SAS Institute SA announces key appointment for channel

SAS Institute, the leader in business analytics software and services, has announced the appointment of Mabel Pooe as a Partner Development Executive within its South African office.

The appointment forms part of a strategic move by the company to grow and develop its partner channel and partner eco-system, with particular reference to client services and engagement.

It is with this that Pooe will be responsible for managing various SAS Alliance Partners, including Global and Regional System Integrators, Technology and Application partners, as well as its traditional Hosting, Reseller and Consulting Partners.

“Mabel joins us with a vast amount of experience in the ICT industry with particular reference to partnership management. She is dynamic and enthusiastic and we are confident her talent and experience will assist us in growing and strengthening new and existing alliances at SAS South Africa,” says Murray De Villiers, general manager of alliances and operations at SAS.

Mabel studied accounting, and began her career at UNISA in the finance department as a creditor's clerk. Her first taste of IT was at Business Connection, where she worked in the finance department for two years before following her passion and joining the customer service environment. She then served tenure as a sales consultant at the company, before joining Asyst Technologies as sales manager.

She later joined Microsoft West East and Central Africa, where she focused on selling solutions through partners into East Africa, focusing on Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda and Ethiopia, where she was responsible for growing the mid-market revenue for Microsoft in these countries.

She also served in the role of Distribution Operations Manager, managing 17 distributors across 43 countries in Africa. Her role encompassed training distributors on procurement systems, products and all back office operations interfacing with the parent company. Before joining SAS she also spent time at Gijima as Marketing and Channel Development Manager for the NEC Philips and Unified Communications business unit.

“SAS works through partners to fulfil the needs of its customers, making our partner strategy quintessential to the success of the business. I am looking forward to bringing my experience in partner management to the table and using it to strengthen our existing partner relationships, as well as grow new ones where the need exists,” states Pooe.

“It is my goal to grow and enhance the local SAS Alliance eco-system and to take it to new heights,” she ends.