308 – 7 Partner Secrets Microsoft’s New Channel Sales Leader Just Exposed at UP LIVE — Ultimate Partner®

Don’t miss this massive channel shift!

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In this episode of the Ultimate Partner Podcast, host Vince Menzione sits down with Alexandra Zagury, Corporate Vice President of Channels at Microsoft, to explore ecosystem shifts, partner-led growth, and AI transformation.

https://youtu.be/9jrSGX5bM90 Key Takeaways

Microsoft’s telemetry and propensity data offer unprecedented insights that many partners are currently failing to unlock.
Partners must evolve past basic licensing models and build comprehensive managed service stacks across the entire customer lifecycle.
Establishing an AI Center of Excellence on the Microsoft platform is critical for capturing future market share and technical intensity.
The modern tech ecosystem demands a shift from product-led growth to true partner-led growth driven by multi-partner collaboration.
Renewal engines targeting 110% to 125% retention require an always-on motion starting well in advance of contract expiration.
Investing in sales readiness and precision velocity training ensures that end sellers can effectively articulate the value of the Microsoft platform.

If you’re ready to lead through change, elevate your business, and achieve extraordinary outcomes through the power of partnership—this is your community. At Ultimate Partner® we want leaders like you to join us in the Ultimate Partner Experience – where transformation begins.

Key Tags

Microsoft, telemetry, Hyperscalers, channel, small medium enterprise, telcos, hosters, SSPs, Cisco, CSP, agentic GTM, propensity data, SPX, PUPP, cloud descent, MSPs, managed XDR, Agent 365, skilling, co-sell, renewals, flywheel, AI Center of Excellence, enterprise

Transcript

Alexandra Zagury Audio Podcast

[00:00:00] Alexandra Zagury: One of the things that I think is the best kept secret at Microsoft is the telemetry that we offer our partners.

[00:00:08] Vince Menzione: You can feel it happening. The ecosystem is shifting beneath us, the way Hyperscalers are partnering, how AI is remaking the channel and what it means to win in 2026. Welcome to the Ultimate Partner Podcast.

[00:00:22] Vince Menzione: I’m Vince Menzi, own your host, and each week I sit down with leaders at the intersection of technology. Partnerships and outcomes. The voices shaping how ecosystems actually work. We talk about what’s real, what’s changing, and what it takes to lead in this era where the partner channel isn’t just part of the strategy.

[00:00:41] Vince Menzione: It is the strategy because being in the room changes everything. Let’s

[00:00:46] Guest: start.

[00:00:50] Vince Menzione: I am thrilled because I get to have a leader that is somewhat new in role and is the corporate vice president of channels for Microsoft. And so Alex is here to, is joining us for the first time at Ultimate Partner. I’m thrilled to have you. Thank, thank you so much. Thank you so much. Welcome, welcome.

[00:01:14] Vince Menzione: Thank you. Thank you. You and I are gonna be in the center seat in the middle. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. We wanna. So I am thrilled. Um, you’re relatively new in your role at Microsoft.

[00:01:24] Alexandra Zagury: Seven months.

[00:01:25] Vince Menzione: Seven months,

[00:01:26] Alexandra Zagury: yes.

[00:01:26] Vince Menzione: Wow. That’s a, that’s a crazy. So take us through, ’cause for those who don’t know you, but a little bit of an introduction, your title, your role, CVP, and uh, your remit.

[00:01:37] Vince Menzione: Let’s talk about that and what your organization is focused in, in your mission. Yeah.

[00:01:41] Alexandra Zagury: So hi everybody. Really exciting to be here. Thanks for the invitation, Vince. I always love to be with partners and with the channel. So my, I came to Microsoft to lead a new role, which we call Global Channel Sales, and it was part of the strategy of Microsoft to really bet on the growth in small, medium enterprise.

[00:02:04] Alexandra Zagury: With the channel partner led growth. So my remit is really to lead our managed partners, but also to lead the strategy when it comes to the channel. Very specifically looking at the telcos, the distributors, the hosters. The sis and, uh, the SSPs of course. And, and