The annual award honors IT executives for strengthening channel ecosystems and guiding partners.
Lenovo announced that Pascal Bourguet, COO of International Markets and Global channel chief, and Rob Cato, vice president and North America channel chief, have been named to the 2025 CRN Channel Chiefs list. The prestigious list recognizes the IT vendor and distribution executives who are driving strategy and setting the channel agenda for their companies.
Bourguet and Cato were also named among the 50 Most Influential channel chiefs, an elite subset that honors IT vendor and distribution executives who steer innovative strategies and advance channel results.
Pascal Bourguet, Lenovo global channel chief and chief operations officer for International Markets
Leading Lenovo’s global go-to-market strategy for its channel business, Bourguet has been instrumental in advancing Lenovo’s channel strategy, driving innovation and growth for partners worldwide. Over the past year, he led the expansion of Lenovo’s partner certifications and accreditations, with more than 10,000 new accreditations and more than 42,000 active certifications—66% of which hailed from non-PC solutions—empowering partners with specialization and differentiation.
Under his leadership, the expansion of Lenovo 360 Circle, Lenovo’s sustainability-focused community for partners, grew to more than 400 active partners, the organization’s first partner sustainability summit, and earning CRN’s Best Value Chain Initiative award.
Additionally, Bourguet and team announced new tailored pathways for partners and launched “Lenovo 360 for MSPs”, opening new routes to market and equipping managed service providers with enhanced opportunities to grow their business with Lenovo.
Rob Cato, vice president and North America channel chief
Driving the Lenovo 360 vision in North America, Cato is responsible for leading the region’s channel business, supporting and driving success for partners across all Lenovo business units.
Over the past year, he led and supported the transformation of the North America Channel Sales team, helping expand and strengthen the company’s relationships and notably driving growth in the data center and services businesses. Through his efforts, Lenovo North America has more partners selling across the portfolio, with over 60% of all certifications being non-PC focused.
Under Cato’s stewardship, Lenovo North America has been a leader in the Managed Services Provider route to market, helping shape the recently announced global pathway “Lenovo 360 for MSPs.”
“Pascal and Rob have been relentless in driving innovation and expanding opportunities for our partners across the globe, ensuring they have the tools, expertise, and flexibility needed to thrive in an evolving market,” said Matt Zielinski, executive vice president and president of International Markets, Lenovo. “Their leadership, combined with a best-in-class team, continues to strengthen our channel ecosystem, providing partners with new avenues for growth, specialization, and long-term success.”
CRN’s 2025 Channel Chiefs and 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs lists will be featured in the Feb 2025 print issue of CRN Magazine and online beginning Feb 3 at CRN.com/ChannelChiefs.
For more information, visit lenovo.com.
