Tuesday, September 10, 2024 | Metro Toronto Convention Centre - South Building

AWS Partner Summit Toronto is now wrapped! Thank you to all who attended and we can't wait to see you at another Partner Summit in 2025!

Join us at the AWS Partner Summit in Toronto

The AWS Partner Summit offers content to help you accelerate your growth and differentiate your business. Come learn about AWS strategic objectives, services and programs, and how to maximize your partnership with AWS.  

If you have questions, do not hesitate to contact us at aws-partner-summit-support@amazon.com

This event is invite-only and invites are non-transferable.

What to expect

Keynote

Hear from our leaders about what we’ve accomplished with our partners.

Partner Programs

Learn how to accelerate engagement with AWS with partner resources, benefits, and programs.

Networking

Meet our teams and make new connections with your daily contacts at AWS.

Why Participate?

Our customers are at different stages of their cloud adoption journey and you are ideally placed to help them move forward with this transformation. The AWS Partner Summit offers the opportunity to hear from AWS experts on our strategic priorities: innovation or how to help our customers transform through data. Networking: come on site to meet your peers, make new connections, and develop your existing relationships with partner and sales teams.

Who is the event for?

The AWS Partner Summit is aimed at all of our partners: GSI, Consulting, Technology, and Distributors in the commercial sector. This event was designed for Sales, Marketing, Technical, and Partnership Managers as well as Practice and Delivery Managers. We encourage all levels and disciplines to participate.

Meet the speakers

Adam Chandani

CRO, OpsGuru

Chris Sullivan

Vice President of Partner Management, AMER, AWS

Eric Gales

Managing Director, Canada, AWS 

Julia Chen

Vice President, Partner Core, AWS

Kyle Lichtenberg

Chief Technologist, Worldwide Channels & Alliances, AWS

Nish Kaul

Healthcare Leader, Canada Public Sector, AWS

Rachel Skaff

Director of Partner and Channel Sales, North America, AWS

Rosie Seth

Senior Manager, Canada Partner Organization, AWS

Vincy William

Senior Director of Engineering, Alida

Agenda

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Registration and badge pick-up

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Networking Breakfast (F&B offerings)

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Welcome Message & Keynote

Join the Canadian Partner Summit keynote to hear from Eric Gales, Country Manager – AWS Canada and Nish Kaul– Public Sector Healthcare Leader, AWS Canada. Eric and Nish will share an update on our priorities and results, and discuss the critical role Partners play in building the future with AWS.

Keynote Speakers:

Eric Gales, Managing Director, Canada, AWS
Nish Kaul, Public Sector Healthcare Leader, Canada, AWS

9:30 AM - 9:55 AM

Global Partner Message

Join us as we share a look into our global partner strategy, and how AWS is empowering partners to drive innovation and uncover new growth. We'll highlight our partners' remarkable success leveraging AWS, from delivering mission-critical outcomes across industries to harnessing the power of generative AI. Discover the latest partner-centric initiatives, including solution building enablement, collaborative go-to-market strategies, and skills development programs, that are accelerating partner innovation and success. Prepare to be inspired as we share our transformative vision for the future of AWS partnerships, where our expertise, technology, and commitment to customer success will drive unprecedented growth and innovation.

Speaker:

Chris Sullivan, Vice President of Partner Management, AMER, AWS

9:55 AM - 10:15 AM

Embracing the Next Era of Customer Insights: A Transformative Approach

Explore the transformative power of Generative AI in revolutionizing customer feedback analysis. Discover how leading organizations, such as Alida, leverage advanced AI models to achieve vastly improved accuracy in sentiment analysis and topic summarization, processing unprecedented volumes of responses in record time. Gain invaluable insights from industry trailblazers OpsGuru who have harnessed this innovative approach, unlocking the keys to elevating customer experience insights and propelling their brands into the forefront of customer engagement excellence.“

Speakers:

Rosie Seth, Partner Management Leader, Canada, AWS
Adam Chandani, CRO, OpsGuru
Vincy William, Senior Director of Engineering, Alida

10:15 AM - 10:45 AM

Break (F&B offerings)

10:45 AM - 11:15 AM

Power of Generative AI: Partner with AWS for Transformative Solutions

AWS is at the forefront of generative AI innovation, offering partners a comprehensive stack of services and tools to rapidly build, market, and sell transformative Generative AI solutions. During this session discover how to leverage AWS infrastructure, customizable models, and AI-powered applications to drive unprecedented customer value and accelerate your profitability. Explore the latest advancements, success stories, and strategies for building a thriving generative AI practice in partnership with AWS.

Speakers:

Kyle Lichtenberg, Chief Technologist, Worldwide Channels & Alliances, AWS

11:15 AM - 11:45 AM

Partner Transformation and Profitability 

Leverage cloud transformation to drive predictable, profitable growth on AWS. In this session, discover strategies to transform your organization, optimize operations, and scale your AWS cloud business efficiently for long-term success.

Speakers:

Julia Chen, Vice President, Partner Core, AWS

11:45 AM - 12:00 PM

Morning Recap

We will conclude the morning sessions with remarks on how Partners are integral to AWS organization’s success. 

Speakers:

Frank Sinisi, Manager, Technology Partners, Canada, AWS
Yasmine Nsouli, Head of Consulting Partners, Canada, AWS

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

Lunch (F&B offerings)

1:00 PM - 1:45 PM

  • Migrations and modernization projects are foundational to leverage future innovation on AWS. During this session, we will share trends with migrations and modernization: how has customer decision making changed, how modernization drives differentiation, what are the opportunities to generate and convert more pipeline, and how to drive migration success outcomes. We’ll share best practices from AWS Partners that have built sustainable migration and modernization practices to help you with greater profitability with AWS. 

    Speakers:

    Vanessa Cordero, Global Program Manager, PMP, AWS
    Shadab Siddique, Sr. Manager, Solutions Architecture, PSA, AWS

  • The cloud landscape is rapidly evolving, driven by the changing nature of workloads and the growing demand for advanced capabilities. In this session, we will explore how emerging technologies are shaping the future of the cloud. We will discuss key trends and challenges faced by organizations as they adapt to the shifting cloud ecosystem, and provide insights on how partners can leverage AWS services and solutions to meet the evolving needs of their customers. From innovative workload management to cloud-native and AI-powered transformations, this session will equip you with the knowledge and strategies to thrive in the cloud of tomorrow. 

    Speakers:

    Shashi Prabhakar, Director, Solutions Architecture, PSA, Americas, AWS
    Martin Bazinet, Senior Solutions Architecture Leader, Canada , AWS

  • Customer buying preferences are shifting to digital procurement channels. Join our panel of experts to uncover the latest research on how buyers are using AWS Marketplace to find, try, and buy the tools that drive innovation and governance. Gain insights on how to expand your reach to new AWS users, engage with customer procurement teams, and collaborate with the AWS Field globally. 

    Speakers:

    Faisal Aziz, Marketplace Customer Advisor, Canada, AWS
    Yael Teryohin, Marketplace Seller Development, AWS

  • Partner engagement is crucial for transforming critical public services. This session provides a comprehensive overview of AWS and Partners' collaborative efforts in Government, Healthcare, and Education sectors. A panel of Public Sector leaders will discuss best practices for Procurements, Migrations, Marketplace, and Distribution, specifically tailored to Public Sector engagements. Additionally, we will delve into the Canadian Government's policies, procedures, and guidelines to leverage for future innovation on AWS. Gain insights from AWS Partners who have built sustainable practices and increased profitability in Public Sector workloads. Join us to understand decision-making processes within the Public Sector and the differentiators to generate pipeline and grow your AWS business.

    Speakers:

    Maria Ellis, Public Sector APN Partners Leader, Canada, AWS
    Nish Kaul, Public Sector Healthcare Leader, Canada, AWS
    Thais Nardo, Public Sector Partner SA Manager, Canada, AWS
    Riaz Mohammed, Public Sector Senior Manager, Partner Migrations, AWS
    Moderator: Jenny Kincaid, Public Sector Program and ISV Leader, Canada, AWS

1:45 PM - 2:00 PM

Transition to next breakout

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM

  • Driving business impact through industry alignment and collaborative efforts is paramount for Enterprise customers within Cross-Industry Engage and Enterprise Greenfield. By fostering strategic partnerships and leveraging collective expertise across key industries, we can develop tailored solutions that address unique challenges. Our focus lies in identifying industry-specific pain points, leveraging AWS services to create innovative solutions, and delivering measurable business value. Accelerating co-selling initiatives and aligning resources with partner priorities is crucial for long-term success, enabling us to bring shared visions to fruition and drive growth for our customers.

    Speakers:

    Indy Sian, Head of Enterprise Greenfield Sales, Canada, AWS
    Michael Kurek, Enterprise Senior Leader, Canada, AWS

  • In this executive-level breakout session, we will delve into the unique challenges and opportunities presented by Canada's 1 million-strong small and medium business (SMB) sector. Attendees will gain insights into emerging customer trends impacting SMBs, and how AWS's tailored value proposition caters to their specific needs. Discover how AWS Partners can differentiate themselves and scale their businesses effectively by leveraging Partner-focused initiatives and creating scalable, value-added solutions for this crucial Canadian customer segment. Join us for an insightful exploration of this dynamic market. 

    Speakers:

    Peter Gima, Senior Manager, Commercial Sales,AWS
    Ken Headrick, Partner Sales Leader, Canada, AWS

  • The upcoming panel discussion will explore Amazon's commitment to fostering gender diversity and inclusion. With leadership representation from AWS, partners, and customers, the panel will delve into strategies for building personal brands, enhancing executive presence, and cultivating mentorship for career growth. The discussion will also highlight the significance of diverse hiring practices and maintaining authenticity within organizational cultures. Attendees can expect to gain insights from industry leaders on leveraging inclusion principles and diversity of thought to create enriching employee experiences. 

    Speakers:

    Julia Chen, Vice President, Partner Core, AWS
    Rachel Skaff, Director, Partner Sales, North America , AWS
    Mardi Witzel, CEO, PolyML
    Andrew Caprara, President & CEO, Softchoice
    Margaret Stuart, Country Leader, Salesforce Canada

  • With the increasing demands for agility, security, and customer-centricity, the financial services industry is undergoing a profound digital transformation. In this session, we will delve into how AWS, together with our trusted partners, can empower organizations to accelerate their cloud adoption and digital transformation initiatives. We will explore compelling use cases in Banking and Insurance, showcasing the modernization of legacy systems, enhanced customer experiences, and the harnessing of Generative AI's power. Highlighting the crucial role of our partners, we will discuss their deep industry expertise, solution guidance, regulatory compliance assurance, and ongoing management and support throughout the cloud journey.

    Speakers:

    Dan Stark, Director, FSI Sales, Canada, AWS
    Nav Anand, Head of Solutions Architecture, FSI, Canada, AWS

2:45 PM - 4:00 PM

Partner reception

FAQs