The Roacher spotlight series is a celebration of our Roachers, their stories, and the wisdom they can impart to their peers. In our inaugural post, we sat down with Jen Murphy to tell her Cockroach Labs story.
Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do here at Cockroach Labs.
I’m Jen Murphy and I lead Cockroach Labs’ global channels and alliances organization. This team is responsible for the identification, recruitment, enablement, and success of all partnerships regardless of company size. I also chair our Women of CRL CREWS.
Tell us about your career journey— how did you become a Channel Sales Leader?
I have been in the software industry for 25+ years. I originally ran a customer service team that was also responsible for partnerships. Throughout my career I have primarily held roles associated with building indirect channels to help companies grow sales but also to drive validation of their software through strategic partnerships. These roles ranged from a channel rep to channel marketing to expanding levels of leadership. I have taken direct sales roles but always found the complexity of working with partners to create solutions that solve customer business problems to be most compelling.
What made you choose to work at Cockroach Labs?
Through the years, I have been fortunate enough to work with a team of professionals that have crossed paths multiple times. I knew a number of people at CRL when I considered taking the role here but as I learned more about the technology and, more importantly, the extended team, I knew this was the right company for my next career move
Where are you most excited to make an impact at the company?
My role here is to define and build our partner ecosystem strategy as part of the Revenue organization. The right ecosystem is the key to helping any start up drive validation and incremental growth. I am excited to define (and refine) this approach as well as building a world class team to make this happen.
What advice would you give to people starting careers in sales?
I would tell them to have patience, ask questions, listen and - most importantly - say yes when given opportunities to step outside of their comfort zone whether that is taking on a new task or a new role.
How would you describe the culture of the Revenue team at Cockroach Labs?
The Revenue team embodies the concept of “One Team.” We are made up of a number of different groups that have to work well together in order to make our customers successful. Everyone not only leans into that concept but they often go out of their way to offer assistance. It creates a feeling of not just a team but an extended family.
Want to join Jen and the rest of the Cockroach Labs team? Check out our open roles!
