Employee Spotlight: Q&A with Katie Popowski, Director of North America Partner Sales at Nasuni

Nasuni caught up with Katie Popowski, Director of North America Partner Sales, to talk about her career growth within the company, her passion for mentorship, and what it means to run a truly partner-first sales team.

Katie joined Nasuni over five years ago, bringing with her a decade of experience in sales and partner management. Since then, she’s played a key role in expanding the company’s regional footprint and growing its partner ecosystem. Today, she leads a team that touches every deal across North America, with a focus on empowering partners, growing accounts, and closing business with confidence.

Q: To get us started: What is your role at Nasuni and which areas of the business do you look after?

I am the director of North America Partner Sales at Nasuni. Our partner community encompasses national resellers, boutique resellers, VARs, and cloud providers. My team is responsible for the relationships with all our resellers. There are a few different pieces that feed into that, including liaising between partners and sellers, working on pipeline generation, and accelerating and closing deals.

At Nasuni we’re partner-first, which means we work with partners on all of our deals, so my team touches every deal within the organization. It’s our job to find the right partner for each deal — one that can really help move the needle.

Q: When did you first think that Nasuni could be the right fit for you?

Just over five years ago, a partner role opened up at Nasuni. At the time, I was looking to build on my previous experience of working in the channel, and a friend here suggested I check it out. From my very first conversations with Nasuni leaders, what really caught my interest was the people. I felt that these were like-minded folk all driving towards the same goal. And those are the kind of people that I want to work for — and with.

The second big factor was the opportunity around technology. Nasuni is in a sweet spot. We’re not so big that we have loads of red tape, so we’re always encouraged to think outside the box. If someone on my team sees something that they want to try, we’ll be empowered to do it, learn from it, and roll it out further if it is successful. But at the same time, we’re big enough to have the budget to support that creativity.

Q: You’ve really risen through the ranks of sales at Nasuni. How has Nasuni supported your personal career development?

I’ve felt extremely supported both personally and professionally at Nasuni. I started out in an individual contributor role, running our central region for our partner community. We had success in that region and I saw opportunities to grow it out further and felt empowered to do so.

I’ve had a lot of great mentors here, both in an official capacity and through people that I’ve built relationships with organically. Every leader is willing to help you learn and grow. They give you opportunities to speak in leadership meetings and quarterly business reviews. If they see that you have leadership qualities, they really double down on that and help elevate you.

Q: What does a typical day look like for you and your team today?

No two days are the same, but what they all have in common is that my team is really focused on our partners. We’re engaged throughout that sales cycle but we apply a different lens depending on the stage.

At the top of the funnel our focus is on pipeline generation. At that stage, we are trusted advisors to our partners, helping them to bring Nasuni into their customers and enabling them both from a sales and technical point of view.

Later in the cycle, my team plays a slightly different role. If we get into deals from other sources, it’s up to us to find the right partner to help us accelerate the deal, grow the deal, and close the deal. And then at the final stages, we help to close the deal and lay the groundwork for procurement.

Q: Are there key traits or attributes that you look for when you’re hiring people to join your team?

There are three key things I look for. The first is drive. What we do is really fun, but every day is a new challenge and you have to be locked in and ready to take that on.

Secondly, someone who is a great team player. In the partner sales role, you’re in touch with so many different people and it’s imperative that you can work as a team and communicate well. There are a lot of balls in the air and you can’t let them drop.

And lastly, someone who is innovative and isn’t afraid to say, “Hey I see a gap here and I have a solution.” That’s a powerful quality both for the team and for personal career growth.

Q: Can you talk me through a project or initiative that you’re proud of?

There’s been a lot of great things in the partner community over the past year. We launched the new Nasuni Partner Program brand and started our quarterly partner awards. The awards are a great way to recognize partners for the hard work they put in — whether it’s pipeline generation, supporting an event, helping close business, or just being an advocate flying the Nasuni flag throughout their organization. We’ve had some great feedback on that and we have even more plans for it as it continues to roll out this year.

Q: Beyond the office walls, who are you outside of work?

In my five years at Nasuni, I’ve had two kids and I am expecting my third in July. I love my family and spend a lot of time with my kids and husband. Nasuni has always been so supportive of that.

I’m very intentional about where I spend time away from my family. It’s a tough thing to balance as a working mom, knowing that you’re missing some parts of your kids growing up. But I feel so strongly about Nasuni and the company culture that we have built that I feel okay about doing that. I believe in this company, and this mission, and the people that I work with. I certainly wouldn’t be here if I didn’t feel that way.

Outside of work, I am passionate about mentoring folks who are just starting out in business. I talk to a lot of young men and women just out of college who are trying to get their first job in tech or in business. I have wonderful, lifelong mentors who I’ve gained so much value from and I love doing that for others.

If you’re interested in joining Nasuni and contributing to our mission, check out our recent career opportunities here.

Employee Spotlight is your backstage pass to meet the amazing people behind the scenes at Nasuni! From product pros to partnership powerhouses, we’re shining a light on the diverse journeys, passions, and day-to-day moments that make our team unique. Whether it’s a big career leap, a favorite Nasuni memory, or a go-to coffee order, this series dives into the real stories that bring our culture to life.