Autodesk Executives Steve Blum and Bill Griffin Named CRN 2011 Channel Chiefs

SAN RAFAEL, Calif - Autodesk, Inc announced that Steve Blum, senior vice president of Worldwide Sales and Services, and Bill Griffin, vice president of Americas channel sales, have been named CRN Channel Chiefs for 2011 by CRN Magazine. Blum and Griffin were selected as Channel Chiefs for their work over the past year to simplify the Autodesk Partner Program and provide the best resources and solutions to the company’s resellers and customers. 2011 is the third consecutive year that Autodesk executives have been selected as Channel Chiefs.

“Autodesk began working with reseller partners from the start, more than 28 years ago. It really is embedded in our corporate DNA, and we continue to work hard at developing a program that surpasses the needs of our partners, providing the tools, training and resources they need to be successful and continue to grow,” said Blum.

Blum was recently named Autodesk’s senior vice president of Worldwide Sales and Services, and as part of that new role, he will seek to implement many of the successful programs he piloted in the Americas, now on a worldwide scale.

“In the Americas, we have seen incredible success with enhanced deal registration, customer satisfaction and product development programs. As the new worldwide sales lead, I look forward to expanding those programs to help all of our partners, in every region of the world, continue to grow and be successful,” added Blum.

Channel partners are the primary means for delivering 3D design, engineering and entertainment software to customers across multiple industries, including architecture, engineering and construction; manufacturing; automotive; utilities; telecommunications and government; and gaming, TV and film. This year, Blum and Griffin led the effort in an overall revamp and simplification of the Autodesk Partner Program, the most innovative initiative of 2010. By simplifying the authorization process, shifting the focus of partners from products to solutions and services, and simplifying the partner tiering system, Blum and Griffin significantly increased the capacity and capability of the Autodesk partner network in the Americas and contributed to the company’s continuing overall quarter-over-quarter growth.

“Strong relationships with our partners have been a key component in the success of the Autodesk Partner Program,” said Griffin. “We work closely with our partners on a daily basis, becoming trusted advisers who provide valuable counsel on business and marketing plans, infrastructure support and other business matters. Such symbiotic relationships are what help us continue to evolve our program based on partner needs, while also encouraging partners to be creative and grow their businesses.”

This is the ninth consecutive year CRN has developed the Channel Chief list. Top Channel Chiefs were chosen based on policy and program innovations made during 2010, the amount of revenue generated through partners, their willingness to speak out publicly on behalf of the channel and the number of years they have dedicated to channel activities.