Fourteen months after its relaunch as the Global Technology Industry Association (GTIA), the organization refined its vision. GTIA used the opening keynote at its Communities and Councils Forum (CCF) to deliver this growth strategy to its channel members. It also shared how it plans to activate the power of community to achieve it.
CEO Dan Wensley took to the stage for the keynote alongside Chief Channel Officer Nancy Hammervik, Chief Community Officer MJ Shoer, and COO Kelly Ricker. Together, they outlined a strategy focused on expanding the association’s reach, strengthening industry collaboration, and turning its growing portfolio of resources into tangible outcomes for members.
“There’s been a lot of listening, a lot of conversations, and a lot of ideas floated around,” Wensley told attendees. “We are listening. We are here to innovate, and we are here to grow.”
The growth theme ran throughout the keynote. It reflects the organization’s evolution. The 2024 sale of CompTIA’s certification business left GTIA operating solely as a trade association focused on the IT channel.
“We need to grow; we need to have more voices inside this organization,” Wensley said. “We need a larger community because the impact and power that we have shown over that period of time is resonant.”
The ‘Channel Effect’
Central to GTIA’s strategy is what Wensley described as the “Channel Effect.” This concept frames the association’s role in bringing together people, research, and shared experiences across the ecosystem.
Dan Wensley, CEO of GTIA, shares leadership’s vision with community members.
“When the right people connect with trusted resources inside the community, the entire channel advances,” he said. “This is what we’re now calling the channel effect.”
In practical terms, that means expanding the association’s research initiatives, strengthening peer collaboration programs, and increasing engagement across both solution providers and vendors.
GTIA currently represents roughly 2,500 member companies and more than 200,000 individuals globally. Leadership made clear that they see that as a starting point rather than a ceiling.
Vendors Back in the Spotlight
One notable shift outlined during the keynote is GTIA’s renewed focus on vendors and distributors as a strategic part of the community.
Hammervik introduced a new value-based vendor membership model designed to give vendors greater visibility and engagement opportunities throughout the year. Some of these include expanded branding, research access, and media exposure through GTIA’s growing content platforms.
Nancy Hammervik, chief channel officer of GTIA
The shift reflects changing dynamics in the channel ecosystem. “MSPs are expecting more from their vendor partners, and everyone is expecting more from the distribution channel,” Hammervik said.
In an exclusive interview with ChannelPro during the event, Shoer said the renewed vendor focus is also part of a broader shift. It follows GTIA’s transition to a standalone trade association.
“We are passionate about the fact that we want to grow,” he emphasized, adding that GTIA’s focus on growth doesn’t need to be from a revenue standpoint. “That gives us a very unique lens with which to focus on the membership, and doing the maximum we can to deliver impactful benefits that will help every individual advance their career and every business grow and succeed.
That new structure, he also explained, gives GTIA more freedom to concentrate on the needs of its members, collectively, than ever before.
MJ Shoer, chief community officer of GTIA
“When we were together with CompTIA, we were one trade association with two distinct businesses: the trade association and the certification and training business,” Shoer said. “Now that we’re focused entirely on the channel community, it frees us to fully focus on membership.”
New Peer and Community Initiatives
GTIA leaders also used the keynote to introduce several initiatives aimed at strengthening collaboration among service providers.
One of the most notable is the launch of PeerTrust Circles. These are small peer groups designed to help members share operational insights and hold one another accountable on business goals.
“We’ve heard feedback from you that you want to get together more frequently in smaller, more intimate groups,” Shoer said while announcing the initiative.
The circles, typically comprised around ten members, will focus on topics such as cybersecurity, vertical markets, and operational maturity. The organization is also preparing a Discord-based online community. It’s set to debut later this year, designed around member input.
“We would like an online community where we can safely and securely stay connected and engaged between meetings and events,” Shoer told ChannelPro.
Cybersecurity and Industry Standards
The growing role MSPs play in delivering cybersecurity is another major focus for the organization. During the keynote, Shoer announced a new partnership between GTIA and Texas A&M University to establish the Consortium for Responsible IT Services. This group will work to develop best practices and standards for IT service delivery and cybersecurity operations.
The consortium will bring together academic researchers, industry experts, and GTIA members to help define operational frameworks for IT service providers as cybersecurity responsibilities continue to expand. “Standards [are] the key that will advance the entire IT channel,” Shoer said.
Giving Back to the Industry
Beyond industry collaboration, GTIA leadership also highlighted the organization’s growing philanthropic initiatives.
Kelly Ricker, chief operating officer of GTIA
According to Ricker, GTIA plans to allocate $5 million in charitable giving in 2026. This more than doubles previous levels and expands programs designed to support technology education and nonprofit initiatives.
The funding will include both grantmaking programs and member-directed giving opportunities through GTIA communities and councils.
‘New’ Channel Organization Finds Its Stride
The keynote announcements combined painted a picture of an association that has largely completed its transition. It has transformed from CompTIA’s former industry community arm into an independent organization focused entirely on the channel. Both the challenge and opportunity, it seems, are turning that structure into momentum.
The initiatives unveiled during the event, from peer collaboration groups to research investments and cybersecurity standards, are all aimed at strengthening the IT channel’s connective tissue. The industry’s next phase of growth won’t just come from new technologies like AI or security platforms. Rather, the community must effectively collaborate, share knowledge, and raise the bar for professionalism across the ecosystem.
As ChannelPro’s online director and tech editor for over a decade, Matt Whitlock has spent years blending sharp tech insight with digital know-how. He brings more than 25 years’ experience working in the technology industry to his reviews, analysis, and general musings about all things gadget and gear.
Images: Matt Whitlock/The ChannelPro Network
