Channel Marketing Association and Channel Sales Association Launch Strategic Advisory Program to Accelerate AI Adoption, Leadership and Sales

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Strategic Advisors lead AI Build Labs and Leadership Labs open to members of both communities, free for Pro members

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — October 20, 2026 — The Channel Marketing Association (CMA) and the Channel Sales Association (CSA) today announced the launch of the Strategic Advisory Program, which gives members of both communities direct access to experienced practitioners in AI, leadership and sales. The program is designed to help channel professionals build practical skills, tackle real-world challenges and keep pace with rapidly changing demands.

“Channel professionals are navigating a lot of change at once, and they need practical ways to keep building their skills,” said Kathryn Rose, Co-Founder of CMA and CSA. “Our Strategic Advisors bring real-world experience into the community so members can go deeper on the issues they’re facing, ask better questions and leave with ideas and approaches they can put to work.”

Sessions are delivered through AI Build Labs and Leadership Labs. CMA and CSA Pro members attend free. Free and Essential members can attend for $97 per session, and non-members can attend for $197 per session. Session recordings will be archived in a proprietary library so CMA and CSA Pro members can watch on demand.

Inaugural Strategic Advisors include:

Allison Bergamo, Founder & CEO, Bergamo Marketing Group
Jennifer Bleam, Founder, Channel Sales Accelerator
Julie Eason, Founder, MindFlare AI
Khali Henderson, Senior Partner, BuzzTheory
Matthew Koening, Founder, White Tiger Consulting
Tonya Petrozzi, Founder, Petrozzi Coaching & Consulting
Lisa Shorr, Founder, Shorr Success
Andrea Sittig-Rolf, Chief BlitzMaster & CEO, BlitzMasters

Strategic Advisors Help Members Build Skills in AI, Leadership and Sales

The inaugural Strategic Advisors bring a broad range of expertise across AI, leadership and sales. Advisors are not limited to a single subject. Many work across all three, so members get perspectives that reflect how channel work actually happens.

Together, the Strategic Advisors will help members understand where and how AI, leadership and sales skills create value in their work. Sessions will take deeper dives into specific applications and challenges, such as:

Putting AI to work across marketing and sales
Optimizing for AI search and buyer use of AI in purchasing
Connecting marketing and sales metrics to business impact
Developing future leaders
Improving sales execution
Activating partners to create measurable pipeline and accelerate revenue
Building stronger customer and partner relationships

“Channel teams don’t need another AI overview. They need to see exactly where it fits in their day, from prepping for a partner call to building a pipeline plan,” said Eason. “In these sessions we pick one problem, work through it together and leave with something members can use on Monday.”

“Most leadership problems in channel organizations come down to the same few things: unclear priorities, unclear ownership and meetings that don’t end in decisions,” said Petrozzi. “These sessions give leaders practical tools to fix that, so their teams know who owns what, decisions get made and the whole organization moves faster.”

Expertise That Extends Beyond a Single Session

The Strategic Advisory Program is designed to create ongoing access to practitioner expertise rather than limit the relationship to individual sessions. Advisors are active across the CMA and CSA communities, sharing their experience, engaging with members and creating opportunities to continue conversations as new challenges emerge.

Strategic Advisory Program sessions will be announced throughout the year.

“AI, leadership and sales don’t live in separate boxes in a channel role, so we didn’t build this program that way,” said Rose. “Our advisors do this work every day. Whether members join a single session or watch all the recordings in the library as Pro members, they’ll get practical guidance from people who are in the field right now.”

About the Channel Marketing Association

The Channel Marketing Association (CMA) is a professional organization dedicated to advancing channel marketing excellence in the IT and telecom industries. Founded by channel marketers for channel marketers, CMA fosters a collaborative community focused on sharing best practices, resources, and education to elevate the impact of channel marketing. Through industry recognition programs, exclusive events, and professional development initiatives, CMA empowers marketers to drive innovation, build stronger partnerships, and accelerate business growth. To join or learn more, visit www.channelmarketingassociation.com.

About Channel Sales Association

The Channel Sales Association (CSA) is a professional organization for the people who drive revenue through partners. Built by and for channel sales professionals, CSA offers membership, programming, resources, peer connection and tools designed to support partner-led growth across IT, technology, telecom, cybersecurity, cloud and software organizations. CSA is dedicated to advancing the channel sales profession through collaboration, insight and ongoing support. For more information, visit https://channelsalesassociation.com/.