Ron has over 30 years of experience designing, developing and managing sales and marketing channels. From 1978 through 1991, Ron was Apple computers key channel strategist, and as such, was central to Apples reputation as the innovator in channel development, as well as their growth from start-up to a $6.5 Billion market leader (at the time). As one of Apples earliest management team members, he developed many channel policy and practice firsts that have since become industry standards. Following Apple, Ron was recruited to Sun Microsystems to create and direct the channel transition from the technical market space to the commercial market. This required performing an overhaul of Suns existing world-wide channel architecture. Ron led the company through the industrys first (culturally difficult) process of transitioning from a territory based direct model to a named account partner integrated mix. His leadership of this model was the first to achieve channel best practices and carried the weight of suns growth from $3b to $19b. After leaving Sun in 1994 -but continuing to guide them as a client- Ron began the work to build Rohner & Associates into Silicon Valleys premier channels consultancy. Ron and his team of professionals have led scores of channel engagements for many of the most prominent companies in technology. Names like Cisco, Sybase, Informix, Seagate, Apple, Sun, Aspect, Access, Remedy, Hyperion, and Microsoft have all benefited from Rohner & Associates strategic approach. |