Lenovo’s Bourguet, Cato honored in CRN’s 2025 Influential Chiefs

NewsLenovo's Bourguet, Cato honored in CRN's 2025 Influential Chiefs

Lenovo has made a significant announcement that highlights its leadership in the IT industry. Pascal Bourguet, who serves as the Chief Operations Officer for International Markets and the Global Channel Chief, along with Rob Cato, Vice President and North America Channel Chief, have both been honored by being included in the 2025 CRN® Channel Chiefs list. This esteemed list acknowledges IT vendor and distribution executives who have made noteworthy contributions by shaping strategic direction and setting the agenda for their companies’ channel operations.

Pascal Bourguet and Rob Cato have also received the additional distinction of being named among the 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs. This exclusive group recognizes those executives who have been at the forefront of driving innovative strategies and achieving outstanding results in channel management.

### Pascal Bourguet: A Leader in Global Channel Strategy

Pascal Bourguet has been at the helm of Lenovo’s global go-to-market strategy for its channel business. His leadership has been pivotal in pushing forward Lenovo’s channel strategy, which focuses on fostering innovation and growth for its partners worldwide. During the past year, Bourguet has spearheaded the expansion of Lenovo’s partner certifications and accreditations, achieving over 10,000 new accreditations and maintaining more than 42,000 active certifications. Notably, 66% of these certifications are from non-PC solutions, which demonstrates Lenovo’s commitment to broadening its technological horizons and offering partners opportunities to specialize and differentiate.

Under Pascal’s guidance, Lenovo has seen significant expansion of its Lenovo 360 Circle, a community focused on sustainability for its partners. This expansion includes more than 400 active partners and has led to the organization’s inaugural partner sustainability summit. These efforts earned Lenovo the CRN’s Best Value Chain Initiative award, highlighting the company’s commitment to integrating sustainability into its business model.

Bourguet’s team has also introduced new, tailored pathways for partners and launched an initiative known as “Lenovo 360 for MSPs” (Managed Service Providers). This initiative opens new market routes and equips MSPs with enhanced opportunities to grow their businesses in collaboration with Lenovo. This effort underscores Lenovo’s strategic focus on providing its partners with the necessary tools and opportunities to thrive and succeed in the rapidly evolving IT landscape.

### Rob Cato: Driving Lenovo 360 Vision in North America

Rob Cato is responsible for leading Lenovo’s channel business across North America. He has played a crucial role in supporting and propelling the success of partners across all Lenovo business units in this region. In the past year, Cato has been instrumental in transforming the North America Channel Sales team. This transformation has resulted in strengthened relationships and significant growth, particularly in the data center and services sectors.

Through Cato’s leadership, Lenovo North America has increased its number of partners who are selling across the entire portfolio. Impressively, over 60% of these certifications focus on non-PC solutions, which aligns with Lenovo’s broader strategy of diversifying its technological offerings. Cato’s efforts have also positioned Lenovo North America as a leader in the Managed Services Provider route to market. His work has been pivotal in shaping the recently announced global initiative “Lenovo 360 for MSPs.”

Matt Zielinski, Executive Vice President and President of International Markets at Lenovo, praised the efforts of both Pascal Bourguet and Rob Cato. He stated, “Pascal and Rob have been relentless in driving innovation and expanding opportunities for our partners across the globe, ensuring they have the tools, expertise, and flexibility needed to thrive in an evolving market. Their leadership, combined with a best-in-class team, continues to strengthen our channel ecosystem, providing partners with new avenues for growth, specialization, and long-term success.”

### Significance of the CRN® Channel Chiefs List

The CRN® Channel Chiefs list is a prestigious recognition within the IT industry. It highlights leaders who have demonstrated exceptional capabilities in channel management and strategy execution. Being named on this list is a testament to the impactful work and strategic vision of the individuals and their organizations.

The recognition of Pascal Bourguet and Rob Cato among the 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs further underlines their contributions towards advancing IT channel strategies and achieving tangible results. Their recognition is a reflection of Lenovo’s broader commitment to innovation, partner empowerment, and sustainable growth.

### Understanding the Channel Strategy

For those unfamiliar with the concept, a “channel” in the IT industry refers to the different ways through which a company delivers its products, services, and solutions to end customers. This often involves partnerships with various resellers, distributors, and service providers. Channel strategy is crucial because it determines how effectively and efficiently a company’s offerings reach the market.

Lenovo’s channel strategy under the leadership of Bourguet and Cato focuses on providing partners with comprehensive support, tools, and opportunities to grow. This involves offering certifications, accreditations, and tailored pathways that enable partners to specialize in specific areas of technology, thereby enhancing their competitive edge.

### Lenovo 360 Initiative

The Lenovo 360 initiative is a holistic approach that seeks to integrate Lenovo’s offerings across various business units, driving synergy and creating added value for partners. It emphasizes sustainability and managed services, aligning with global trends toward more environmentally responsible and service-oriented business models.

The recent expansion of Lenovo 360 for MSPs is a significant development, as it opens up new avenues for managed service providers to collaborate with Lenovo. This initiative provides MSPs with access to Lenovo’s comprehensive suite of solutions, enabling them to offer enhanced services to their customers and grow their businesses.

### Conclusion

Lenovo’s recognition in the 2025 CRN® Channel Chiefs list is a significant achievement that highlights the company’s leadership and innovation in the IT industry. The contributions of Pascal Bourguet and Rob Cato have been instrumental in advancing Lenovo’s channel strategy and driving growth and success for its partners worldwide. Their leadership exemplifies Lenovo’s commitment to empowering its partners with the tools, expertise, and flexibility needed to thrive in an ever-evolving market.

For more detailed information on the 2025 CRN® Channel Chiefs list and to explore the accomplishments of other recognized leaders, you can visit the official CRN website at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs.
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Neil S
Neil S
Neil is a highly qualified Technical Writer with an M.Sc(IT) degree and an impressive range of IT and Support certifications including MCSE, CCNA, ACA(Adobe Certified Associates), and PG Dip (IT). With over 10 years of hands-on experience as an IT support engineer across Windows, Mac, iOS, and Linux Server platforms, Neil possesses the expertise to create comprehensive and user-friendly documentation that simplifies complex technical concepts for a wide audience.
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