Philip Cronin (Adobe)
Philip Cronin has been appointed to run the channel across Asia Pacific (APAC) for Adobe, as the vendor bolsters its presence across the partner ecosystem.
Assuming the role of director of partner sales, ARN can reveal that Cronin will be tasked with leading regional partner engagement, including the launch of a partner reseller program across APAC.
“Philip is an experienced leader with a strong record of driving innovation, sales and the partner business,” Adobe vice president of global partners Jay Dettling said.
“As we enter this next phase of growth in APAC, partners are critical to our strategy. I’m thrilled to have Philip at the helm to lead the region into exciting new opportunities, including our reseller program.”
Cronin returns to the technology industry after leaving Intel in late 2015, exiting the tech giant after 18 years.
During his time at Intel, Cronin was most recently director of regional operations, responsible for sales spanning enterprise and channel, alongside key markets such as software, data centre, cloud, big data and the Internet of Things.
In holding the position for almost four years, Cronin was previously managing director of Australia and New Zealand (A/NZ), a role he held for 15 years following his appointment in September 1997.
Under his leadership, Intel Australia became an advisor to the government’s $100 million Smart Grid-Smart City initiative, as well as reporting 200 per cent business growth across the local market.
Most recently, Cronin was director at eClipse Innovation, a consultancy firm specialising in business and sales strategy, as well as change management, advisory and marketing programs.
“I am excited for Philip to join our team and lead the expansion of Adobe’s partner offering in APAC,” Adobe president of APAC Paul Robson added.
“Adobe partners with the best agencies, consultancies and technology providers in the region and Philip’s experience will further strengthen our engagement with partners to deliver exceptional experiences and innovation for customers.”
Inducted into the ARN Hall of Fame in 2009, Cronin also has strong pedigree in government, as an advisor to Australian and international governments, alongside serving as chairman of the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA).
In addition, Adobe has also appointed Damon Scarr into the new role of head of Ad Cloud sales for APAC, following four years leading the development and expansion of the Adobe partner business regionally.
As a result, Scarr will now take on responsibility for the enterprise sales go-to-market strategy and growth acceleration for Adobe’s Ad Cloud business across the region.
“Damon has built our successful Partner business in APAC over the past four years and led significant transformation programs for our customers,” Robson added.
“His appointment into this new role reflects the importance of our Ad Cloud focus and growth strategy across the region.”
Channelling growth
For Adobe partners, Cronin’s appointment will add much needed clarity to a somewhat chequered channel past for the software vendor, following a round of revenue changes in 2017.
Looking ahead, Cronin will look to leverage an expansive line-up of partners across the region, which includes local players such as Isobar Australia, Accordant, CHE Proximity and BizTech Enterprise Solutions.
As revealed during the recent Adobe APAC Partner Awards, held in Singapore, key Australian partners took home regional honours following 12 months of growth and customer success.
Specifically, Isobar Australia was honoured in the Customer Experience category, while Accordant claimed three awards, Cross-Channel Marketing, Programmatic Advertising and Public Sector A/NZ.
In addition, CHE Proximity walked away with Data-Driven Marketing and Multi-Solution Implementation awards, while BizTech Enterprise Solutions was recognised for expertise across Mobile Experience.
Cronin’s regional appointment comes less than three months after Suzanne Steele was appointed as managing director across A/NZ, coming on-board in late November 2017.
Joining from Experian, Steele previously led A/NZ operations as managing director, drawing on more than 25 years if experience across data, software and analytics businesses.
“Adobe A/NZ is at the forefront of a market where no industry is immune from digital disruption,” Robson said at the time. “We are focused on supporting our customers to deliver exceptional experiences, and excited by the opportunities to expand our market position and take our business to new levels.
“Suzanne brings extensive experience to our committed team; she is a customer-centric leader who understands the importance of client relationships to competitive differentiation and growth.”
