Two Barracuda executives honored as 2026 CRN EMEA Channel Leaders

Giovanni Goduti and Jason Howells recognized for transformative channel leadership, partner empowerment and innovation

Takeaways

• Giovanni Goduti and Jason Howells recognized as 2026 CRN EMEA Channel Leaders.
• Both executives credited for pioneering channel strategies and empowering partners.
• Barracuda’s ongoing investments drive partner success and cybersecurity innovation.
• Industry leaders praise their openness, commitment and positive impact on the channel community.

We’re proud to share that Barracuda’s Giovanni Goduti, Senior Vice President, Sales, International, and Jason Howells, Vice President, Channel, International, were named 2026 CRN EMEA Channel Leaders. This recognition highlights outstanding leadership in channel strategy, commitment to innovation and unwavering dedication to empowering partners throughout the EMEA region.

“Channel leadership is about trust, integrity and transparency, and it starts with listening to what each partner needs to succeed,” said Goduti. “Every partner is unique, and we invest in understanding their business, goals and people to create relationships that extend far beyond transactions. We continue to develop and enhance our Partner Success Program and innovation strategy to help partners succeed.”

Barracuda’s dedication to its partners shines through ongoing investment in innovative, partner-focused solutions. New advancements to the BarracudaONE platform and the Barracuda Partner Success Program highlight this commitment, delivering a host of new benefits, incentives and tools that empower channel organizations to enhance customer cyber resilience while driving their own growth and profitability. Our partner-frst, partner only philosophy reinforces our unwavering focus on elevating partner experiences and outcomes.

Giovanni Goduti: Senior Vice President, Sales, International

In what area(s) would you most like to see your channel partners invest in 2026?

Cyberattacks continue to accelerate in scale, sophistication and impact, affecting organizations of every size. Customers are increasingly seeking platform-based security that reduces complexity and delivers outcomes, not tools. In 2026, we want partners to invest in simplifying security - solutions that are easy to sell, deploy and operate. Just as importantly, we're encouraging partners to build customer success-led practices, grounded in lifecycle management and managed services. Those who combine security platforms with strong operational excellence will deepen trust, drive retention and become indispensable to their customers.

What will be the biggest challenges facing your partners in 2026?

In 2026, AI will define both the threat landscape and the opportunity ahead. Adversaries are already using AI to automate, personalize and scale attacks, raising the bar for protection. Partners will be challenged to help customers move beyond fragmented tools toward intelligent, AI-powered platforms that deliver real-time protection and resilience. The opportunity - and responsibility - will be to turn AI into trust: simplifying security operations, accelerating response and proving measurable outcomes. Partners who can operationalize AI securely and responsibly will lead the next era of cybersecurity.

Jason Howells: Vice President, Channel, International

What were your key channel-related accomplishments over the last year.

I've built a One-Team channel mindset, uniting internal teams and partners for sustainable partner-led growth, invested heavily in team capability and partner enablement to drive more meaningful engagement, and deepened our commitment to listening: refining our Partner Advisory Board and establishing more consistent feedback loops for programs, incentives and execution.

What were your partner organization's top accomplishments in the channel over the past year?

1. International MSP growth – Over the past year, we sustained strong momentum across our international MSP channel, achieving double-digit ARR growth while expanding and engaging our partner community. This reflects our continued focus on helping partners scale predictable, recurring revenue through simplified, platform-led security and long-term customer success.

2. Expanded and modernized partner programs and incentives – We invested alongside our distribution partners to refine our rebate and incentive programs, extending our channel initiatives to support all partner types. These enhancements improved partner flexibility, strengthened alignment with go-to-market priorities and reinforced our commitment to being a channel-first growth vendor.

3. Accelerated partner-led growth through platform and co-sell innovation – We launched BarracudaONE, giving partners a simplified platform to reduce sales friction and unlock cross-sell and services opportunities. In parallel, we introduced Barracuda sales plays delivered through AI-driven digital sales rooms, enabling more effective Cuda Co-Sell execution and faster growth with our most strategic partners.