Collab Convo Podcast | Kevin Richards on how to build better partnerships through openness and alignment
Partnerships have never been more important in tech.
AI is reshaping the market, ecosystems are becoming more interconnected, and growth increasingly depends on organisations being able to collaborate across multiple partners, platforms, and propositions.
But while the market has evolved rapidly, many partnership models still operate with structures designed for a very different era.
That’s exactly what Coterie MD Jo Dunkley explores in our latest episode of Collab Convo, joined by Kevin Richards, Head of Partnerships UK&I at Atos.
Kevin manages relationships across hyperscalers, platform providers, technology vendors, cybersecurity partners, and emerging AI companies. His perspective is clear: the opportunity in partnerships has never been bigger, but many organisations are still struggling to adapt how they manage them.
As he puts it:
“All companies know partnerships are important, but no one quite knows how to measure them and make sure they’re effective.”
One of the most interesting parts of the conversation is Kevin’s view that the real blocker to partnership growth is often internal structure rather than technology itself.
He challenges the traditional separation between partnerships, marketing, sales, and go-to-market teams, arguing that modern ecosystem growth only happens when those functions operate as one connected commercial engine.
The conversation explores:
- Why traditional partner models are starting to break down
- What AI-native ecosystems are forcing organisations to rethink
- Why openness matters more than logos in modern partnerships
- Why human relationships still drive partnership success
Another major theme running throughout the discussion is how quickly the ecosystem landscape is changing. Kevin talks about the rise of agile AI-focused partners, more outcome-led propositions, and increasingly connected multi-partner go-to-market models.
But despite all the conversation around AI and automation, he believes the biggest differentiator in partnerships is still human relationships.
As he explains:
“Gone are the days of just partnering with one organisation. It’s now about multiple partners coming together to create true solutions.”
If you’re working in partnerships, alliances, ecosystem marketing, or go-to-market strategy, this episode is particularly relevant if your organisation is trying to modernise how it approaches ecosystem growth, AI partnerships, or multi-partner collaboration.
Especially if your operating model still looks the same as it did five years ago.
Watch the latest Collab Convo episode with Jo Dunkley and Kevin Richards now: https://youtu.be/XS_MPBv9uLw?si=TqYhktLWUqGzuoOj