CRN’s annual Women of the Channel program honors some of the most influential women leaders within the channel. We’re proud to have five Perficient colleagues recognized in the 2022 CRN Women of the Channel list, and we’re highlighting their individual accomplishments in a special blog series.

We previously celebrated Liza Sisler, Liz Stuart, and Lynn Brading for their achievements. Today, we’re excited to profile Kathryn Bogen, senior alliances manager, who was named the Women of the Channel list for the second time.

“It’s an honor to be included in CRN’s Women of the Channel for 2022, and a wonderful acknowledgement of the day-to-day hard work that goes into growing a successful alliance career. The past two years have challenged us to stay connected with our teammates and partners, and this recognition is a warm reminder of the incredible channel community surrounding us. I look forward to engaging with the CRN community even more this year – and hopefully in-person soon.

“At Perficient, I have the honor of learning from the best in the business and working with the top technology partners in the world. I was recently recognized with a new role as a Senior Alliance Manager, and now have the opportunity to support and grow our channel team in new ways. I plan to leverage wisdom from other Women of the Channel leaders, and I can’t wait to see how we evolve and continue to drive success in 2022 and beyond!”

Here are some of the insights Kathryn shared with CRN to receive this recognition. Visit CRN to learn more about Kathryn and the 2022 CRN Women of the Channel list.

What are your goals for your company’s channel business over the next year?

My goals are to strengthen our sales team relationships through strong partner and marketing support, in turn growing our software and services revenue. This requires a continued focus on building and maintaining strong partner sales relationships, driving visibility for my business team’s capabilities and accomplishments, and facilitating stronger marketing support for our key partnerships.

What’s the key to success for your solution provider business in 2022?

The key to success in 2022 for solution providers is empathy for our customers. Business transactions are almost entirely virtual now and require a level of human connection that cannot be understated. Until we’re able to get back together in person, customers are looking for solution providers that are flexible, understanding, and go the extra mile for the business. This also applies to how we engage with our partners, and how our partners engage jointly with customers and prospects. A little extra patience and adaptability go a long way to building long relationships that will last beyond the current challenges.

What honors, awards, or commendations have you won over the past year?

While not accolades that I personally won, Perficient did receive two partner of the year awards from partnerships I have closely worked with in the past few years. In 2021, inRiver awarded Perficient as their North America Partner of the Year and HCL recognized us as their Commerce Partner of the Year. My efforts to nurture and grow our partnerships contributed to the foundations for these awards, and I’m incredibly proud of our team and the excellent work we’ve been able to achieve with these partnerships.

READ MORE: See the Recent Awards Perficient Has Won

What’s one thing you love about your job and why?

The number one thing I love about my job is the opportunity to work with such an incredibly smart and talented group of people every single day. I’m constantly learning new things just by speaking to my colleagues, and Perficient has done an excellent job of providing opportunities to learn more about team members through internal spotlights, a company-wide culture magazine, social media sharing, and more. We even have a companywide “Giving” employee resource group (ERG) that highlights and supports causes we care about and shows the impact of what we can do together as a team.

READ MORE: Read How #PerficientGives

How do you find motivation when you really need it?

I find my motivation through practicing focused gratitude and a mindset of abundance through appreciation for my specific life situation as it relates to a variety of global circumstances. If I’m feeling uninspired, I consider the blessings in my personal life, the value of my role at work, the value of the work my company does in the world, and so on to help gain perspective about the importance of my contributions. Reflecting on my privilege and the ability to make an impact always helps re-center my priorities.

What advice would you give to women just entering the channel?

The one thing I tell our new channel hires at Perficient is to be patient and give yourself and others a lot of grace as we go through our busy days. We’re heading into year three of a global pandemic, and nothing feels normal anymore! This is especially important for women to hear, because it’s easy to feel inadequate when juggling so many things in the air – work, home life, children or pets, caregiving, and so much more. Everyone is doing their best, so show kindness both to yourself and others.

READY TO GROW YOUR CAREER?

At Perficient, we continually look for ways to champion and challenge our talented workforce with interesting projects for high-profile clients, encourage personal and professional growth through training and mentoring, and celebrate our people-oriented culture and the innovative ways they serve Perficient and the community.

Learn more about what it’s like to work at Perficient at our Careers page. See open jobs or join our talent community for career tips, job openings, company updates, and more!

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