As 2018 comes to a close, we are proud to have completed the fourth year of the Veeam Vanguard Program. The Veeam Vanguard Program is Veeam’s global, top-level influencer program. Each Vanguard is nominated (either by themselves or others) and selected by the Veeam Product Strategy team. There are Vanguards of all types and all backgrounds — what will the 2019 program have in store?
Update 3-January 2019: Nominations have closed! Look for this post again in late 2019.
Nominations close on January 2nd, 2019.
We have grown the program over the years. At Veeam, we have added different technologies; and new influencers have an opportunity to be discovered. The Vanguards have unparalleled external access to Veeam initiatives, product updates, betas, incredible swag and more. One of the highlights of the annual program is the Veeam Vanguard Summit. This year, it was held in Prague and we hosted over 40 Vanguards for a week of technology and community fun.
One of the best ways to describe the Veeam Vanguard Program can come right from the Vanguards themselves.
Paul Stringfellow, UK:
“As a new member of the Vanguard program in 2018, it’s been a great pleasure to work with such a diverse group of people. It’s a truly global group big enough to support many different experiences, skill sets and opinions, while small enough to be a group that can get together to share ideas, technology developments and strategies. A fantastic group of people who it’s been a true pleasure to get to know this year. Veeam should be truly proud of the program they have built and the tremendous team who support it. Each one is a fine ambassador for their company.”
Dave and Kristal Kawula, Canada:
“The Veeam Vanguard Program is hands down one of the most diverse community programs in the industry. Microsoft, VMware, Amazon, Dell, HPE, Cisco and other technology professionals all in one room. Simply put, the Veeam Vanguard Program is awesome! “
Florian Raack, Germany:
“I always thought accelerating in a fast car was fun, but the acceleration of my skills in the Veeam Vanguard program surpasses this by far. I’ve been on board this unique community program for two years now and I don’t regret a single minute. Besides deep insights into the Veeam product world and co-determination of some portfolio decisions, it just feels good to have a group of the world’s best IT experts behind me. Besides the pure Veeam product knowledge, I take the experience of the other Vanguards with me for my daily work. The whole thing is refined with first-class swag.”
Didier Van Hoye, Belgium:
“The diversity in both the depth and breadth in skill sets, IT environments and background combined with the passion and drive of the Veeam Vanguards is impressive. This group of people experiences, deals and works with a huge variety of challenges that need to be addressed while protecting the data and services of their employers and/or customers. They share this cumulative knowledge freely with the global community for the benefit of all. The Veeam Vanguard program shows Veeam’s appreciation for these community efforts while supporting it. Veeam in return gets insights in real live ecosystems as well as open and honest feedback that they need to improve and evolve.”
These are just a few views of the program, and everyone experiences the Vanguard program in their own way. If you like what you are seeing, it’s natural to have a few questions on this type of program, so I’ve created a few Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
Who can apply to be a Vanguard?
Anyone active in a technology community.
Can Veeam employees be awarded Vanguard status?
No, but employees can nominate persons for consideration. Former Veeam employees who have been separated for more than 1 year are eligible for nomination.
What criteria are needed to be awarded Vanguard status?
The criteria are decided by our team that looks across communities to find the persons who embody our brand the best.
How will nominees be notified of the result?
The Product Strategy team (my staff and I) are going to review the nominations after the registration closes, and then we will deliberate the results. Look for communication either way after that.
If you see a Vanguard in the wild, let us know via nominations or nominate yourself. Nominations will close on January 2nd, 2019!
