Getting Deeper on Our Engagement with APJ Partner Advisory Board

Hanoi was a perfect setting for our APJ Partner Advisory Board (PAB) meeting earlier this month. Hanoi is bustling and always full of action—just like our Dell Technologies Partner Program.

Partner Advisory Board members have been a great sounding board to provide constant feedback and a continuous reality check on our performance, on areas of improvement and all things that we continue to enhance to make this program the best in the industry. Our regular and frequent PAB meetings ensure we keep our eyes and ears close to the ground, and every meeting brings forth interesting insights and perspectives that further strengthen our commitment to partners and customers.

The APJ Partner Advisory Board meeting in Hanoi saw high levels of interaction and engagement, had many firsts and was once again scored highly by all participants. Partners showed particular interest in Dell Technologies’ working capital and consumption-based offerings.

For the first time we hosted a dedicated Distribution PAB session to better understand how our distributors are advancing their digital future as well as extending the reach of our entire partner ecosystem. Our Distribution partners also participated in a workshop on emerging technologies such as 5G, AI & ML, future technology trends and modern workloads at the New Frontier Edge Automation and Management.

MARC struck a chord

Taking our PAB members through the Many Advocating Real Change (MARC) training program was another first for our partners in APJ—and they simply loved it. Dell Technologies is the first company in the IT industry to implement the MARC training program. MARC challenges us to question our own hard-wired prejudices that we carry around subconsciously. It is important to be aware of this conditioning and consider in our daily decision-making. This training covered inclusive leadership strategies, sharpening awareness of inequalities, unconscious biases and privilege, and how to hone skills for lasting impact. We believe that women and men need to work together to change bias in the workplace.

Through the MARC training, we heard insights on diverse leadership styles and approaches to management. The overall message was a reminder that people are different and real diversity comes from creating an open environment where everyone feels included and valued, where we can express our views, and where are all empowered to do our best work. It was timely that this gathering included our first female member of the APJ PAB.

Extending this discussion to our partners is priceless, as our partner ecosystem is an extension of our Dell Technologies brand. As a sign of our commitment to this initiative, I urge all our APJ PAB & Distribution partners to share this message on diversity and inclusion in their organizations.

Thank you to all our APJ PAB & Distribution members for joining us on this purposeful journey together, in the true spirit of partnership.

To learn more about the momentum Dell Technologies is driving with partners, watch my Mid-Year Partner Update for APJ.

Also, follow us @DellTechPartner and @Tian_Beng_Ng, and tell us your #MARCtraining takeaway!

About the Author: Tian Beng Ng

Ng Tian Beng (TB) is Senior Vice President and General Manager for Dell Technologies Asia-Pacific and Japan Channel, and is responsible for sales efforts across all Enterprise and Commercial channel partners, including distributors, resellers and system integrators. TB, is a Dell veteran, having joined the company in 1998 as the sales manager for large corporate accounts, is based in Singapore. During his run at Dell, he has held multiple senior management roles. Most recently, he was vice president and managing director of South Asia and Korea, where he was responsible for Dell’s overall business across both commercial and consumer customers in the region. He has also previously led Dell’s channel business in the region, growing and developing Dell’s partner and reseller network and advising on governance, framework, policies and business direction.