Engineering Lifelong Learning, Practical Skills for Career Mobility

Since 2008, Sheena Gaynes has focused her marketing career on identifying, growing, managing and developing partnerships within the tech industry. Her know-how and passion led to consistently providing industry-leading results, revenue growth and channel sales optimization.

It all started when she worked as a partner sales specialist at Insight and then moved on to channel and distribution manager at Check Point Software Technologies. Her continued successes propelled her to a global partner program manager role at IFS and continued upward to a director of global alliances and channel sales at SEEBURGER and then to a senior director of global channel sales at X1. In those previous three roles, Sheena is proud to say that she led the creation of award-winning global partner programs!

“I have excelled in aligning sales and marketing with corporate objectives, specializing in channel sales, software/hardware sales, global partnerships and solution selling,” Sheena details. “I enjoy identifying business opportunities, nurturing relationships and fostering high-performing teams through inclusion, collaboration and engagement.”

Throughout these positions and continued upward mobility, Sheena focused on global channels and evolving the partnership ecosystem through a marketing lens. How so?

“Marketing plays a pivotal role in partnerships,” she explains. “It enables mutual promotion, facilitates communication and alignment between partner organizations. Marketing also supports coordinated campaigns for broader outreach, leverages shared resources, enhances trust and credibility, and measures joint success. In essence, marketing is a crucial element in maximizing the effectiveness of collaborative partnerships in today's business environment.”

While Sheena clearly demonstrates a significant amount of marketing know-how and experience, she is a lifelong learner. Coupled with a strong desire to stay current within a rapidly evolving marketing field, Sheena knew it was time to expand her skill set.

In essence, marketing is a crucial element in maximizing the effectiveness of collaborative partnerships in today's business environment.

And that’s how you found our Certificate Program in Marketing?

Yes, I was searching online for quality certificate programs. Your certificate has an excellent reputation, as evidenced by positive reviews from previous participants, and it instantly caught my attention. Equally enticing was the program's streamlined and uncomplicated admission process, which made it an easy choice for me to embark on the next phase of my educational journey.

I wanted to explore areas within marketing that I hadn't delved into before. Additionally, the certificate program would allow me to discover new and innovative ways to inform and educate consumers.

What was your experience taking the courses?

The curriculum was well-structured and communicated quality from the start. I enjoyed completing the readings, assignments, quizzes and online discussions.

The online courses often provided me with a high degree of flexibility. I could access course materials and complete assignments at my own pace, which was ideal as I work full time and often travel to meet with partners. I also enjoy in-person interaction regarding education, but that wasn’t possible given where I live.

Interacting with students from various age groups and backgrounds enriched our discussions, facilitated knowledge exchange and created networking possibilities. With their diverse backgrounds and experiences, the instructors were readily accessible and offered valuable feedback whenever needed.

The marketing certificate has been instrumental in my current role. The learnings have significantly enhanced my partnership initiatives and overall performance.

You completed the certificate in 2019 and have moved into a global director of strategic partnerships role at Bentley Systems—congrats!

Thank you! In this role, I led the launch of Bentley's digital twin platform and partner ecosystem, cultivating and managing relationships with senior partner executives. I oversee a diverse network of partner relationships, positioning Bentley as a global leader in digital transformation.

The marketing certificate has been instrumental in my current role. I use the lessons learned to craft strategic partner-facing sales materials, such as sales decks, marketing collateral, email campaigns, press releases and web page content. The learnings have significantly enhanced my partnership initiatives and overall performance.

What does earning this certificate mean for you personally and professionally?

Personally, I believe in lifelong learning, so completing this certificate proved that I can always learn new things. Professionally, I want to remain at the forefront of marketing techniques and trends, ensuring I can provide the best results for my partnerships.

Apply what you learn to real-life scenarios—whether in your current role, personal projects or volunteer work—to deepen your understanding and make your marketing knowledge more practical and impactful.

What advice would you give to a student who is starting the certificate?

Organize your schedule, set clear study goals and stick to a consistent routine to manage your time. Actively engage in discussions, forums and collaborative activities with peers and instructors to gain diverse insights and build valuable connections.

Apply what you learn to real-life scenarios—whether in your current role, personal projects or volunteer work—to deepen your understanding and make your marketing knowledge more practical and impactful.