This article is based on reporting originally published by CRN Australia, citing an interview with VMware VP for Worldwide Channels Jenni Flinders during her visit to Sydney.
Co-Investment Is Becoming a Strategic Imperative
VMware’s vice president for worldwide channels, Jenni Flinders, has made clear that co-investment with partners is an increasing priority for the data centre infrastructure software company. Speaking to CRN in Sydney, Flinders described partner relationships built around mutual investment in skills as “getting really strategic for us.”
While Flinders stopped short of revealing specifics — late August announcements about VMware’s then-forthcoming “Partner Connect” program were still under wraps — she outlined what VMware is looking for in its deepest partner engagements: shared commitment, demonstrated capability, and investment in formal competency attainment.
Master Services Competencies: The Core of Deep Partnerships
At the heart of VMware’s co-investment philosophy is the attainment of a Master Services Competency (MSC). At the time of the interview, VMware offered five competencies covering:
- VMware on AWS
- Desktop & Mobility
- Network Virtualisation
- Data Centre Virtualisation
- Cloud Management & Automation
Flinders noted that partners who invest in a master competency consistently demonstrate greater technical depth, enabling them to secure more complex client engagements. That capability, in turn, makes them stronger candidates for co-selling opportunities alongside VMware’s own sales teams.
Real-World Impact: An Australian Partner’s Experience
Australian partner Parallo offers a concrete example of the value a master competency can unlock. Co-founder and regional director Shaun Webber told CRN that after the company attained a Master Services Competency in Data Centre Virtualisation — becoming one of just three Australian firms to hold it at the time — both VMware’s internal teams and enterprise customers took notice.
“It gets us past the ‘who are these guys?’ conversation with executive sales people at VMware. It gets us into bigger customers.”
— Shaun Webber, Co-founder & Regional Director, Parallo
Webber’s point is instructive for any partner evaluating the return on investment in formal certification programs: the credential acts as a trust signal both internally within VMware’s channel organisation and externally with prospective enterprise clients.
Diversity as a Business and Talent Strategy
Flinders also addressed diversity during a channel conference in Australia — and her definition deliberately goes beyond conventional framing. As she explained to CRN:
“Not just talking about your gender, or race or whatever, but diversity and background, its diversity and your skill, its diversity across industry.”
— Jenni Flinders, VP Worldwide Channels, VMware
This broader view of diversity encompasses professional background, domain expertise, and industry experience — not only demographic characteristics. For channel partners, Flinders argued, this has a direct business implication: hiring too narrowly limits access to talent.
Practical Advice for Partners of All Sizes
Flinders acknowledged that smaller partners in particular tend to fall into the trap of hiring from familiar networks — the “usual suspects” — when a position opens up. Her recommendation was straightforward:
“How about smaller partners broaden their network a little bit. And maybe next time they need to fill a position, actually making sure that there’s diversity across their network to maybe pull in some talent that they normally might not have through their traditional network?”
— Jenni Flinders, VP Worldwide Channels, VMware
Her conclusion was that even the smallest channel partners should maintain a deliberate diversity plan — not as a compliance exercise, but as a talent acquisition strategy. Organisations that hire within a narrow circle risk missing out on skills, perspectives, and experience that exist just outside their immediate network.
Key Takeaways for VMware Channel Partners
- Invest in Master Services Competencies to differentiate from competitors and qualify for co-selling with VMware’s enterprise sales teams.
- Treat certification as a trust signal — both to VMware’s internal organisation and to prospective enterprise customers.
- Adopt a broad definition of diversity that includes professional background, skill sets, and industry experience, not only demographic factors.
- Build a diversity hiring plan regardless of company size to avoid talent blind spots created by over-reliance on existing networks.
This article covers VMware’s channel strategy as reported in mid-2019. VMware’s Partner Connect programme and master services competency structure may have evolved since then, particularly following Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware. Readers should consult current VMware or Broadcom partner documentation for up-to-date programme details.