CRN Channel Awards Asia - Finalist Q&A with Foad Farrokhnia Vice President, Partners & Alliances, at Zscaler APJ

Foad Farrokhnia talks being finalists at this year's CRN Channel Awards Asia

Why do you think awards like the Channel Awards Asia matter?

Channel Industry Awards such as CRN Channel Awards Asia are critical in showcasing and celebrating the incredible impact the channel ecosystem has in creating business value and driving customer success. These awards highlight the value of collaboration between vendors and partners, which, in my view, is central to innovation and progress. For Asia Pacific specifically, a region with such diverse markets and opportunities, these awards spotlight the importance of adapting to local needs with tailored strategies that make a meaningful difference. It’s more than just recognition; it’s about inspiring others to raise the bar and drive industry-wide growth.

What would winning this award mean to your company?

Winning the Cybersecurity Vendor of the Year award would be a tremendous honor for Zscaler and our partner ecosystem across APJ. It would underscore Zscaler’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge zero trust and AI-powered solutions that secure organisations in an increasingly complex threat landscape. More than that, it would recognise the success of our “Partnering with Impact” strategy, which prioritises collaboration, customer value, and shared growth with our regional partners. It would also inspire us to continue enabling our partners to lead transformational change, bringing even greater impact to our diverse markets across Japan, ANZ, India, and ASEAN.

•What would you say is your company’s proudest achievement over the past year?

Our proudest achievement this year is the remarkable growth and innovation we’ve enabled within our Asia Pacific partner ecosystem. By embedding “Partnering with Impact” in every collaboration, we’ve empowered organisations to securely embrace digital transformation across critical markets such as Japan, Australia, India, and ASEAN. Through the integration of zero trust and AI, we’ve delivered proactive security solutions that enable seamless hybrid work, modernisation, and compliance. These efforts have deepened customer trust, strengthened regional partnerships, and driven measurable business outcomes for our partners and clients alike.

•What have been the biggest challenges of 2025 so far and how have you overcome them?

Cyber threats in the APJ region have grown increasingly complex, putting intense pressure on businesses to modernise their security strategies. Threat actors are constantly evolving, while regulatory environments across countries like Japan, India, and Australia require increasingly tailored compliance approaches. For partners, the challenge lies not only in delivering advanced solutions such as zero trust but also in transforming their skill sets to support customers through the entire adoption journey, from deployment to scaling.

Our approach has been to empower our partners with the tools and expertise needed to meet these demands. By combining zero trust with AI-powered insights, we’ve helped businesses mitigate risks while embracing proactive security strategies. We've invested heavily in partner enablement programs, offering certifications, training, and collaborative development opportunities tailored to regional needs. Together with our partners, we’ve delivered scalable solutions that keep organisations ahead of threats and position them to thrive in APJ’s dynamic environment.

•How have your people helped with that?

Our people are core to everything we achieve. Across Asia Pacific, they’ve worked tirelessly alongside partners to co-create innovative solutions and help organisations safeguard their futures. Their passion and expertise are unmatched. What’s made this year particularly special is seeing how the diversity in our teams across cultures, perspectives, and ideas has enriched our ability to solve complex regional challenges. When people share a sense of purpose and a culture of inclusion, incredible things happen, and it’s their collective drive that’s helped us overcome obstacles and deliver impactful results.

•How do you think the channel has changed over the past year and what changes do you think it still needs to make?

Over the past year, the channel has shifted from a transactional mindset to a transformational one. Customers now expect partners to understand their challenges and deliver meaningful outcomes that drive long-term success. This has pushed partners to become trusted advisors who are services-led, guiding customers through their entire journey from strategy to implementation, while focusing on strong outcomes.

Technologies like zero trust and AI have fueled this evolution, enabling advanced solutions aligned with modern business needs. However, more progress is still needed. The channel must invest in upskilling, deepen collaboration across ecosystems, and create scalable strategies that anticipate future needs. By fostering innovation and sustainable practices, the channel can help businesses thrive in an ever-changing environment.

•What do you see as the main opportunities for the channel in the coming year?

Asia Pacific is ripe with opportunities. The growing adoption of zero trust security, the possibilities of AI-driven intelligence, and the accelerated shift to hybrid cloud are creating exciting new avenues for the channel. Governments in Japan and India are putting more emphasis on cybersecurity frameworks, while industries in ANZ and ASEAN are embracing digital transformation on a massive scale. It’s an incredible time for partners to lean in as trusted advisors, working with vendors to create solutions that deliver measurable business outcomes.

•How do you plan to capitalise on those opportunities?

We plan to capitalise on these opportunities by working closely with our partners to drive meaningful value and successful outcomes for customers. By investing in practice development, we enable partners to co-sell, co-deliver, and co-innovate, ensuring they remain profitable while addressing customer challenges. We’re also fostering deeper adoption of our platform through embedded offerings that align with partner capabilities. Multi-partner collaboration across the customer lifecycle allows us to deliver scalable, impactful solutions that help businesses thrive in an evolving environment.

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