The Partner Marketing Playbook Nobody Talks About with Jordana Sunderland

Most B2B marketers treat partners like a sales channel. Jordana Sunderland says that's the core mistake. In this episode, Jordana, Director of Integrated Marketing for the Pacific Zone at Schneider Electric, joins Shahin to unpack what genuine partner marketing looks like and why so many companies get it fundamentally wrong.

From her early career marketing pharmaceuticals to her current work navigating the energy transition, Jordana draws on cross-industry experience to reveal how insights, enablement, and real partnership beat price conversations every time. If your go-to-market relies on a channel or distribution network, this episode is essential listening.

Guest Introduction

Jordana Sunderland is Director of Integrated Marketing, Pacific Zone at Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy technology. With over two decades of B2B marketing experience across the pharmaceutical and energy sectors, Jordana has built a reputation for turning partner relationships into genuine growth engines through enablement, insight, and advisory-led sales.

Key Topics

Why leadership and sales teams default to price conversations with partners, and why that framing is detrimental to long-term growthHow to win share of mind over share of shelf by understanding what partners are actually trying to achieve in their businessThe role of partner enablement, including loyalty programs, training, and data-driven insights, in driving preference for your product over competitorsA real-world example from community pharmacy: how Jordana's team became indispensable to partners by providing expert analysis on government pricing changes that directly affected their revenueHow to balance end-user demand generation against partner-led selling, and why Jordana recommends a 70/30 partner-to-end-user investment split as a starting pointThe attitudinal segmentation approach to partner acquisition: why firmographic size is a poor proxy for partner quality and how to identify partners who share your valuesCo-marketing reality check: why logo placement and random promotions deliver nothing, and what genuine co-marketing amplification looks likeMDF fund management: how to maintain brand alignment when marketing development funds are in play, and why sales and marketing must be tightly connected

Resources & Links 

Companies & Tools

Schneider Electric -Jordana's current employer; a global energy technology companyViatris -the generics pharmaceuticals company (formerly Mylan) where Jordana held a marketing role prior to Schneider Electric

Books & Resources

The Challenger Sale by Matthew Dixon and Brent Adamson - recommended by Jordana as a foundational read that shaped her marketing approach

Contact & Credits

Host: Shahin Hoda

Guest: Jordana Sunderland

Produced by: Shahin Hoda and Alexander Hipwell

Edited by: Alexander Hipwell & Dave Somido

Music by: Breakmaster Cylinder

Podcast Co-ordinator: Jonah Igsie

APAC's B2B Growth Podcast is Presented by xGrowth