On The Record With Robert Cohen & McAfee's New VP of Channel Operations Fernando Quintero 23 July, 2009 By Robert M. Cohen

Name: Fernando Quintero Company: McAfee Title: VP of Channel Operations BIO: Fernando has been with McAfee since 2002 and brings over 22 years of executive and channel sales experience to his expanded role. Prior to McAfee, Fernando served as Ingram Micro's Strategic Partner Director for Compaq where he developed a centralized business model for Ingram's subsidiaries that drove in excess of $500M/year. Before that, he served in key sales management positions. Fernando's IT channel knowledge and expertise dates back to 1987, where he held various positions within the channel operations and inside sales team for Hewlett-Packard. Fernando holds a BS degree in Business Administration from USM, Caracas-Vzla, 1992, Executive International Business Program from Florida International University, Miami Fl, 2005 and Channel Masters Program, Institute for Partner Education and Development, Berkeley CA, 2008. Personal Favorites: Movie: Forest Gump Book: Jim Collins Song: U2 beautiful Day in any language Sport to watch: boxing Sport to play: soccer Food: Thai, Indian (Asian) Super Hero: Superman City: New York IT company: McAfee Non-IT company: Apple, Google & sorry, I am stuck in this industry. IT industry CEO: Steve Jobs, Apple Non-IT industry CEO: Jack Walsh, General Electric Other: family & my kids are my real heroes.

Since then, I have worked with Symantec, Trend Micro, Panda, Bit Defender and several other security companies. I have enjoyed the inside view of this industry and suffered as a user who has been hit by security problems. Interviewing Fernando Quintero, McAfee's New VP of Channel Operations was not a trip down memory lane. Security has become one of, if not the most important topic in the IT industry. I looked forward to hearing what Fernando had to say and how he intended to help the Channel.

Robert: Fernando, what do you see as the major obstacles currently facing VARs?

Fernando: They have to find a way to keep relevant in front of their customers. They need to differentiate themselves from the box pushers. VARs are faced with the challenge of retaining existing customers while attracting new customers. They have to stay current on the technology and the solutions. With lower product costs and lower margins, making money is a huge challenge.

Robert: What should VARs do to counter these obstacles?

Fernando: They need to provide customers with a unique value add that customers want. They also should be getting into a higher level of security offerings?

Robert: How do you see the channel morphing over the next few years?

Fernando: We will see different sets of VARs based on categories, segments, etc. Each type of VAR will have to evolve as we move towards more specialists. However, generalists will continue to exist. Specialization is how VARs will differentiate themselves while showing off their own talents and thus positioning themselves as being more important for certain customer groups.

We have been seeing a lot more partners who want to really understand security solutions. We are working hard to help them with this.

Robert: What are the major opportunities for the channel?

Fernando: Consulting and services provide VARs with huge margins and lots of revenue. Security and risk management is where we fit in. The security space is growing rapidly, with network security growing at 15 - 20% annually. Areas like encryption and data security are becoming commodities. There is a lot of opportunity in the security space for VARs. As the largest dedicated security company we have an obligation to help VARs capitalize on these opportunities. Our focus is on helping VARs to focus on providing security solutions, regardless of whether it is in the enterprise, mid market, SMB or consumer space.

Robert: How is McAfee helping VARs to grow their business?

Fernando: Through the McAfee security alliance partner program we are teaching them to focus. Focus. Focus. Focus. VARs have to invest in security.

Robert: Are you helping VARs to become better business people?

Fernando: Yes. We try to deliver methodology and best practices. We help VARs create a road map to the future that they can use to work with customers. We focus on enabling VARs and teaching them how to sell products and the importance of cross selling.

Robert: How is this done?

Fernando: We educate VARs on best practices for the delivery of security solutions. We provide them with white papers (mostly SMB focused), ROI calculators, etc.

McAfee helps VARs manage their security customers and what they should do on a daily basis. The more prepared the VARs are and the more focused they are, the more successful they will be and thus the more successful McAfee will be.

Robert: What are the next big opportunities for the Channel?

Fernando: Taking the network into the cloud and consolidation.

Robert: So where does McAfee fit in with all the new services (managed services, virtualization, cloud computing, SaaS, HaaS, software licensing, etc.)?

Fernando: We have been playing in the managed services space for a long time. We provide the NOC. We have a dedicated managed services group working on next steps in service offerings.

Robert Cohen, a passionate and enthusiastic channel advocate, is the founder of the ChannelLine Advisory Council as well as president and business editor of Integrated mar.com, publishers of Channel Advisor, eChannelLine and ConnectIT. Since 1980 he has worked with 350 IT vendors, distributors and resellers in developing and implementing strategic go-to-market programs, using a variety of direct, channel and hybrid models. Integrated mar.com, in conjunction with Robert has created the Trusted Business Advisor program. Robert can be reached at 1-800-465-2059 or by email at rcohen@integratedmar.com.


Previous Trusted Business Advisor articles by this author:
08/27/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & Autotask's Bob Godgart
08/27/09 Solving the business dilemma for That Computer Guy
08/27/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & Ingram Micro's Justin Crotty
08/14/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & Cisco's Dave O'Callaghan
08/14/09 Keeping the IT industry in touch via social marketing
08/14/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & Westcon's Anthony Daley
07/30/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & N-Able Technologies'Gavin Garbutt
07/30/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & Dell's Greg Davis
07/23/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & D&H's Co-President, Dan Schwab
07/08/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & Tech Data's Joseph Quaglia
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06/25/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & Synnex' Bob Stegner
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05/21/09 On The Record With Robert Cohen & CompTIA's New Head: Todd Thibodeaux
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05/21/09 On-The-Record with Robert Cohen & Keith Bradley, President Ingram Micro North America
05/15/09 On-The-Record With Robert Cohen & Gary Gillam, Xerox's VP, North American Resellers, Channel Operations
05/15/09 On-The-Record: Robert Cohen with Synnex Canada CEO Jim Estill
04/24/09 Twitterdee, Twitterdo, Part 1 of 2
04/15/09 On-The-Record with Arlin Sorensen
03/25/09 How vendors should partner with Those Computer Guys - Part V
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03/18/09 8 reasons why you need "That Guy" to penetrate the SMB -Part IV
03/11/09 Part III: Vendors Wanting To Penetrate The SMB market Need That "TBA Computer Guy".
03/04/09 That "Computer Guy" is what we call a Trusted Business Advisor (Part II)
02/25/09 Reaching SMBs through their 'Computer Guy' (Part I)
02/18/09 TBA: The program built with you & for you!!!
02/18/09 Without a code of ethics, a professional industry isn't 'professional'




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