ConnectWise has announced the appointment of Angus Robertson as its new chief marketing officer. With his extensive experience in the IT industry and deep understanding of the MSP community, Robertson is poised to drive ConnectWise's marketing efforts to new heights.

ConnectWise is pioneering the development of the first purpose-built platform for MSPs. As the company continues to innovate and evolve, Robertson's appointment comes at a crucial time to further strengthen ConnectWise's position as the go-to software provider for MSPs worldwide.

Robertson is a highly accomplished professional with more than 20 years of experience building and leading exceptional marketing and sales teams for public, VC and PE global tech companies and SaaS startups. As a partner at fractional CMO firm Chief Outsiders, he successfully led go-to-market strategy for businesses of all sizes, utilizing metrics like LTV: CAC and sales velocity to drive decision making and profitable growth.

"I am thrilled to join ConnectWise and contribute to the growth and success of the MSP community," Robertson said. "ConnectWise has always been at the forefront of empowering MSPs with innovative solutions and I am excited to be part of this journey. Together, we will continue to revolutionize the industry and provide unparalleled support to our partners."

One of the key reasons Robertson signed onto ConnectWise is his unwavering passion for the MSP community. Throughout Robertson's career, including his stint as Axcient CRO and as an instructor for CompTIA, he has demonstrated a genuine commitment to understanding the unique challenges faced by MSPs and has consistently advocated for their success. Robertson's deep-rooted knowledge of the industry is instrumental in shaping ConnectWise marketing strategy to better serve the needs of MSPs.

In addition to his passion for the MSP community, Robertson was drawn to ConnectWise by the exceptional people and culture that define the company. ConnectWise has fostered a collaborative and inclusive environment that encourages innovation and empowers its colleagues to make a difference by serving its partners. Robertson's alignment with these values makes him an ideal fit for the organization.

"Angus's growth-first mindset, coupled with his proven ability to deliver scalable growth, are invaluable assets for ConnectWise and our commitment to the success of the IT channel ecosystem," said Jason Magee, CEO, ConnectWise. "He possesses a unique talent for seamlessly connecting the art and science of effective marketing strategies, enabling companies to build awareness, engage audiences and drive conversions. Since assuming the role of interim CMO in September, Angus has demonstrated exceptional leadership in building a strong team focused on scaling our brand globally, including through IT Nation Connect last November. These ambitions align perfectly with our growth strategy at ConnectWise, making Angus the perfect addition to our talented leadership team."

Robertson's appointment as chief marketing officer at ConnectWise marks an exciting chapter for the company. With his strategic vision, industry knowledge and dedication to the MSP community, ConnectWise is well-positioned to lead MSP adoption of hyperautomation through software innovation in the areas of generative artificial intelligence (AI) with ConnectWise Sidekick and robotic process automation (RPA). These innovations and go-to-market support, through the ConnectWise Partner Program, further solidify ConnectWise as a leading provider for MSPs and enable continued growth for ConnectWise Partners.

In other news, Service Leadership Inc., a ConnectWise solution, has announced the release of the highly anticipated 2024 Annual IT Solution Provider Compensation Report. This report serves as the industry's leading resource for compensation data and best practices among top-performing IT solution providers (TSPs).

While TSPs balance heightened demand for IT solutions with the limited resources at their disposal, the 2024 Annual IT Solution Provider Compensation Report plays a vital role in their success by providing valuable insights into TSP specific compensation data as well as appropriate compensation structures and mutually beneficial incentive strategies.  

Unlike other compensation reports that include positions only tangentially related to the TSP business model, this 11th edition focuses exclusively on TSPs. The report has 400-plus pages of data and analysis broken down by position and experience level. The survey received record participation from all four geographic regions: Australia and New Zealand, Canada, Europe (primarily Ireland and the United Kingdom) and the United States.

In addition to its comprehensive coverage of W2 (T4 in Canada, P60 in the U.K., Income Statement in Australia and Gross Earnings in New Zealand) compensation for mre than 50 billable, sales and management positions commonly found in TSPs, the 2024 report offers valuable insights into variable incentive compensation, average bill rates and annual earnings percentage increases. The data is thoughtfully broken down by region, city tier and, where possible, by metro area. One of the unique aspects of the Service Leadership report is its ability to correlate compensation data with TSP profitability performance. This allows for an in-depth analysis of how top-performing companies differ in their compensation practices compared to lower-performing ones.

Key highlights from the 2024 compensation report include:

• Wage inflation peaked in 2022 for TSPs worldwide and has shown significant improvement since, with roughly one-third as many employees projected to receive top-level increases in 2024 as 2022.
• In 2023, top-performing TSPs provided lower compensation increases compared to the bottom quartile TSPs, indicating a difference in compensation strategies.
• Remote work remains relatively low in the TSP industry, with only 8.7% of employees working 100% remotely, while 42.8% work exclusively in the office. Most TSP employees (73%) spend at least three days or more working in the office.
• Best-in-class managed service providers (MSPs) and value-added resellers (VARs) were less likely to offer unlimited paid time off (PTO), while the bottom quartile MSPs and VARs were more likely to provide this benefit. Outside the United States, unlimited PTO remains virtually nonexistent.

Peter Kujawa, vice president and general manager of Service Leadership, expressed the immense value of the report, emphasizing its significance for any TSP aiming to maintain competitiveness in the marketplace. 

"This report is an invaluable resource that provides TSPs with the actual costs required to recruit and retain employees, which is crucial for achieving success," Kujawa said.

Additionally, Kujawa highlighted the positive trend in wage inflation, noting that after reaching its peak in 2022, there has been a consistent downward trend extending into 2024. He further explained that the projected TAE increases for 2024 are expected to be significantly lower than those of 2023. This development is seen as promising news for TSPs, as it is likely to have a positive impact on their bottom-line profitability.

To receive a complimentary executive summary and learn how to purchase a full copy of the 2024 Annual IT Solution Provider Compensation Report, please click here.