Published annually by CRN, the Women of the Channel and Power 100 lists highlight “women whose channel expertise and vision are deserving of recognition.” CRN recently named twenty-seven Dell EMC channel leaders to its Women of the Channel 2018 list. In addition, five Dell EMC executives—Joyce Mullen, Cheryl Cook, Julie Christiansen, Sheri Hedlund and Mary Catherine Wilson—were also selected for CRN’s Power 100 list. Through this blog series, we hope to give you a chance to get to know the inspiring women of the Dell EMC Partner Program.

Meet Joyce Mullen – President, Global Channel, OEM & IoT, Dell EMC

What is your current role/area of responsibility, and how long have you worked with the channel partner community?

I have the incredible honor of leading the highly talented Global Channel, OEM and Internet of Things (IoT) team. I’ve been in this role for approximately eight months, but have been working closely with channel partners for seven years.

What are your goals for your company’s channel business over the next year?

We’ve set a number of goals around financial performance, partner satisfaction and growth, but they all boil down to three things:

1. Further deliver on our promise of Simple. Predictable. Profitable.^TM Make it easier for partners to do more business with us.
2. Drive profitable growth. Fast-track partners’ ability to deliver transformational solutions. Expand storage and services. Capitalize on emerging trends like IoT, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
3. Be the world’s best channel team in the eyes of our partners.

Outside of your family, please name a woman you admire and why?

I admire Angela Merkel for her amazing leadership during social and economic challenges. Merkel has been a longtime leader of German economic expansion and has guided her country out of a recession in her time as Chancellor. The way she has steered the highly contentious, but humane treatment of refugees is truly commendable. While recent months have been difficult, Merkel continues to collaborate and compromise in the interest of her citizens.

What advice would you give to other women in the industry? Or men?

Every single person you meet teaches you something. Be a sponge. Learn from everyone. Leverage the knowledge and talents of those around you. It’s been almost 20 years since I managed a Cummins Engineering manufacturing plant, but there is still one person who really stands out to me. This team member couldn’t read or write, but he was the smartest person in the plant. Capability isn’t all based on education or title, it’s about what you’ve learned from the people around you.

Please share some words to live by that have helped you throughout your career.

Early in my career, someone told me to “hire people that are smarter than you.” It was valuable advice. I’ve learned to hire great talent and tap my resources.

What do you do for fun outside of Dell EMC?

I love to travel, hike, ski, cook, and find new wines to taste with my husband and four kids, who are now grown and dispersed across the country.

Joyce, her husband Todd, and their four children enjoy hiking along the Greenbelt in Austin.