Matt Soseman is co-founder and CTO of The Partner Masters. He provides business and technical consulting, advisory and operational support services to Microsoft Partners, helping them grow their Microsoft practice, capabilities, and integrations.
Before The Partner Masters, Matt spent over a decade at Microsoft as a Security Architect in Consulting Services, Partner Marketing, Security Engineering and Global Partner Solutions. He helped Microsoft Partners and Customers, from Global System Integrators and the Federal Government to the Department of Defense and Fortune 100 companies achieve technical excellence with Microsoft’s Cyber Security solutions.
Before Microsoft, Matt participated in industry-leading Unified Communications solutioning at BlackBerry and Sprint.
Matt lives in San Diego, CA, where he runs a popular YouTube channel focused on driving cyber security training and awareness for IT professionals in his spare time.
Jessica Lopez, the Management Director at The Partner Masters, provides consultation and advisory services. With six years of experience in the Microsoft ecosystem, Jessica worked in the Global Partner Solution (GPS) Organization, developing executive strategies, leadership communications, data curation and diversity & inclusion initiatives to support partner growth and success.
Jessica also worked within the Office 365 ISV GTM Organization, managing partners, and transforming their go-to-market material, as well as running marketing campaigns and creating go-to-market content.
Jessica is passionate about identifying new ways to scale and transform an organization. In her free time, she enjoys being outdoors and strength training.
Justin Slagle accumulated a wealth of experience during his 10.5-year tenure at Microsoft, where he made significant contributions within the Global Partner Solutions (GPS) Organization. Throughout his career, Justin engaged with a diverse set of Microsoft partners and customers, spanning from small and medium-sized businesses to mid-market and enterprise entities.
His collaborations encompassed a wide variety of partners, including global and national system integrators, independent software vendors (ISVs), licensing solution providers (LSPs), distributors, and hosters.
Justin's exceptional talent for assisting partners in expanding their Microsoft practice earned him multiple Microsoft internal awards and a reputation as one of the world's leading Partner Development Managers.
Before joining Microsoft, Justin himself was a Microsoft partner and established the IAMCP SoCal Chapter (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners) in 2009. Under his visionary leadership, the chapter flourished into the largest and most prominent chapter worldwide, a position it continues to hold to this day.
Mario Duenas is a seasoned sales professional with nearly a decade of experience working at Microsoft. He specialized in working with SMB and enterprise customers along with the Microsoft Partner channel. He has remained deeply connected with the IAMCP (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners) SoCal chapter and has built many long-lasting, mutually beneficial partnerships. With a background deeply rooted in sales and sales leadership, Mario is skilled in creating win-win opportunities.
Mario is typically the first point of contact at The Partner Masters and is always ready to provide a warm and responsive interface.
When he is not navigating the complexities of the sales environment, Mario is a dedicated family man who revels in spending quality time with his wife and their five boys.
Michelle Elston is a Partner Profitability Executive at The Partner Masters, delivering business consulting and operational support services to build and deepen partners' relationships with Microsoft. Michelle has worked within the Global Partner Solution (GPS) Organization, analyzing pipelines to identify whitespace and creating cube-connected reports as a Strategic Engagement Manager. Her role also involved developing co-sell strategies within the Partner Sales Acceleration Team.
Leveraging her strategic thinking and industry knowledge, Michelle focuses on building a solid foundation, driving revenue attribution, and optimizing partner profitability for clients.
Michelle is a self-motivated individual who strives to add value to all aspects of an organization. She enjoys being with her family, sitting on the sidelines of her kids' activities and working with a non-profit women's ministry in her free time.
Craig Van Heerden is a results-driven professional with a strong technology and project management background. In his most recent role at Microsoft, he led a team that enabled Microsoft Partner Development Managers and their Partners to achieve strategic objectives.
As a Partner Profitability Executive, Craig’s role is to guide Microsoft Partners through the wealth of information available, ensuring that
their businesses leverage all benefits, opportunities, and efficiencies while identifying new ways to drive partner pipeline.
On the weekends, you’ll find Craig on the sidelines supporting his kids at sporting events or building something in his shop.
Shawna Hronek is a Partner Profitability Executive with a demonstrated history in the Information Technology and Services industry. Strong program and project management expertise with a continual focus on process improvement and efficiency, while maintaining the highest customer success standards.
Shawna is an experienced Business Consultant with a demonstrated history of working in the management consulting industry. Skilled in Management, Technical Training, Strategic Planning, Research, and Project Management.
Shawna enjoys time with her family snowboarding and mountain biking. She also volunteers as a board member for the local youth rugby team.
Dionne Pettis is a Partner Profitability Executive who is highly accomplished and is a results-driven professional in the IT industry with a proven track record of success. Before joining the Partner Master team, Dionne held a pivotal role within the Microsoft Global Partner Solutions (GPS) Organization, where she showcased her exceptional skills and knowledge.
Her passion lies in helping partners navigate the vast Microsoft ecosystem and achieve success in their endeavors. With Dionne’s exceptional leadership skills, strategic mindset, and a relentless drive for success, Dionne is eager to share her insights and explore how she can contribute and maximize the success of the Microsoft Partner ecosystem.
Beyond her professional achievements, Dionne is a food enthusiast, avid traveler and cherishes quality time with her family. Dionne is actively involved in her community, particularly in empowering the youth to become financially literate. She believes in giving back and making a positive impact on the lives of those around her.
Shannon Proverbs is a Partner Profitability Executive at The Partner Masters, specializing in strategic partnerships, consultative sales, and business strategy. With a diverse background in the Telecommunications, Mortgage Banking, and IT staffing industries, Shannon excels in managing projects and collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver products and services that drive client growth and optimize business processes.
Her greatest strength and passion lie in fostering strong relationships with business partners, uncovering innovative solutions, and implementing effective strategies to fuel their growth and success.
As a naturally curious and lifelong learner, Shannon constantly seeks opportunities to develop new skills and explore diverse topics. When not immersed in work, she finds joy in spending quality time at home with her two magical cats or embarking on exciting adventures through international travel or a captivating book.
Nick Blackman is an Architect at The Partner Masters helping to empower Microsoft Partners through technical excellence. He has worked in Information Technology for over 17 years, and most recently served as a Senior Cloud Solutions Architect for Microsoft Corporation. Nick's primary role was centered around working with Microsoft Partners, and to help Microsoft partners to build solutions for their customers, with a direct focus on securing the enterprise environment. Nick is a lifelong learner with a strong passion for Information Security and Technology.
Brittney Saultman joins The Partner Masters with over 14 years’ experience in training & development, organizational behavior and project management. In addition, Brittney spent over 2 years working within Microsoft’s Global Partner Solutions (GPS) Organization, where she worked closely with partners, Microsoft Partner Development Managers and Microsoft Channel Sales Executives. Her time with Microsoft has given her extensive knowledge of Microsoft’s vast ecosystem. Brittney is the gold standard for creating meaningful, impactful, and trusting partnerships with Microsoft and partner stakeholders. During her time at Microsoft, she helped shape the Co-sell program into what it’s become. Now as she jumps into a brand-new adventure with The Partner Masters, she is excited to use that knowledge to help contribute, mentor, lead and trail blaze her partners way to a successful Microsoft partnership.
Brittney considers herself a busy body. When she isn’t driving partners to maximize successful Microsoft partnerships, she is an avid outdoorsmen and sports enthusiast. On the weekends, she enjoys a wide variety of hobbies with her husband and three children.
Angie brings over 20 years of software industry experience to The Partner Masters as a program management and learning professional. She has vast experience with the Microsoft Solutions and has worked closely with the Partner, Customer, and MVP audiences to help them be successful. Angie spent most of those years as a part of Microsoft in the MS Learning space and most recently led the Qualified Referral Program as part of the US Small & Medium Business (SMB) Channel Sales team. She worked very closely with the Channel Sales Managers helping Partners be successful with sales referrals, applying for funding, and navigating the Microsoft ecosystem to assist their unmanaged customers. As a Partner Profitability Executive at The Partner Masters, Angie plans to help Partners be successful in those same areas, along with striving to help them succeed in optimizing their Microsoft Partnership by providing guidance and removing obstacles.
She has a passion for helping others, is a strong collaborator, and has built many great relationships with Partners throughout her years at Microsoft. Angie is from the Midwest, and when she’s not working, she enjoys watching her kids play sports, walks with the family dog, time with family and friends, and relaxing summer weekends at the lakes.
Mike Karban is an Architect at The Partner Masters helping Microsoft partners build and expand their Dynamics 365 CE and Power Platform practices. He has worked in Information Technology for over 25 years and spent the last 7 years at Microsoft working with partners as a Cloud Solutions Architect, Partner Technology Strategist, and Partner Marketing Advisor. Prior to Microsoft, Mike spent 4 years at a Microsoft partner and can relate to many of the pain points that partners feel today. He has a passion for technology and loves creating Power BI reports and Power Automate flows, for both business and personal use.
Mike lives in downtown San Diego, CA, where he and Jennifer love walking everywhere throughout the year and enjoy rarely needing to drive. When not out and about, Mike likes staying up to date on the latest gadgets and technology.
Michelle joins The Partner Master team, bringing with her over 17 years of experience in marketing, brand management, and graphic design. Most recently, Michelle has worked with Microsoft's Global Partner Solutions (GPS) and was part of a worldwide Microsoft Alliance Marketing team, where she collaborated closely with the global partner development manager, regional (PDMs), partner marketing director, and senior product manager. In supporting worldwide events and marketing campaigns, Michelle understands firsthand the challenges involved in nurturing SQLs into opportunities. She is passionate about building strong relationships and believes that a positive relationship is the key to success. Ronald Reagan once said, "There is no limit to the amount of good you can do if you don't care who gets the credit."
Michelle has a strong passion for health and fitness. She spends her free time training for races and working hard to achieve a new personal record in the gym. Apart from this, Michelle also supports her very competitive family on the college wrestling mat, rugby pitch, and competitive dance stage.
Meghan Desmul is a seasoned professional in the field of corporate training and program facilitation, with over 13 years of experience. As a Partner Profitability Executive at The Partner Masters, Meghan brings her expertise in critical thinking and strategic planning to help businesses drive profitability and success.
Prior to joining The Partner Masters, Meghan honed her skills at Microsoft, where she worked in an executive office. Her experience there has provided her with a deep understanding of the intricacies of the industry and a strong foundation in problem-solving and innovation.
With her extensive corporate training background, program facilitation expertise, and a passion for helping businesses thrive, Meghan is a valuable asset to The Partner Masters and an inspiration to those around her.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Meghan leads a vibrant and active lifestyle. She cherishes her time spent with her three energetic dogs. Additionally, Meghan is passionate about fitness and wellness, and she enjoys working out, nutrition coaching, and teaching fitness classes. Through her dedication to personal health and wellness, Meghan embodies the principles she instills in her professional life – discipline, perseverance, and a commitment to continuous improvement.
Jenna Semaan is an Operations and Sales Specialist at The Partner Masters and graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Political Science. Before her transition into the tech industry, Jenna’s educational career had a legal focus. She interned at the Orange County District Attorney’s office and became the youngest recipient of a challenge coin from the Appellate and Training Unit for her assistance on a homicide case. She then studied for the LSAT exam and attended law school before making her career change. Jenna is not only excited to be joining such an amazing team but she’s also eager to utilize her analytical skills to help her succeed in her new role.
In her free time, Jenna loves traveling, trying new restaurants or coffee shops, hiking, painting, and spending time with her friends and family. She also has a miniature schnauzer named Trevor that she enjoys taking on walks around the neighborhood.
