Microsoft partnerships — no assembly required.

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.

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.

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.

Alex Franco is a dedicated technical sales leader with nearly 10 years of experience in the technology industry. He brings exceptional interpersonal skills and a passion for teaching and developing others, driving customer satisfaction, technological adoption, and revenue growth within Microsoft’s ecosystem. Alex combines technical expertise in cloud solutions with outstanding sales and customer service skills to exceed targets and support digital transformation. He excels in building strong relationships and driving successful collaborations. Before joining TPM, Alex had previous experience within Microsoft and continues to apply the valuable growth mindset methodology.

In his spare time, Alex enjoys discovering new restaurants and breweries. He also loves the outdoors, whether it's relaxing in a park, enjoying the beachfront, or any other outdoor activity.

Diego Rodriguez is a Partner Sales Executive at The Partner Masters, bringing over a decade of expertise in sales and marketing. Known for his innovative approach, Diego excels at building and nurturing strong business relationships. He has a keen ability to identify challenges and craft tailored solutions for each client's unique needs.

In his free time, Diego loves spending quality moments with his beautiful wife and two young daughters. He enjoys fishing, baseball, golf, and exploring new destinations across the United States.

Garret Little is a Partner Profitability Executive at The Partner Masters, delivering business consulting and strategic planning to help businesses drive profitability and success with Microsoft. With over 10+ years in various technical industries, Garrets’ unique engineering background can provide a deeper understanding of technical solutions and their impact on business outcomes. In his more recent roles, he provided pathways for multiple innovative technical solutions, optimized existing processes to be more efficient while maintaining the quality of support that was expected. As he moves into this adventure, he will use his analytical mind to help contribute, mentor, and lead his partners to a new and more profitable Microsoft partnership.

Away from continually learning and working with partners, Garret maximizes his time outside of work, he currently runs an animal rescue, coaches varsity softball at his alma mater, and spending time with family and friends.

Jenny Burgdorf is a Partner Profitability Executive at The Partner Masters, delivering business consulting and strategic planning to help businesses drive profitability and success with Microsoft. With over 17+ years in the tech industry, Jenny has worked within the Global Partner Solution (GPS) Organization where she worked closely with partners, Microsoft Partner Development Managers and Microsoft Channel Sales Executives. She helped support partner growth and success by identifying new ways to drive partner pipeline. In her most recent role at a large Microsoft partner company, she helped build and manage the company's entire Microsoft Practice. Her extensive background in project management allows her to strive in the ever evolving ecosystem of Microsoft.

In her free time, Jenny and her family enjoy the outdoors of beautiful Colorado. Finding new hiking spots, bike riding through the many mountain trails and relaxing at a local brewery are a few things on the typical weekend agenda.

Sarah joins The Partner Masters with over 15 years of experience in media, sports, marketing, and project management. Most recently, she worked with Microsoft and their global partners across diverse solution areas, driving end-to-end content projects and collaborating closely with a creative services design team. Sarah prides herself on her ability to build strong relationships, streamline processes, and find organizational solutions to make life easier.

Outside of work, you can find Sarah searching for her next vintage treasure, reading about her favorite architect Julia Morgan, and catching up on the latest TV shows. She contributes to the community by volunteering as a board member at her local botanical conservatory and serving as a historic preservation commissioner. She also enjoys hiking, especially near the water, and exploring places with unique architecture.

Caleigh is thrilled to serve as a Partner Profitability Executive at TPM. With a diverse career spanning higher education, communications, strategic planning, process architecture, training facilitation, and systems integration, Caleigh is a creative problem solver for growing businesses.

Her aim is to simplify complex systems and plans into manageable actions that drive success. There is no goal too lofty or challenge too great that we can’t tackle together!

You can find Caleigh enjoying the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Virginia with her family. She loves reading, staying active, and the arts in all forms.

Lindsey Gray joins The Partner Masters as a Partner Profitability Executive, bringing 10+ years of experience in the technology industry as a partner alliance manager, account executive, and sales optimization. She has a strong background in leading cross-functional teams by delivering strategic design, service innovation and partner enablement. As a pervious Microsoft partner account manager, she has successfully developed and scaled multiple Microsoft partner ecosystems from the ground up.

At The Partner Masters, Lindsey is focused on driving growth and maximizing value for Microsoft partners by providing strategic guidance, optimizing partner incentives, and enhancing sales performance. Her commitment to fostering collaborative and growth-oriented environments make her a key asset in helping partners unlock new levels of profitability and success.

Born and raised in the steel city of Pittsburgh, PA she is very much a part of the Yinzer nation. When Lindsey is not working, she enjoys spending time with friends and family, golfing, skiing, boating on the river and watching Pittsburgh sports.

Archie Nair is a dedicated and accomplished professional in the IT industry with an energetic passion for building and nurturing win-win relationships. Her ability to blend strategic thinking with practical execution has been a key factor in her success.

With hands-on Microsoft Partner experience as the Microsoft Alliance Lead in her previous role at a large national MSP, Archie has gained a comprehensive understanding of the Microsoft ecosystem, the business challenges that partners face, as well as partner opportunities to drive significant Microsoft presence and growth through innovation. Now, in her role as Partner Profitability Executive at TPM, she is excited to bring value to her partners by leveraging her expertise to empower them to master partnering with Microsoft.

Outside of work, her family and dogs are her world. She is a student of life, enjoys jiujutsu, reading, philanthropy, and spending time on the golf course. She is a Women’s Empowerment Advocate who loves to inspire and uplift women through Martial Arts.

Jake Rahner is Partner Profitability Executive with a wealth of experience in integrated marketing and enablement. With a strong background in strategic alliances and a proven track record in driving partner success, he is dedicated to helping Microsoft partners achieve their business goals.

His professional journey includes significant roles such as Director of Alliance Solution Marketing at Neudesic, an IBM company, where he led the Microsoft GTM and enablement motions for the App Innovation and Integrations consulting practices. Under his leadership, Neudesic was named the 2023 Worldwide Microsoft Partner of the Year for Migration to Azure.

Outside of work, Jake enjoys staying updated with the latest industry trends and innovations. His interests include high-performance driving education, music composition and production, mountain bike racing, international travel, alpine backpacking, and snowboarding.

Kevin joined us after working over 13 years for Microsoft where he brings a wealth of customer consulting and Microsoft partner experience. His first five years were working in Microsoft Consulting Services for large commercial companies as well as various US Federal Government three letter agencies and US military branches. He then joined the Microsoft Global Partner Services (GPS) organization where he worked with hundreds of small to enterprise Microsoft Partners in the System Integrator (SI) and Independent Software Vendor (ISV) space. Kevin worked for several years at the later part of his Microsoft tenure as the director for a team of Modern Work and Security architects across North and South America where they focused on growing Microsoft partner businesses.

While Kevin has a deep understanding of Microsoft, he also brings years of experience working for companies such as Hewlett-Packard and Verizon in various consulting, engineering, and leadership roles. Kevin holds a undergraduate and two Masters degrees in the Communications and Cybersecurity industries, both of which are large passion areas for him.

As a partner in the company and as the Executive Vice President, Kevin is building a new division of The Partner Masters called The Tech Mavericks. This division is designed to never compete with our partners, but to rather provide services and capabilities that Microsoft Partners do not offer. This is a unique opportunity for Microsoft Partners to drive additional business growth with little to no investment using a partner with an already established and trusted relationship. Kevin is highly motivated to use his various skillsets and experiences to drive partner profitability and to exceed customer expectations with this new division.

Brendan has over 20 years of Microsoft software consulting services experience working with enterprise, midmarket and even small businesses across a broad range of industries that include manufacturing, healthcare, financial services and public sector organizations. He is particularly passionate about helping customer think through the “why” before investing and implementing the latest technologies.

During his time identifying business transformation opportunities with customers he has also spend much of this time working with partners to navigate the multi-layer engagement model where communication and expectation management is critical to ensuring project success across all players (i.e., customer, partner, vendors, etc.)

Brendan enjoys traveling abroad and ideally in parts of the world that have iconic or new wine regions of the world where he can add to his growing wine collection. When not traveling he likes to play golf, ride his Peloton and start his day with an early morning walk!

Before joining The Partner Masters, Brendan himself was a Partner Masters customer and even helped Justin establish the IAMCP SoCal Chapter (International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners) in 2009.

Reza Palizban brings over two decades of leadership experience to his role, having held positions as a Management Consultant, CIO, and C-level executive. In 2015, Reza transitioned to the tech industry, joining WorldEdge Technology as an Executive Partner.

Throughout his career, Reza has developed a deep expertise in Microsoft technologies, particularly in Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) services, Zero Trust Cybersecurity, and Generative AI. His advocacy for Passwordless Authentication and his thought leadership in helping business with secure AI transformation have made him a respected voice in the tech community. Reza has actively contributed to the International Association of Microsoft Channel Partners (IAMCP), holding leadership roles and promoting online safety as a signatory of the Cybersecurity Tech Accord.

In 2019, Reza co-founded AEGIS INNOVATORS. This California-based company specialized in cybersecurity, helping businesses across the United States resolve IT challenges and make pivotal technology decisions. Under Reza's guidance, AEGIS INNOVATORS became known for its expertise in the Zero Trust cybersecurity framework, leveraging tools like Microsoft 365, the Azure platform, and Azure Virtual Desktop to modernize IT and security infrastructures.

In March 2025, AEGIS INNOVATORS merged into The Tech Mavericks, a division of The Partner Masters. Currently, Reza serves as the Business Development Director at The Tech Mavericks. The Tech Mavericks specialize in delivering top-tier consulting services, empowering partners with end-to-end Microsoft solutions, driving customer opportunities, and scaling services for demand peaks.

Ashok Patel is the Director of Technical Services at The Tech Mavericks, where he provides consultation and advisory services. With over 30 years of experience in the technology sector, Ashok has served as an MIS Manager and Director for various health care organizations. He purchased a Computer Troubleshooters franchise in 2006, which later became Aegis Innovators.

Before joining The Tech Mavericks, he co-founded Aegis Innovators and helped Microsoft Partners grow their MS365 E5 Licensing Revenue3. His expertise includes Zero-Trust Security, Microsoft technologies, and managed services.

At The Tech Mavericks, Ashok's mission is to enable organizations to run efficiently and securely with Zero-Trust Security packages, leveraging the latest Microsoft technologies and best practices. His core competencies include Zero-Trust Framework, DCAS, Intune/Autopilot, MIP, "Smart" MFA, Azure Virtual Desktop, Disaster Recovery, Network Security, and Managed Services3.

Away from work he enjoys spending time with family and friends and is an avid movie buff.

Rich is a seasoned technology consultant with over 20 years of experience working with Fortune 100 companies in the technology, entertainment, and healthcare industries. A U.S. Army veteran with a background in counterintelligence, Rich brings a unique combination of strategic problem-solving, technical excellence, and leadership to his work in cloud security and IT operations.

Currently serving as a Cloud Security Engineer, Rich specializes in cloud security, virtualization, and enterprise infrastructure. He has played a pivotal role in securing cloud environments, implementing Zero Trust security frameworks, and deploying Microsoft 365 security solutions. His expertise extends to Microsoft Azure, VMware and hybrid cloud environments, helping organizations optimize their technology investments while ensuring robust security and compliance.

Driven by his core values—work hard and do the right thing—Rich is committed to delivering innovative, secure, and scalable technology solutions that empower businesses to thrive in an evolving digital landscape. Rich lives in the South Bay with his wife and son and on the weekends, he can be found playing beach volleyball or out walking the many trails of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.