Sid Desai

Principal Partner Manager, Strategic Alliances

LinkedIn

About

Channel-centric sales professional with 19+ years building and scaling partner ecosystems that drive revenue growth across SaaS, cloud, and cybersecurity solutions. Expert at applying first principles thinking to identify, recruit, and enable technology partners, MSPs, systems integrators, and distributors. Proven track record expanding channel programs across ASEAN and EMEA markets, delivering measurable partner ROI through consultative enablement, co-sell strategies, and data-driven GTM execution.

Work Experience

Founder & Hospitality Entrepreneur

SidsBnb LLC

Feb 2012 - Present

Austin, TX/San Francisco, CA

  • Founded and scaled a boutique hospitality business, generating over $505K in revenue by hosting 860+ international guests across 6,000+ nights, demonstrating strong entrepreneurial drive and operational expertise.
  • Achieved a top 5% global ranking for Airbnb listings through strategic pricing, exceptional operational management, and a relentless focus on customer satisfaction.
  • Recognized as a top operator and invited by Airbnb HQ to advise on best practices for host programs and customer engagement strategies.

Channel Development Manager

Malwarebytes Inc.

Jan 2023 - Dec 2023

San Francisco, CA

  • Recruited and onboarded ASEAN MSPs (SG/MY/TH) with a 30-60-90 enablement cadence, accelerating time-to-first-sale and lifting partner-sourced pipeline.
  • Formulated and presented the GTM expansion plan to executive leadership, securing buy-in for strategic partner investments in key territories and verticals.
  • Partnered with product teams to develop features based on partner feedback, reducing sales objections by 40% and deepening channel engagement.

Advisor, GTM & Channel Strategy (Reporting to CEO)

Hazu Technologies GmbH

Sep 2020 - Dec 2021

Zurich, Switzerland

  • Architected the go-to-market strategy to penetrate a $500K SMB market segment, aligning executive vision with a partner-led execution plan.
  • Designed and launched the company's first scalable channel program, creating the "Certified Hazu Reseller Ecosystem" platform to automate partner recruitment, onboarding, and management.
  • Revamped licensing models, streamlining sales operations and increasing channel profitability by 30% immediately.

Senior Account Executive / Channel Manager

Cisco Meraki

Feb 2012 - Mar 2017

San Francisco, CA

  • Consistently exceeded quota, delivering an annual average of 137% ($2.97M booked against a $2.16M target) in FY15.
  • Speaker at SKO within the first quarter of joining and featured in the first Cisco-Meraki Newsletter for a $1M+ Cisco-Meraki collaboration deal, underlining early success.
  • Increased DMR (CDW and SHI) sales volume by an average of 20% through targeted channel enablement and strategic alignment.
  • Earned a promotion from the U.S. to APJ to assist with the company's strategic expansion in the ASEAN market, and mentored 4 colleagues who advanced to Director/VP roles.

Consumer Solutions Senior Advisor (D2C Launch)

Dell Inc.

Oct 2011 - Feb 2012

Mountain View, CA

  • Led business development for the new D2C SaaS offering, identifying and creating a pipeline of strategic partners.
  • Orchestrated GTM strategy with the segment GM and KACE CEO for a successful service launch.
  • Led cross-functional response to address critical roadblocks, providing real-time analysis and solutions during a challenging product launch.

KACE Sales Evangelist

Dell KACE EMEA

Jul 2010 - Oct 2011

Dublin, Ireland

  • Expat assignment and quota-carrying role, driving KACE revenue growth by 466% YoY ($262,500 to $1,223,250) and securing major accounts such as Toyota, Volkswagen, Allianz Group, and Fujitsu.
  • Built the sales infrastructure for market dominance by scaling the team from 4 to 34 members in one year.
  • Accelerated growth across key territories (Nordics, France, Germany, and Spain) by building enterprise pursuit playbooks for repeatable and scalable execution.

Account Executive

KACE Networks Inc. (Acquired by Dell)

Mar 2009 - Jul 2010

Austin, TX

  • Achieved “Rookie of the Year 2009”, Top AE for Q3 2009, Top AE for Q1 2010, and induction into the “Founder's Klub” in 2009 and 2010, highlighting exceptional sales performance and rapid rise within the company.
  • Inherited an underperforming territory and achieved 262% YoY growth, showcasing the ability to drive revenue growth and transform sales territories effectively.
  • Expanded sales company-wide by deepening partnerships with Dell, CDW, and SHI.

Small/Medium Business Account Manager

Dell Inc.

Nov 2005 - Dec 2008

Austin, TX

  • Consistently exceeded quarterly sales quotas by an average of 222% for eight consecutive quarters.
  • Awarded "Top Acquisition Sales Representative for Q4FY08" and "Top Transactional Sales Rep for Q3FY07".
  • Coached and mentored new sales representatives, leveraging deep product and sales expertise to enhance team performance.
  • Selected by senior management to serve as a key User Acceptance Testing (UAT) team member for the global Salesforce integration, shaping critical sales workflows to align with company strategy.

Education

Management & Marketing

University of Houston, Bauer College of Business

3.3/4.0

Sep 2001 - May 2005

Courses

  • Psychology of Personality
  • International Cross-Cultural Negotiation

Awards

Dean's List

University of Houston, Bauer College of Business

May 2005

Recognized for outstanding academic achievement.

Languages

English

Skills

Strategic Partner Recruitment and Enablement

Sales Process, Forecasting & CRM

Partner Analytics & Performance

Partner Program Design & Operations

Alliances & Co-Sell Governance (Deal Reg, QBR, MDF)

Channel Strategy & Ecosystem Development (MSP/VAR/SI/Distributors)

Deal Shaping & Execution