Jay McBain

Jay McBain is an accomplished speaker, author, and innovator in the IT industry, known for his future industry guidance and thought leadership. He has spent his 28-year-long career in various executive channel sales, marketing, and strategy roles within big names like IBM, Lenovo, Autotask, and ChannelEyes. Today, Jay is the Principal Analyst for Global Channels at Forrester, one of the most influential global research and advisory firms in the world. He has been recognized for his outstanding contributions to the industry, earning countless awards and accolades, including being named 2021 Channel Influencer of the Year by Channel Partners Magazine.

Jay is an expert in the future of channels, alliances, partnering ecosystems, and emerging go-to-market models. He is a recognized futurist and has been an active member of the World Future Society for years. He is also an active member of CompTIA's communities, including Vendor Advisory Council, Managed Services Community, Advancing Women in Tech, and Emerging Tech. Furthermore, he serves as a board member of Channel Partners, Channel Vanguard Council, Ziff Davis Leadership Council, and CRN Channel Intelligence Council.

Jay's educational background includes an Advanced High School Diploma, General Studies from Henry Wise Wood High School, a Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies from Louisiana State University, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Management Information Systems & Public Administration from The University of Lethbridge.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Jay is also actively involved in giving back to the community. He has served on the board of the United Way, National Cristina Organization, and Junior Achievement. Jay's blogs cover the IT industry, channel management, and some of his own life experiences. If you're interested in Jay's insights into the world of tech, you can visit his blog at https://go.forrester.com/blogs/author/jay_mcbain/.