Women-Led First Distribution Drives Microsoft Success & AI Innovation Across Africa

In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology distribution, one team is garnering increasing attention—not just for its success but for its bold, women-led leadership model powering First Distribution’s Microsoft division across Africa. As digital transformation accelerates, customers and partners demand more: more services, more support, and more innovation. First Distribution meets that call head-on with a diverse group of skilled women fostering high-impact growth and operational excellence throughout Microsoft’s extensive portfolio, including Modern Work, Azure, Security, and data-driven applications such as Copilot and Dynamics 365. Here’s how these leaders are not only breaking stereotypes but shaping the future of IT channel success in Africa.

Embracing Change: The Heartbeat of First Distribution’s Microsoft Success​

First Distribution’s distinction lies in its ability to adapt amid constant industry turbulence. As partners across Africa face continuously shifting technologies, licensing models, and customer expectations, their success is increasingly tied to the competence and commitment of their distributor. At the core of this adaptability is a multi-talented team spearheaded by Charmaine Peens, Kejendree Pillay, Cherish Croucamp, Lucia Jardine, and Roxanne Kelway. These women have positioned the distributor as a driver of channel transformation, exceeding sales targets and raising service benchmarks.
Their collective approach isn't just about pushing Microsoft products into the market. Instead, it's grounded in hands-on engagement: building billing and provisioning infrastructure, upskilling partners through intensive training, helping with marketing, and delivering advanced support on Microsoft’s latest AI capabilities—most notably, Copilot.

A Closer Look at the Leaders​

Charmaine Peens: Strategic Stewardship with Measurable Results​

As Microsoft Brand Manager, Charmaine Peens brings a rare blend of strategic thinking and operational acumen refined over nine years with First Distribution—including a vigorous leadership stint. Her portfolio stretches from setting vision and driving revenue, to extending the ecosystem and refining go-to-market strategies. Under her guidance, team members operate as catalysts—enabling partners, ensuring seamless operations, and ultimately aiming for superior customer experience.
Peens’ impact is quantifiable. In the past six months alone, First Distribution has achieved substantial growth in Microsoft subscriptions, driven by a focused approach on customer value and partner enablement. Microsoft Azure, in particular, has seen year-on-year uptake increase by a reported 35%—a figure corroborated by the company in their public communications. Industry analysts also note a marked uptick in cloud adoption across the South African channel, echoing this trend. However, it’s worth noting that distributor-centric numbers aren’t always independently verified, so cautious optimism is warranted for annualized projections.
Peens attributes much of this momentum to direct partner support initiatives, such as free Azure assessments and earning credits—measures that remove barriers for IT resellers and solution providers, making their adoption journey both easier and more competitive.

Kejendree Pillay: Bridging Commercial Strategy and Enablement​

Driving growth across Microsoft Modern Work and Security, Kejendree Pillay’s remit is broad and ambitious. She ensures partners can access the full power of Microsoft’s licensing—and that they’re continually equipped to succeed in a fiercely competitive environment. Through localized enablement content, campaign launches, and expert navigational support through Microsoft’s ever-shifting product line, Pillay’s influence is all about practical value.
Her methodology is resolutely consultative. Rather than focusing solely on licensing volumes, she and her team define compelling use cases and help partners build robust roadmaps—particularly as Microsoft Copilot becomes a core technology in organizational automation and AI-driven productivity.

Cherish Croucamp: Support, Agility, and Operational Clarity​

Leading the Partner Support and Webstore team, Cherish Croucamp exemplifies the blend of structure and agility that underpins First Distribution’s operational excellence. She manages a complex ecosystem of credit, partner onboarding, and support—functions that require both quick, informed decision-making and a steadfast focus on customer relationships.
Croucamp sees Microsoft Copilot as more than an innovation talking point; she leverages it daily, using its AI to summarize long communications, clarify key action items, and optimize both time and decision-making across her team’s fast-paced environment.

Lucia Jardine: Credit Confidence, From Skeptic to Evangelist​

As Group Credit and Accounts Receivable Manager, Lucia Jardine’s responsibilities are the financial backbone of the division. Originally wary of the AI-powered Copilot, Jardine now champions its integration, utilizing it to streamline processes, enhance documentation, and perform rapid data analysis. This real-world testament to Copilot’s efficacy—especially from a financial operations perspective—is an instructive reminder that innovative technologies can win over even the most pragmatic professionals once value becomes evident.

Roxanne Kelway: Marketing Momentum and Ecosystem Impact​

In the arena of partner and brand engagement, Roxanne Kelway stands out as Marketing Operations Manager. With a focus on empowering partners to market themselves—even those lacking in-house marketing muscle—Kelway’s influence is both strategic and practical. Through insightful campaigns, content support, and tailored go-to-market strategies, she’s helped expand Microsoft’s partner network footprint across Africa.
Kelway has also played a central role in Copilot’s rollout, ensuring the tool’s value is communicated not just internally, but throughout the partner ecosystem—a crucial inflection point as AI becomes a driving force in operational, sales, and even creative workflows.

AI as a Catalyst: Copilot in Everyday Operations​

A unifying theme emerges from each leader’s perspective: a belief in the transformative power of Copilot, Microsoft’s generative AI assistant built into Microsoft 365. This is not mere advocacy; their commitment is reflected in their own heavy use of the tool—from summarizing emails and escalating support tickets, to tracking KPIs and automating follow-ups. Industry observers widely agree that adoption of AI assistants is fast becoming table stakes for IT organizations aiming to gain competitive ground.

Practical Applications Showcased​

• Email Management: Leaders routinely use Copilot to declutter their inboxes, automate responses, and maintain organized communications across multi-threaded conversations.
• Data Analysis: Copilot’s utility in Excel is repeatedly highlighted—whether for simplifying data visualization, spotting trends, or generating complex formulas instantly.
• Presentation and Documentation: Automation in the creation, review, and refinement of proposals, policy docs, and slide decks is consistently cited as a major productivity boost.
• Meeting Management: With Copilot’s meeting recap and note-taking capability, managers stay abreast of developments even when unable to attend, ensuring nothing falls through the cracks.

Quantifiable Impact​

The feedback is consistent: Copilot is credited with freeing up significant time that can then be reinvested in higher-value tasks. Partners, too, are benefitting—particularly those exploring Copilot integration for their own end customers, as First Distribution’s consultative approach helps define actionable use cases that accelerate adoption.
This hands-on advocacy is complemented by focused partner enablement initiatives—including licensing pilots, in-depth training, and local market adaptation—designed to ensure the entire ecosystem, not just the distributor, is equipped for profound change. Independent channel surveys underscore this, reporting an increasing ratio of enablement-driven sales versus transactional “box dropping,” especially in the cloud and AI space.

Notable Strengths: A Model for Distributor Excellence​

Several attributes set First Distribution’s Microsoft team apart—and offer lessons for other channel players navigating digital transformation.

1. Integrated, Hands-On Support​

Rather than simply reselling products, this team commits to “walking the walk,” investing in infrastructure, resources, and training to ensure every partner engagement is high-touch and value-driven. The results speak for themselves; consistently high growth rates in cloud subscriptions and AI workloads signal robust, partner-centric operations.

2. Strategic Diversity​

First Distribution’s Microsoft division is a powerful example of the benefits diversity brings to the IT channel. A leadership team made up predominantly of women challenges industry traditions—traditions that are still the norm in much of the global IT supply chain. This diversity, according to management consultants and diversity advocacy groups, is linked to enhanced innovation, better decision-making, and improved commercial outcomes.

3. Partner Enablement at the Core​

From tailored go-to-market strategy support to practical enablement sessions, First Distribution focuses on empowering partners—not just with knowledge but with tools, credits, and the real-life scenarios they need to drive customer impact. This approach is especially in demand as partner organizations seek new ways to differentiate and thrive amid industry disruption.

4. Proactive AI Integration​

The early and enthusiastic embrace of Microsoft Copilot sets a tone for the entire partner network. By embedding AI into their own daily workflows, the team can meaningfully evangelize benefits, address adoption challenges in real time, and build credibility with both existing and prospective partners.

5. Open Leadership and Transparent Communication​

Quotes from each leader highlight a commitment not only to transparency in operational priorities (KPIs, growth metrics, campaign ROI), but also in sharing lessons learned—such as initial hesitation or skepticism around AI tools—a quality that deepens trust within the community.

Challenges and Cautions: Potential Risks Ahead​

No success is without challenge, and several areas of caution remain. As the technology channel continues to shift—upending legacy licensing, complicating partner models, and introducing potentially disruptive AI-driven products—First Distribution’s team faces its own set of questions.

1. Pace of Change Versus Partner Readiness​

The rate at which Microsoft releases and updates technologies, particularly AI-driven services, can strain smaller partners’ ability to keep pace. While First Distribution provides ample enablement resources, success across the broader partner network requires continual investment in skills, infrastructure, and change management.

2. Measuring AI Value: Beyond Early Adoption​

While the leaders’ personal experiences with Copilot are overwhelmingly positive, there is, as yet, limited long-term empirical data on productivity gains across the entire African partner ecosystem. Some partners may be cautious or slow to adopt AI, and distributors must be wary of overstating short-term wins before robust evidence emerges.

3. Retaining Talent Amidst Success​

One of First Distribution’s greatest strengths—its diverse and experienced team—could also present a risk if not adequately nurtured. According to recent findings from the African ICT sector, high-performing professionals in the distribution and channel space are increasingly sought after, with attrition rates climbing post-pandemic. Maintaining a strong, engaged internal culture will be key.

4. Scaling Hands-On Support​

Deep, consultative support is intensive and doesn’t always scale easily. As First Distribution’s Microsoft business continues to expand, sustaining the same high-touch engagement at greater scale could prove challenging. Strategic investment in automation, partner self-service, and additional enablement resources will be crucial.

5. Vendor Dependency Concerns​

Heavy reliance on Microsoft’s ecosystem—while lucrative—introduces risk if vendor policies or incentives shift without warning. Distribution partners are vulnerable to changes in channel margins, license rules, or support requirements, making diversification and close monitoring more important than ever.

The Road Ahead: Nurturing Women-Led Leadership and Channel Success​

The story of First Distribution’s Microsoft division is more than an uplifting account of women excelling in IT. It’s a case study in how deliberately inclusive leadership, coupled with forward-looking technology adoption and an authentic commitment to partner enablement, can deliver exceptional business outcomes.
Their continued investment in Copilot and other AI technologies is not just about efficiency; it’s about keeping First Distribution—and its partners—on the leading edge of what’s possible for customers of all sizes across Africa.
Looking ahead, the division’s success will likely hinge on a few critical priorities:

• Doubling down on enablement: Ensuring every partner can access not just the licenses, but the training, support, and business tools to thrive in turbulent times.
• Embedding AI everywhere: Early Copilot wins suggest further, deeper integration across the portfolio could compound returns.
• Growing the talent pipeline: By highlighting the career trajectories of its women leaders, First Distribution can attract and nurture the next generation of diverse IT channel professionals.
• Championing innovation beyond Microsoft: While the current focus is firmly Microsoft-centric, an ongoing scan for new cloud, AI, and cybersecurity solutions will reduce dependency risks.

Conclusion​

In an industry often characterized by incremental change and rigid hierarchies, First Distribution’s women-led Microsoft division breaks the mold. Through strategic stewardship, consultative partner enablement, and a wholehearted embrace of transformative AI—particularly Copilot—the team has delivered outsized results while setting a new benchmark for diversity-powered success in the African IT channel.
Their journey is not without challenges. From the ongoing need to scale personalized support, to ensuring sustainable AI adoption and managing the inherent risks of vendor dependency, the path ahead will demand vigilance, creativity, and, above all, continued commitment to people—both within First Distribution and across the wider partner community.
For now, though, these trailblazing women represent not just the future of distributor success but a vivid blueprint for what the next generation of technology leadership can and should look like: inclusive, innovative, and unapologetically ambitious.

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Source: ITWeb Meet the women driving First Distribution's Microsoft division