Jan-Feb 2020 - ChannelVision Magazine

CurtAllen’s Journey Continues By Gerald Baldino As Allen explained, Wind- stream’s partner program was making significant inroads during his tenure as channel chief, with the organization shifting toward in-demand solutions like SD- WAN and UCaaS. “Things were moving in the right direction, and we felt really good about our business,” Allen said. “We were outpacing the company from the standpoint of selling stra- tegic products. In fact, some of the largest customers that we sold during that period came through the channel.” Then Windstream hit a major legal snag, forcing the company to change its course and forcing Allen to start think- ing more seriously about the next phase of his life. Navigating Bankruptcy In February 2019, Windstream lost a massive court battle against hedge fund Aurelius, pulling the company into bankruptcy and forcing manage- ment to make some hard decisions regarding legacy relationships that, as Allen explained, ran counter to their objectives. “2019 became about working through all of that and trying to drive as many positive outcomes as we could,” Allen said. At this point Allen was overseeing the company’s partner channel, all of its reseller teams, and the acquisitions from American Telephone Company (ATC) and MASS Communications. A s it turns out, Windstream’s announcement was part of a restructuring plan that had been in place since Allen came on board back in 2017, when he emerged from retirement and accepted a temporary assignment as channel chief, taking over for Olen Scott. CHANNEL MANAGEMENT Windstream reshuffled its channel leadership in November, enabling longtime industry veteran Curt Allen to transition from channel chief to advisor and start a new role bringing technology solutions to the addiction and recovery space. Curt Allen 22 CHANNEL VISION | January - February, 2020