When was the last time you told a customer with an IT issue to check their parallel port cable or insert a CD-ROM into the drive? It’s probably been a while—hopefully, anyway. After all, technology lives and breathes innovation and today’s IT demands are much different than they were just a few short years ago. And today’s products and services will be obsolete tomorrow.
To keep pace, let alone stay ahead, requires the right relationships with trusted partners. Distributors have long provided that for MSPs and solution providers and have themselves transformed past their former “pick, pack and ship” roles.
Today’s distribution landscape relies heavily on being innovative and creative, according to Jessica McDowell, senior vice president, North America marketing and digital customer success, at TD SYNNEX. The company received the 2025 North America Innovative Distributor Award (accepted above by Bri Berry, strategic business manager, hyperscalers), at the GTIA Communities & Councils Forum (CCF) and Spotlight Awards. Afterwards, we asked McDowell for her thoughts on innovation and its value in business relationships. Here’s what she had to say.
What does the GTIA Innovative Distributor Award mean to you?
We are thrilled to have been recognized as GTIA’s Innovative Distributor Award this year! At TD SYNNEX, we are dedicated to empowering our partners with future-ready solutions—particularly across AI, cloud and services—that keep them ahead of the evolving IT landscape. This award is a reflection of our team’s relentless commitment to advancing technology, redefining industry standards and delivering exceptional value to our partners and the broader IT channel.
How difficult is it to stay innovative and ahead of current trends in the distribution space?
Technology moves fast, so it can definitely be difficult to keep up with the rapid pace of industry change. However, as a distributor, our central position in the technology ecosystem and strong channel relationships give us a unique perspective on what’s coming. This allows us to anticipate market shifts and enable our partners in new ways, driving innovation rather than adapting to current circumstances.
How are you staying innovative in the market?
To stay innovative, we are meeting partners where they are and delivering highly customized support. An example is our Digital Bridge initiative, which is a unique marketplace of pre-built integrations that connects partners’ existing systems directly to TD SYNNEX. It simplifies access to essential data and streamlines workflows, enabling faster, smarter operations. We’re also innovating by expanding Destination AI, our AI go-to-market initiative. This includes adding new ISVs and sales plays to drive monetization, as well as increased investment in our AI Practice Accelerator Program, which helps partners quickly build AI strategies tied to real-world use cases within their specialized industry verticals.
How are TD SYNNEX’s channel partners resonating with your innovation efforts?
Our partners prioritize innovation as much as we do and know that by working together, we can all achieve greater business outcomes. By leveraging our scale, expertise and transformative go-to-market approaches, partners have seen remarkable increases in cloud solution sales and identified faster routes to AI monetization. These results showcase how we translate innovative ideas into tangible results for our partners. We’re not just adapting to the market; we’re building an ecosystem where we all win together.
What advice do you have for other distributors to be more innovative and differentiate themselves in the market?
Innovation isn’t just about having new technology—it’s about how that technology is used. We’ve found that staying innovative starts with listening to our partners. By understanding their evolving needs, we’re able to invest in the right areas and deliver better solutions that solve for partners’ unique needs. Destination AI is a great example of this—it was developed in response to market demand and partner feedback and continuously refined through ongoing collaboration with partners. Ultimately, innovation thrives on strong relationships and shared goals. When you focus on partnership, the path to innovation becomes much clearer.
