congratulations to these intrepid leaders!

Get to know some of our leaders up close and personal! We asked what they’ve been focusing on while sheltering in place for COVID-19. Watch what they had to say:

Read on to find out more about how they carried out their missions over the last year, empowered people, and how they’ve been making a difference at home and abroad.

Tricia Atchison, Group Director, Worldwide Partner Enablement & Marketing, Microsoft Business

An avid marathon runner, Tricia continually sets and breaks goals on the track—and at work. Tricia has been named as a Woman of the Channel every year since 2012. She was also honored on CRN’s Power 100, an elite subset of female executives whose insight and influence are top drivers of channel success.

Her drive to deepen understanding of partner needs has been instrumental in successfully adapting Citrix strategies, programs, and initiatives to better align with partner needs and drive joint demand around the world.

Traci Burch, Senior Manager, North America Distribution

In 2019, Traci implemented clear messaging, growth goals, and lead generation programs that led to a 55 percent growth in revenue.

Living by example is a central value. “I want to make sure that my influence on my family and friends is positive and I enhance their lives,” she says. Her advice to the younger generation of women — and men — is to seek out people you trust. “Some of my best ideas came to me after talking to people I respect and asking questions,” she recalls. “Trust yourself, because you have great ideas.”

Donna Buffett, Senior Director, Worldwide Partner Enablement

This is Donna’s fourth year being honored as Woman of the Channel. In 2019, she was recognized by CRN as one of the IT channel’s 100 People You Don’t Know But Should. Her team consistently delivers enablement that leads partners to growth in bookings and pipeline — positioning them as standout leaders in the market.

How has she channeled her energy during the lockdown? “Currently I’m working on achieving 100 rides on the Peloton bike,” Donna says. “The only things you can control right now is what you eat and making the time to exercise.”

Donna’s advice to women just starting out: “Figure what makes you happy and what you are good at doing. Take the time to nurture those items,” she says. “Do not put it off until another day.”

Maria Fernandez-Quera, Director, Worldwide Partner Operations

Maria was tasked with charting new territory in 2019. “We had to deal with a lot of unknowns and new business processes which we had not been involved with before,” she says.

Her team drove the incentive modeling process for a new partner program and transitioned to a new “one-stop-shop” reporting platform where stakeholders could measure progress towards strategic goals.

“We had to learn quickly, understand end-to-end implications, and create processes from scratch. Our positive and can-do attitude definitely was key to our success.”

Bronwyn Hastings, SVP, Worldwide Channel Sales and Ecosystems

Speed and acceleration are part of Bronwyn’s DNA. She loves horses, motorcycles — and doesn’t shy away from setting a bold example. “Partners need tenacity and resilience to step through ambiguous times,” she says.

Bronwyn’s was also named to CRN’s prestigious Power 100, an elite list of forward-thinking women whose leadership is integral to the success of their company — and to the channel as a whole. Bronwyn’s vision for broad simplification of Citrix programs, pricing, and packaging paid off with over 1,000 new transacting partners and triple-digit growth in partner-related deals and annual recurring revenue.

Danielle Jennings, Senior Manager, Worldwide Partner Marketing and Enablement

Hitting the road to de-stress is a lifelong practice for Danielle, who stays balanced with early-morning runs.  “When the sun is rising, the roads are empty, and the birds are chirping — there is something extremely calming when all you can hear is the sound of your breath and your feet on the pavement.”

This Citrix leader had a whirlwind year creating and executing a worldwide, integrated channel acceleration program that generated over $65M in partner-sourced pipeline and led to a 34 percent YoY increase.

Hao Le, Director, Worldwide Partner Communications

Hao understands better than anyone the power of the written word to help people connect, prepare, and succeed in changing times. “As the industry continues to shift, we have to do things differently,” Hao says. Sharing success stories through the Citrix Partner Advocacy program helps us all become more comfortable with being uncomfortable, she adds.

In 2019 Hao played a pivotal role in breaking attendance goals for Citrix Summit 2020. When not finding innovative ways to engage with partners, Hao believes downtime is critical to a good work-life balance. “I often need a day when I fully embrace no work, no chores — nothing productive at all — to give my brain a rest.” She also gives back, advocating for girls in her community through Girls on the Run Silicon Valley — a program designed to develop girls’ essential skills and leadership through preparedness for a 5K.

Kate Lochrie, Senior Manager, Worldwide Partner Programs

Kate is a leader who believes in teamwork, collaboration, and working with partners to create the best possible customer service.

She drew on the expertise of a global stakeholder team to redesign Citrix specializations, creating net new content and curriculum — as well as an updated rebate program that increased partner profitability. Kate empowers her local community as well, volunteering and serving on the board of several nonprofits.

Denise Mendez, Sr Manager, Americas Channel Operations

Throughout 2019, Denise’s team played a foundational role in Citrix’s cloud-subscription journey, providing front-line support from invoicing to payout for distributors and partners in the largest geography in the Americas.

What would she tell her younger self? “Your priorities will change over time, and that’s OK,” she says. “Learn early how to work smart, not hard. And seize the day! Take that project overseas!”

Like many of us, working from home during the quarantine has been an opportunity for Denise to work on patience. “However, professionally I am sharpening my leadership and negotiation skills to drive change toward operational excellence in everything we do.”

Elke Ringler, Channel Director, Central Europe

Elke is another Women of the Channel veteran. In her two decades at Citrix, her leadership has been critical to growing and transforming the “cloud first” channel ecosystem in Central Europe.

Elke loves to explore nature with her family, and finds meaning in the life story and women-first ethos of J.K. Rowling, whose journey was anything but easy. “She overcame depression, divorce, and welfare to become a best-selling author whose stories fascinate kids and adults alike. Rowling also uses her popularity to point to social evils, and remains an advocate for women and children.”

Julia Scully, Director, Partner Sales Americas

One of the pillars of Julia’s success is understanding what makes each partner unique. “Change takes time and not all partners transform or consume change in the same way,” she says.

This guiding principle helped her to design trainings, materials, and programs that aligned to partners’ specific needs and goals. Her relationship-building was integral in fostering the “Better Together Story” with Microsoft, Google, Cisco, IGEL, and others. She led her team to a 2019 Partner of the Year victory for the Americas and was also named 2019 Enterprise MVP Channel Leader for the second year in a row.

Masako Takagi, Senior Director, GSI Sales, Worldwide Partner Sales

A believer in making dreams a reality,  Masako helps organizations identify capabilities and possibilities they’ve only imagined, and then shows them how to make it happen with Citrix digital transformation. She was a key player in Fujitsu’s achievement of Worldwide Partner of the Year for 2019 — the highest recognition a company in the Citrix ecosystem of 9,500 global partners.

As an industry veteran and globetrotter, she knows how important it is for younger women to embrace their originality. “Be your authentic self without compromise,” she says. “Nobody’s perfect. It’s OK not to be perfect. Just define what your own success looks like and make sure that you are making your way towards your vision in everything you do.”

Christy Vega, Director, Education Services

This is the third year Christy has been named as a Woman of the Channel. Her team helped research, design, and launch modernized learning programs that help partners earn free training and more easily access on-demand courses and certification.

She’s a firm believer that reading books makes everyone more well-rounded — herself included. She’s used the current lockdown to up her reading game. “Continuous learning is a fundamental component of our success, to staying alive, and to staying passionate about what we do.”

“I would tell my younger self to always surround yourself with people you aspire to be like, be your own champion, and don’t be distracted by others’ opinions of you.”

Polly Weiss, National Partner Manager

Last year, Polly successfully transitioned a large customer base from an on-prem to a subscription cloud model and oversaw 300 percent growth in Citrix Workspace — leading an extensive team to win Americas Partner of the Year. This is fourth time being honored as a Woman of the Channel.

She’s been taking advantage of the recent lockdown to study history and science — something she used to enjoy regularly and is now rediscovering.

What would Polly tell her younger self (and the class of 2020)? “Don’t worry about not having a senior year. You had great adventures in life and it all worked out!”

What advice would these leaders give to their younger self, if they could go back in time. They share some collective wisdom here:

Learn more about how our Citrix Women of the Channel leaders – their accomplishments, years in the industry, favorite books and more by visiting the Citrix Women of the Channel 2020 on CRN.

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