thebiginterview
In spirit and in print
Robin van Stroe, European partner channel director for Canon Europe talks to PCR about the importance of entrepreneurial spirit for channel partnerships
M
y professional career in this industry started as an account manager for Xerox, one of Canon’s competitors.
Aſter a couple years, I was offered the opportunity to study graphical art in college to become a colour specialist. In the company’s own words, ‘to be successful in selling a product, you need to know what goes into it’. Tis experience has shaped my career going forward and is still something I believe to be true to this day. From there, I was promoted to sales manager
and given the chance to build my own graphical art team in the Central and Eastern part of Te Netherlands branch. Aſter almost 10 years at Xerox, I was recruited
by Canon as a business development manager to further strengthen the Canon Business Centre franchise formula. Aſter two years, I decided to venture back into the professional print side of the industry. I took on the exciting task of building and leading the team almost from scratch. I did this whilst simultaneously serving as a Canon Netherlands sales manager, which helped me to further develop my skills in sales leadership. Late 2008, I became a part of Canon Netherlands’ management
team, where I had the chance to contribute to the company’s strategic direction. However, the most significant change came in January 2010 when Canon underwent a major restructuring program. Tis initiative aimed to combine the consumer and B2B sectors, with a particular focus on the partner side of our business. As a result, a dedicated partner and distribution channel division
16 | July/August 2023
was established, which helped to shape my career path within Canon. Te same year, Canon acquired Océ, which was
Europe’s biggest print manufacturer at the time. A merger between Canon and Océ happened a couple of years later in 2012 and the new organisation tripled the number of employees. I stayed as a member of the board and continued leading the partner channel. During the summer of 2016, I was offered
the opportunity to become the European Partner Channel Director for Canon Europe, a position I still hold to this day. Since November 2016, I have had the privilege of leading a large partner community, spanning over a thousand
partners across 25 countries. It is a role that continues to challenge and inspire me, as I strive to drive for growth and foster strong partnerships within the European market.
What motivates you professionally? I really enjoy going to visit partners and having the opportunity to cultivate strong connections that help build trust. Working closely with channel entrepreneurs allows me to view our business through their eyes and I’m constantly surrounded by entrepreneurial spirit, thanks to our partners’ new ideas and ways of thinking. Recognising that our partner’s success is intrinsically tied to our own, I am driven to uncover what added value we can offer them. Tis way I can better understand their aspirations and work towards mutual success, which is key to a successful partnership.
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