Six Mitel Leaders Spotlighted on the 2025 Women of the Channel List

OTTAWA, Ontario--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 12, 2025--

Mitel, a global leader in business communications, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized six leaders from the company’s sales, channel, and marketing teams on the prestigious Women of the Channel list for 2025.

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This annual CRN list celebrates women from vendors, distributors, solution providers and other channel-focused organizations who make a positive difference in the IT ecosystem. The CRN 2025 Women of the Channel honorees are innovative and strategic leaders committed to advancing channel excellence and supporting the success of their partners and customers.

“I’m thrilled to celebrate these outstanding leaders and acknowledge the consistent high bar they set to support and empower Mitel’s partner community,” said David Petts, Chief Sales Officer at Mitel. “They demonstrate excellence through their work with the channel and commitment to ensuring every customer gets the modern communication solutions they need for today’s demands and tomorrow’s possibilities. Their dedication and support for the channel are crucial to the success of both Mitel and our partners.”

Misty Hanvey, Senior Manager, Global Partner Program – With over 20 years of global channel experience, Misty has demonstrated success across various areas of the channel with a focus on the development and management of channel programs, tools, and partner experience. Over the past 12 months, Misty has been focused on improving the partner experience, specifically for Mitel’s net new partners in their onboarding journey.

Fiona Hills, Director, Global Partner Program – Fiona leads key elements of Mitel’s Global Partner Program. With more than two decades of channel experience, she has built a proven track record in various program development and management activities. In 2024, Fiona drove engagement with our various partner program dashboard experiences, particularly those associated with Mitel’s various Customer Lifecycle Management (CLM) initiatives.

Meloni Lemoine, Head of Global Channel Communications – In her current role, Meloni advocates for partners' interests and collaborates with multiple teams to develop robust communications programs, messaging, and production schedules. Following Mitel’s acquisition of Unify last year, Meloni brought together a team to create a cohesive strategy for channel communications and engagement that serves all stakeholders.

Sara Wilde, Senior Channel Marketing Manager – Sara leads and delivers the marketing strategy for Mitel’s distribution partners and supports strategic partner marketing efforts. Last year, she helped create and implement an Account-Based Marketing (ABM) program designed to generate high-quality enterprise leads for our Account Managers. The program has proven successful, driving millions of dollars in opportunities.

Sarah Watson, Named Account Manager, Vertical Solutions – With a passion for enabling organizations through technology, Sarah has spent over 30 years working with channel partners on customer solutions and support. Over the past few years, she has played an essential role in delivering Mitel's go-to-market strategy for the financial industry, while aiding national and regional partners in securing significant wins.

Ashley Williams, Head of Hospitality - Americas – Ashley is responsible for Mitel’s go-to-market strategy for hospitality solutions and directly supports over two dozen hospitality-specialized partners. With over a decade of hospitality experience at Mitel, she has built long-trusted relationships with market influencers, analysts, consultants, and ownership groups, including major flags like Marriott, Hyatt, and Hilton.

“It’s an honor to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of these women, who are leaders and change-makers in the IT channel,” said Jennifer Follett, VP, U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN at The Channel Company. “Each woman spotlighted on this list has shown exceptional dedication to building creative strategies that propel transformation, growth, and success for their organizations and the entire IT channel. We are pleased to spotlight their important contributions and look forward to their future success.”

The 2025 Women of the Channel will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage beginning May 12 at www.CRN.com/WOTC.

About Mitel

Mitel is a global leader in business communications, providing businesses with advanced communication, collaboration, and contact center solutions. With more than 70 million users across over 100 countries, Mitel empowers organizations to connect, communicate, and collaborate seamlessly, with the flexibility and choice they need to thrive, both now and for the future. Through proven experience and innovative solutions, Mitel delivers communications without compromise. For more information, go to www.mitel.com and follow us on LinkedIn and X @Mitel.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world's top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers, and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com.

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© 2025. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, Inc. All rights reserved.

The annual CRN Women of the Channel list celebrates women from vendors, distributors, solution providers, and other channel-focused organizations who positively impact the IT ecosystem.

WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea have seized another sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says has ties to Venezuela, part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of the South American country’s oil.

The U.S. Coast Guard boarded the tanker, named Veronica, early Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on social media. The ship had previously passed through Venezuelan waters and was operating in defiance of President Donald Trump’s "established quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean,” she said.

U.S. Southern Command said Marines and sailors launched from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to take part in the operation alongside a Coast Guard tactical team, which Noem said conducted the boarding as in previous raids. The military said the ship was seized “without incident.”

Several U.S. government social media accounts posted brief videos that appeared to show various parts of the ship’s capture. Black-and-white footage showed at least four helicopters approaching the ship before hovering over the deck while armed troops dropped down by rope. At least nine people could be seen on the deck of the ship.

The Veronica is the sixth sanctioned tanker seized by U.S. forces as part of the effort by Trump’s administration to control the production, refining and global distribution of Venezuela’s oil products and the fourth since the U.S. ouster of Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro in a surprise nighttime raid almost two weeks ago.

The Veronica last transmitted its location on Jan. 3 as being at anchor off the coast of Aruba, just north of Venezuela’s main oil terminal. According to the data it transmitted at the time, the ship was partially filled with crude.

Days later, the Veronica became one of at least 16 tankers that left the Venezuelan coast in contravention of the quarantine that U.S. forces have set up to block sanctioned ships, according to Samir Madani, the co-founder of TankerTrackers.com. He said his organization used satellite imagery and surface-level photos to document the ship movements.

The ship is currently listed as flying the flag of Guyana and is considered part of the shadow fleet that moves cargoes of oil in violation of U.S. sanctions.

According to its registration data, the ship also has been known as the Gallileo, owned and managed by a company in Russia. In addition, a tanker with the same registration number previously sailed under the name Pegas and was sanctioned by the Treasury Department for being associated with a Russian company moving cargoes of illicit oil.

As with prior posts about such raids, Noem and the military framed the seizure as part of an effort to enforce the law. Noem argued that the multiple captures show that “there is no outrunning or escaping American justice.”

Speaking to reporters at the White House later Thursday, Noem declined to say how many sanctioned oil tankers the U.S. is tracking or whether the government is keeping tabs on freighters beyond the Caribbean Sea.

“I can’t speak to the specifics of the operation, although we are watching the entire shadow fleet and how they’re moving,” she told reporters.

But other officials in Trump's Republican administration have made clear they see the actions as a way to generate cash as they seek to rebuild Venezuela’s battered oil industry and restore its economy.

Trump met with executives from oil companies last week to discuss his goal of investing $100 billion in Venezuela to repair and upgrade its oil production and distribution. His administration has said it expects to sell at least 30 million to 50 million barrels of sanctioned Venezuelan oil.

Associated Press writer Ben Finley contributed to this report.

This story has been corrected to show the Veronica is the fourth, not the third, tanker seized by U.S. forces since Maduro’s capture and the ship also has been known as the Gallileo, not the Galileo.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks with reporters at the White House, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks during a press conference, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem speaks at a news conference at Harry Reid International Airport, Nov. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Ronda Churchill, File)