Donald Deshaies, VP of Channel Management and Strategy for Sage North America, Recognized as 2015 CRN Channel Chief

IRVINE, CA--(Marketwired - Mar 2, 2015) - Sage North America, a leading provider of business management software and services to small and medium-sized businesses, today announced that Vice President of Channel Management and Strategy Donald Deshaies has been named to the prestigious list of the 2015 CRN Channel Chiefs. The influential executives on this annual list represent the most powerful leaders in the IT channel who have primary responsibility for driving growth and revenue for their organizations through management of their channel partners. Individuals are selected for inclusion based on their track record of channel accomplishments, standing in the industry, dedication to the partner community, and plans for driving future business innovation and channel growth.

Tweet This: Congratulations to VP of Channel Mgmt & Strategy, Donald Deshaies for being recognized as a @CRN #ChannelChief: http://sge.bz/1MV0ujl

The 2015 CRN Channel Chiefs demonstrate their enduring support for the IT channel by consistently defending, promoting and executing effective channel partner programs and strategies.

Deshaies oversaw several key channel initiatives in the past year, including initiatives focused on optimizing the Sage customer experience as well as extensive training and certification of Sage partners and developers. These programs have resulted in a Sage channel ecosystem with enhanced sales capacity, marketing depth capability, improved consulting utilization/realization, and exceptional customer retention and customer satisfaction survey results.

Based on Deshaies' belief in the positive and lasting impact that mentoring and onsite experience can have on consultants and managers, he also oversaw the creation and implementation of the Sage ERP X3 Consultant Onboarding Program. Partners can now bring their new consultants up to speed quickly and send them into the field in a shorter period of time. They are paired up with the Sage PSG to get hands-on experience implementing Sage ERP X3 while the partner receives a portion of the revenue from the consultants' services from end-user implementation projects.

Coinciding with the roll-out of the Sage ERP X3 Consultant Onboarding Program, the new Sage ISV program with the Sage Certified Development Professional and Sage Certified Solution distinctions provide world-class training, revenue, marketing, and support opportunities to developer organizations that build add-ons to Sage solutions to extend its functionality for various industry segments.

"Each year, our editors carefully vet an extensive group of highly accomplished channel executives to highlight those exemplary individuals who earn the mantle of CRN Channel Chief. These executives strive to advance the success and standing of the channel community within their organizations. The 2015 CRN Channel Chiefs lead by example and serve as valuable advocates to help ensure the health and longevity of the IT channel. We applaud their accomplishments and look forward to their continued success," said Robert Faletra, CEO, The Channel Company.

"Sage partners have continued to expand their Sage offerings to represent a broader portfolio of solutions," said Deshaies. "With our focus on cloud solutions, mobile, and connected services, coupled with our innovative partner enablement programs, our partner community has grown year over year in overall revenue with our top 10 percent of partners growing by double digits."

The 2015 CRN Channel Chiefs list is featured in the February 2015 issue of CRN, and online at www.CRN.com.

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About The Sage Group plc
We provide small and medium sized organisations, and mid-market companies with a range of easy-to-use, secure and efficient business management software and services -- from accounting, HR and payroll, to payments, enterprise resource planning and customer relationship management. Our customers receive continuous advice and support through our global network of local experts to help them solve their business problems, giving them the confidence to achieve their business ambitions. Formed in 1981, Sage was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1989 and entered the FTSE 100 in 1999. Sage has millions of customers and circa 13,000 employees in 23 countries covering the UK & Ireland, mainland Europe, North America, South Africa, Australia, Asia and Brazil. For further information please visit www.sage.com.

About The Channel Company
The Channel Company, with established brands including CRN, XChange Events, IPED and SharedVue, is the channel community's trusted authority for growth and innovation, For more than three decades, we have leveraged our proven and leading-edge platforms to deliver prescriptive sales and marketing solutions for the technology channel. The Channel Company provides Communication, Recruitment, Engagement, Enablement, Demand Generation and Intelligence services to drive technology partnerships. Learn more at www.thechannelcompany.com.

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