OAKBROOK TERRACE, Ill. – Following a period of significant growth and strong demand for local chapters across its global community, GTIA, the vendor-neutral, nonprofit community for the IT channel, today announced an expansion of, and new investment in, its global community team to better serve members. The team will grow from six community leaders to ten. Every change is built around increased member value and engagement. Community managers will gain more ownership and responsibility in their regional community markets, and GTIA continues to expand the local chapters, regional programs, and global member resources that benefit members where they work and live.
GTIA is adding four new community roles. Alongside a new North American leadership role, it has opened searches for three positions: VP, Head of Global Community; Community Director, US; Community Manager, US.
A new global leader for community
The most senior of the new roles is Vice President, Head of Global Community. The new Global VP will lead GTIA's regional community teams and advisory council programs worldwide, own strategy and results for member engagement across every region, and serve as the face of the GTIA community and the IT channel's biggest champion.
MJ Shoer, GTIA's Chief Community Officer, will guide and support the new leadership to manage the global membership community. MJ will focus on growing GTIA programs, including the Managed Intelligence Alliance, the Consortium for Responsible IT Services, and GTIA's AI and Cyber Resource Center.
Expanded resources in North America
Jerry Koutavas brings new leadership to the region as Vice President, Head of North America & ASCII, the long-standing IT channel community now part of GTIA. Adam Proulx, who has led community growth across all of North America for eight years, will now focus on Canada, where local chapters are already thriving. Adam's years of service and excellence helped build the community GTIA members value today, and Canadian members will benefit from his full attention. Two additional community leaders in the US will join the team, taking GTIA from one community manager in North America to three.
A fully staffed team and renewed focus across EMEA & APAC
EMEA and APAC have community managers already in place, and members there will gain even more from the new global leadership and programs being rolled out. Estelle Johannes is promoted to VP, Head of EMEA and APAC Community, leading four regional community managers: Katrin Giza, Central & Eastern Europe; Alicia Shepherd, Western Europe; Ivan Chng, ASEAN; and Bec Paior, ANZ. Brianna White continues to coordinate GTIA's global community programs, connecting regional efforts to initiatives that serve members worldwide.
An organization built to grow
GTIA carries forward a long history of serving the IT channel. Today, more than 3,800 member companies and 220,000 individuals across business, technical, and leadership roles call it home.
The local chapters GTIA announced at ChannelCon have quickly gained momentum, with chapter meetings now taking place all over the world. Member demand for chapters continues to grow in every region, and the new community roles give GTIA the people to launch more chapters, support chapter leaders, and keep members connected locally.
The timing matters. AI is rewriting the rules. Security expectations keep rising. Customers look to their technology partners to make sense of it all. ITSPs need intelligence they can trust and peers who have made the same calls. GTIA is building more of both.
- Local chapters: More support for the places where relationships grow over time, from chapter leadership to meeting rhythm to member connection.
- Regional community: Community managers who know each market, build direct relationships with members, and bring member insights back to GTIA.
- Industry connection: Community managers who are active and visible in each region’s IT channel, building relationships with key players, bringing new members and local thought leaders into the community, and connecting members with regional opportunities.
- Interest groups and peer connection: More ways for members to meet peers who face the same challenges and share what works.
- Global programs: Programs coordinated across regions, so members everywhere benefit from what the whole community learns.
What leadership is saying
“Our members told us what they need: more support close to home and a stronger voice in where the industry goes next. This investment puts experienced community managers in every region and a dedicated global leader at the top, so every member has a champion in their corner and a direct line to the programs shaping the IT channel,” said Dan Wensley, CEO, GTIA.
“From the first chapter meetings to the global network we have today, our members have built something special,” said MJ Shoer, Chief Community Officer, GTIA. “This team has deep roots in every region, and I’m excited to help a new leader build on that foundation.”
All three roles come with a fully remote work environment, excellent health benefits, unlimited PTO, competitive salaries, and a strong incentive program.
Come build what's next
GTIA wants to hear from people who love the IT channel and want to make an impact on a global stage. Learn more and apply here.
GTIA. In IT Together.
About the Global Technology Industry Association
The Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA) is the only vendor-neutral, 501(c)(6) nonprofit membership community connecting and representing the worldwide IT channel. We set our members up for success by providing benefits that include trusted resources and networking opportunities. In addition, the association sets industry standards that enable companies to build sustainable, secure, and profitable businesses in an ever-changing technology landscape. With The ASCII Group, which has served North American MSPs, MSSPs and solution providers since 1984, now part of GTIA, the association's community continues to grow. Internationally, GTIA represents hundreds of thousands of professionals from nearly 4,000 ITSPs, vendors, distributors and other companies serving the IT channel.
For more information, visit gtia.org.