Scott Barlow Wins CRN Channel Madness: Channel-First Leadership Recognized

Partner Program•CRN
Apr 06 2026 By

At Sophos, we’re proud to have leaders who don’t just “talk the talk” about being channel-first—they define what it looks like in practice. Scott Barlow, is one of the best examples of those leaders.

That’s why we are beyond proud, but not surprised, to see Scott named the winner of the 2026 CRN Channel Madness Tournament of Chiefs, a recognition that reflects both his impact on the channel and the trust he’s built across the partner community.

In the championship round, Scott earned a decisive victory with 69% of the vote, underscoring the strong support behind his leadership.

Channel Madness is unique in that winners are chosen by the channel itself, making this recognition especially meaningful.

Shaping a Channel-First Approach at Sophos

Scott is VP, Chief Evangelist, and GTM Strategist at Sophos. He plays a key role in shaping how Sophos engages with and supports partners, bringing a perspective grounded in real-world experience and a deep understanding of what partners need to succeed.

In his interview with CRN, Scott acknowledged his love for this work and the impact it’s had to relationships: “I’ve focused my career on building deep and lasting relationships at scale and helping people—whether that’s my team, partners or others in the industry—navigate challenges and grow.”

From championing partner feedback to helping guide how we evolve our programs, Scott’s influence continues to shape how we show up for partners today and how we’ll support them in the future.

Looking Ahead

Scott often says he’s “just the voice of the channel”—but his influence extends across every part of our partner strategy.

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition as we continue to strengthen how we support and grow with our partners.

Thank you to every partner who voted, engaged, and continues to help shape our community.

Congratulations, Scott!

About the Author

Sophos is a cybersecurity leader defending 600,000 organizations globally with an AI-driven platform and expert-led services. Sophos meets organizations wherever they are in their security maturity and grows with them to defeat cyberattacks. Its solutions combine machine learning, automation, and real-time threat intelligence with frontline human expertise from Sophos X-Ops to deliver advanced, 24/7 threat monitoring, detection, and response.

Sophos offers industry-leading managed detection and response (MDR) alongside a comprehensive portfolio of cybersecurity technologies — including endpoint, network, email, and cloud security, extended detection and response (XDR), identity threat detection and response (ITDR), and next-gen SIEM. Together with expert advisory services, these capabilities help organizations proactively reduce risk and respond faster, with the visibility and scalability needed to stay ahead of evolving threats.

Sophos goes to market with a global partner ecosystem, including Managed Service Providers (MSPs), Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs), resellers and distributors, marketplace integrations, and cyber risk partners, giving organizations the flexibility to choose trusted relationships when securing their business. Sophos is headquartered in Oxford, U.K. More information is available at www.sophos.com.