Technology solutions provider C1 has announced that five company leaders were named to the 2026 CRN Women of the Channel list, highlighting the growing influence of leadership diversity, channel innovation, and workforce transformation across the enterprise IT ecosystem.
As the enterprise technology sector accelerates AI adoption and digital infrastructure modernization, leadership diversity and talent development are becoming increasingly important competitive priorities across the IT channel.
That shift was reflected this week as C1 revealed that five of its executives were recognized on the 2026 Women of the Channel list from CRN.
The annual industry recognition honors women leaders across vendors, managed service providers, solution integrators, distributors, and channel-focused organizations who are helping shape the future of enterprise technology partnerships and customer engagement.
Among the executives recognized were Leigh Juul, Valerie Corniello, Zeina Ammar, Suzanne Shreve, and Katie McPherson. Three of the leaders — Juul, Corniello, and Ammar — were also named to CRN’s 2026 Power 80 Solution Provider list, which highlights influential female executives within the IT services and channel ecosystem.
The recognition arrives during a period of significant transformation for the enterprise IT industry, where organizations are increasingly investing in AI-enabled infrastructure, cybersecurity modernization, cloud networking, and digital workplace technologies.
As those technology shifts accelerate, workforce leadership and operational strategy are becoming more closely tied to enterprise growth outcomes.
“We are extremely proud that CRN has honored these stellar C1 leaders with this well-deserved recognition,” said Jeffrey Russell, CEO of C1.
Russell pointed to the role the executives play across revenue operations, strategic sales, marketing, education technology, and professional services — areas becoming increasingly critical as enterprises navigate AI-driven operational change.
The IT channel ecosystem itself is evolving rapidly.
Managed service providers, value-added resellers, systems integrators, and enterprise consulting firms are under growing pressure to support customers deploying AI workloads, hybrid cloud environments, collaboration systems, and cybersecurity infrastructure at scale. That shift is expanding demand for leadership capable of balancing technical modernization with operational execution and customer engagement.
Research from IDC projects continued growth in enterprise spending on AI infrastructure and digital transformation initiatives over the next several years, while Gartner forecasts rising investment in managed services and AI-enabled enterprise operations.
The recognition of female leadership within the channel also reflects broader workforce changes occurring across the technology sector.
Despite ongoing progress, women remain underrepresented in many areas of enterprise technology leadership, particularly within infrastructure engineering, cybersecurity, and advanced IT operations. Industry recognition programs such as Women of the Channel have increasingly become part of wider diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies aimed at improving leadership representation and career advancement opportunities.
At C1, the recognized executives represent several strategically important business areas tied to enterprise growth.
Leigh Juul, the company’s chief revenue officer, oversees go-to-market strategy and revenue operations, including sales engineering and strategic alliances. Valerie Corniello leads sales operations initiatives focused on forecasting accuracy, customer retention, and revenue optimization. Zeina Ammar heads public education sales efforts centered on secure IT infrastructure for K-12 environments.
Meanwhile, Suzanne Shreve manages professional services operations designed to support enterprise-scale implementation and customer outcomes, while Katie McPherson leads growth marketing initiatives tied to demand generation and partner co-marketing strategies.
Those responsibilities mirror broader enterprise technology trends where operational alignment between sales, marketing, services, and customer success teams is becoming increasingly important in AI-era business models.
Technology providers are also investing more heavily in workforce development and leadership enablement programs as digital transformation accelerates. Platforms from Microsoft, Salesforce, Google, and Workday continue integrating AI-powered collaboration, workforce analytics, and organizational planning tools into enterprise environments.
Jennifer Follett, vice president of U.S. content and executive editor at CRN parent company The Channel Company, said this year’s honorees demonstrated strong leadership in driving innovation and organizational growth.
For HR technology and workforce leaders, the broader takeaway extends beyond awards recognition.
As enterprise organizations navigate AI-driven transformation, the ability to cultivate diverse leadership pipelines, cross-functional operational expertise, and workforce adaptability is increasingly tied to long-term business resilience.
The channel ecosystem, once primarily focused on hardware distribution and infrastructure deployment, is rapidly evolving into a services-driven environment centered on AI enablement, cybersecurity operations, cloud orchestration, and digital workplace modernization.
In that environment, leadership capable of aligning people strategy with technological transformation may become one of the sector’s most valuable competitive assets.
Market Landscape
The global IT channel industry is undergoing rapid transformation as enterprises expand investments in AI infrastructure, cybersecurity modernization, hybrid cloud environments, and managed services. Technology providers and solution integrators are increasingly prioritizing leadership development, workforce diversity, and operational alignment to support evolving customer demands.
According to IDC, enterprise AI spending is expected to continue growing significantly as organizations operationalize generative AI and automation technologies. Gartner also forecasts increasing reliance on managed service providers and systems integrators to support complex digital transformation initiatives.
At the same time, HR technology platforms are playing a larger role in helping enterprise organizations strengthen leadership development, workforce planning, and employee engagement strategies across distributed teams.
Top Insights
- Five C1 executives were recognized on CRN’s 2026 Women of the Channel list for leadership across sales, services, marketing, and enterprise operations.
- Three C1 leaders also earned placement on CRN’s 2026 Power 80 Solution Provider list recognizing influential women in the IT channel ecosystem.
- Enterprise IT providers are increasingly linking workforce leadership and operational strategy to AI-driven digital transformation initiatives.
- Diversity and leadership development remain growing priorities across infrastructure, cybersecurity, and enterprise technology services organizations.
- Managed service providers and solution integrators are evolving toward AI enablement and digital workplace transformation business models.
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