Andy Bannister
Global Sales Director | Scaling SaaS Teams & Channels | Strategic Growth Expert | PE Readiness
About
I'm a Channel and Commercial Director in UK B2B SaaS. Most of my work has been in UCaaS and customer experience software, and in the partner ecosystems around it, Microsoft's marketplace included. I've led channel and commercial teams in PE-backed businesses through periods of growth, and in public-sector P3M SaaS. What I do best is building partner revenue that lasts: picking the right routes to market, rebuilding sales teams and processes, and giving partners a reason to lead with your product. I also work as a Fractional Commercial Director / SaaS Revenue Advisor, advising growth and PE-backed SaaS on commercial, channel and GTM rebuilds.
Selected work
BroadSoft
01A partner model that travelled
I rebuilt the UK commercial model from single-tier to two-tier, putting distribution alongside service-provider routes to market. The same model was later adopted in France and Germany.
Tollring
02Microsoft routes, at pace
I set the partner strategy for new Microsoft routes to market and signed 15 partners in six months. Focusing the sales effort on where the growth really was took the business to 23% CAGR.
Nasstar
03Rebuilding the team behind the book
I rebuilt the account management team looking after a c.£20M customer base. That gave customers one consistent way of working with us, and gave the business a team built to grow those accounts.
Verto
04From direct to channel-led
I moved the business from direct selling to a channel-led model, recruiting Bytes, Softcat, Ultima and TD Synnex as partners. Channel revenue grew 28% and average deal value rose 25%.
Thinking
A home for my best LinkedIn posts on how channel works in practice. Coming soon:
- 01Partners sell what closes next week
- 02Coverage vs capacity
- 03What quarter-end tells you about channel health
Running
I ran my first half marathon in October 2025, followed it with two marathons, and in October 2026 I completed my first 50km ultra, the Run to the Sea. Distance running has a lot in common with a commercial plan. You pick a pace you can actually hold, check it honestly along the way, and resist spending everything in the first quarter. The finish is usually decided in the middle miles.