Heather Harlos has spent her career helping technology companies build partner programmes that actually work—not just on paper, but in the real world.

In this episode of The Channel Zone Podcast, Mark Edwards sits down with Heather, Global VP of Programs & Enablement at Coro, to explore what it really takes to create successful partner ecosystems in today's rapidly changing technology landscape.

The conversation covers the evolution of MSPs, the growing challenge of supporting lean IT teams, and why simplicity has become one of the biggest competitive advantages in cybersecurity. Heather also shares her views on partner enablement, explaining why traditional training no longer fits today's channel and why modern enablement must be shorter, role-based and built around customer outcomes rather than information overload.

They also discuss channel events, relationship building, creative marketing, and why the companies that stand out are often the ones willing to be different.

Away from technology, Heather talks about her lifelong passion for horses and explains how lessons learned in the equestrian world—resilience, communication, emotional control and trust—have shaped her leadership style throughout her career.

Whether you're a vendor, distributor, MSP, reseller or anyone involved in partner sales and enablement, this episode is packed with practical insights and refreshing perspectives from one of the channel's most respected leaders.