In May, CRN^®, a brand of The Channel Company, released its 2024 Women of the Channel Awards, and, for the fourth year in a row, Acumatica’s Jessica Pidgeon has been included on this prestigious list. She joins over 1,700 other IT vendors, distributors, and solution providers, who have been selected based on their expertise, vision, and advocacy within the IT channel.

“It is a great privilege to honor the remarkable achievements of these women leaders in the IT channel,” said Jennifer Follett, VP, U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN at The Channel Company. “Each woman on the list has demonstrated a deep commitment to innovation and leadership that advances their organizations and drives transformation and success across the IT channel.”

About Jessica and Why She Continues to Be Recognized by CRN

Before pursuing a career in the technology sector, Jessica lived and worked abroad for eight years. When she returned to the United States, she took on various positions before finding her niche in the IT channel, where she has excelled for 11 years.

Jessica joined the Acumatica team as a Partner Programs Manager in 2020. She has built a well-earned reputation for treating others with respect, dignity, and compassion without passing judgement. This, along with her strong leadership skills and passion for making Acumatica’s partners and customers happy, has earned her continued recognition by CRN—and by Acumatica.

In 2023, Jessica was promoted to Director of Partner Programs. She has spearheaded a number of exceptional channel business initiatives, including simplifying and recrafting the Reseller Program, overseeing the launch of Acumatica’s new Services Partner Program, and supporting the planning and execution of Acumatica’s Practice Owner Workshops.

For 2024, Jessica’s main objective is making Acumatica’s partner programs as beneficial to its channel community as possible. This includes delivering programs that enable partner growth through a collaborative, human approach and through straightforward business practices, processes, and policies.

“Acumatica’s channel strategy continues to evolve at lightning speed to meet the demands of our ever-growing base of customers. Our programs, combined with continued investment in our products, provide stability and high growth for Acumatica and our partners,” Jessica says. “With the introduction of two new referral programs in 2024 and our Services Program in 2023, Acumatica’s ability to reach new customers and deliver greater services is expanding quickly.”

She adds, “Partners will continue to see greater synergies between our partner programs—where Acumatica leads our different partner types to work cohesively together towards a singular mission: happy customers.”

Jessica’s Superpower and How She Uses It for Good

As part of the CRN selection process, Jessica shared that the simple but valuable ability to be a good human is her “superpower.” Her belief in honest and transparent leadership has earned her deep respect in the workplace, as has her understanding of how her position as a female executive impacts diversity and inclusivity at Acumatica and in the broader tech ecosystem.

“There are several ways that I can influence and foster diversity and inclusivity,” she says. “The first is by demonstrating the principles that we should all live by, with action. Action can come in the form of who we hire, advocacy, and supporting those who may not have yet found their voice. These actions are reflected through strong leadership and mentorship.”

Jessica believes that leadership should be “largely selfless” and should be inspirational. “People follow those who give them a reason to be trusted, and that trust is built on great communication and openness. Mastery of knowledge is helpful but not a critical element. With strong leadership, one then has the résumé to mentor others. Mentorship is truly a gift that can build confidence in the mentee, which can further change.”

But Jessica knows that change can be hard, which is why she takes the slow, steady approach.

“Opening the minds of those more resistant to change is a slow process that must be nurtured and not approached with brute force,” she says. “As a female executive, my own behaviors, combined with open, honest, and thoughtful communication can slowly impart change around us.”

Jessica’s heart for bringing about critical change can be seen in her constant support for the professional development and advancement of women at Acumatica and in the tech industry at large. She understands the challenges they face, whether they’re “glaringly obvious” or “subtle and nuanced,” and she prioritizes offering advice and providing personal guidance.

She says, “I regularly participate in Acumatica’s Women in Technology Program to lead discussions about the challenges presented to women in technology. These conversations can challenge women to believe in themselves and motivate them to step forward and be seen.”

Her preference, however, is one-on-one mentorship. “I feel that this can have the greatest impact. I have mentored several women at Acumatica over the last 4.5 years. Encouraging mentees to take risks, particularly when given the opportunity to lead projects and meetings, increases confidence and visibility in the organization.”

Jessica acknowledges that taking risks can be tough. Her response? “As Brené Brown aptly put it, stepping into the arena can be scary for many as it can expose our vulnerabilities. In fact, our vulnerabilities can be our biggest assets. Showing up for women with regular coaching is imperative to develop personal growth, which ultimately yields success. And what a gift it is to watch these women soar.”

Outside of the workplace, Jessica’s passion for helping women soar is seen in her advocacy and support for those who have fallen victim to domestic abuse. Her efforts to help women in these challenging circumstances include authoring a book on the subject and working to become a motivational speaker, encouraging domestic abuse victims to succeed personally and professionally.

What the Future Holds

Looking ahead, Jessica sees Acumatica remaining fixated on customer and partner success through achieving sustainable business practices—with a focus on serving both local and global communities—and through providing small and midsized businesses the highest quality, most innovative ERP solution possible.

Jessica says, “Technological changes to Acumatica’s products will continue to keep our products in high demand and relevant. Additionally, the ISV ecosystem continues to grow, providing customers with modern solutions to age old problems.”

She also says Acumatica “never rests on its laurels,” and she’s right. As a company, we’re relentless in ensuring our partners have the resources, tools, and support they need so that, together, we can put our customers first.

“Our channel strategy demands that Acumatica employees constantly strive to deliver excellence to our existing and prospective partners and customers,” Jessica says. “As a channel-driven company, our strategy and core values are changing the face of what a modern ERP company looks like, setting a high bar for our competitors.”

Team members like Jessica are the reason we’re able to continually exceed expectations and set the standard in the ERP community. Her inclusion in CRN’s 2024 Women of the Channel list is well deserved, and we can’t wait to see what the future holds for her.

To learn more about the Acumatica Partner Program, about how to become an Acumatica partner, and about our award-winning cloud ERP software, contact our team today.