On a recent Ecosystem Aces podcast, Chip Rodgers, Chief Partner Officer at WorkSpan, sat down with Matt Gray, Global Vice President of Partnerships & Alliances at Tealium. Matt shared valuable insights on how Tealium has transformed its partner ecosystem, built strategic alliances, and leveraged technology to drive growth. With an extensive career spanning New Relic, MuleSoft, Boomi, and now Tealium, Matt brought a wealth of experience in building scalable, high-impact partner programs.
Here are the key takeaways from the conversation:
1. Building a Scalable & Durable Partner Ecosystem
When Matt joined Tealium four years ago, he was tasked with developing a repeatable and scalable partner strategy. He started with a listening tour, gathering input from executives, product teams, and top partners to define the right framework for growth.
• Strategy & Execution Framework – Aligning with corporate strategy to build a repeatable, value-based partnership model.
• Clear Role Definition – Establishing distinct roles for Partner Sales Managers (aligned with regional sales teams) and Partner Development Managers (focusing on deeper technology and GSI alliances).
• Focused Partnership Priorities – Tealium shifted from a broad approach to targeting high-value partners and developing meaningful joint solutions.
• Results: Tealium’s partner attach rate grew from 50% to 90%, significantly contributing to revenue growth.
2. Strategic Partnerships with Hyperscalers and Tech Giants
One of Tealium’s biggest milestones was securing a Strategic Collaboration Agreement (SCA) with AWS, a significant achievement given AWS’s selective approach.
• Becoming Relevant to Hyperscalers – AWS didn’t initially recognize Tealium, so the focus was on establishing credibility, aligning joint value propositions, and proving market fit.
• Key Partnerships – In addition to AWS, Tealium has forged deep relationships with Google Ads, Meta, and other key Martech players, enhancing its Customer Data Platform (CDP) positioning.
• Industry Validation – Being among the few SaaS companies to secure an AWS SCA validates Tealium’s strategic importance in the ecosystem.
3. The Power of Customer Data & Ecosystem Collaboration
Tealium’s core value proposition lies in connecting and activating first-party data to help companies engage with their customers in meaningful ways.
• Customer-Centric Partnerships – Tealium ensures that its technology integrates seamlessly into customer workflows, making data actionable across multiple platforms (AWS, Google, Meta, TikTok, etc.).
• Data Privacy & Compliance – With third-party cookie deprecation and evolving data privacy regulations, first-party data is more important than ever. Tealium helps brands maximize consented data for personalized customer engagement.
• Real-World Impact – Tealium’s Digital Velocity event featured customers like Vodafone, demonstrating how ecosystem partnerships drive business success.
4. AI & the Future of Partner Management
Matt also explored the potential of AI and Generative AI in enhancing partner engagement, efficiency, and automation.
• Optimizing Internal Processes – AI-powered tools can analyze partner engagement, automate content creation, and provide real-time insights.
• Enhancing Partner Enablement – AI-driven chatbots and knowledge management systems help partners quickly access key resources and technical documentation.
• Future of AI in Martech – As AI adoption grows, Tealium is focusing on how data privacy, consent, and customer activation will shape the next wave of AI-powered marketing solutions.
Final Thoughts
Matt Gray’s journey at Tealium highlights the importance of strategic focus, strong partner alignment, and continuous innovation. By building scalable programs, deepening strategic alliances, and leveraging AI, Tealium has positioned itself as a leader in the Martech ecosystem.
For companies looking to strengthen their partner strategy, Matt’s advice is clear:
✅ Define a clear execution framework
✅ Prioritize high-value partnerships
✅ Focus on customer-centric solutions
✅ Leverage AI to enhance partner engagement and efficiency
Tealium’s success in driving 90% of its business through partnerships serves as a blueprint for companies looking to scale their ecosystem strategies.
🚀 Interested in partnering with Tealium?
Learn more at Tealium.com
🎧 Catch the full episode of the Ecosystem Aces Podcast featuring Matt Gray and Chip Rodgers for more insights on scaling partnerships and the future of data-driven marketing!
Chip is passionate about building strong communities and ecosystems around enterprises to build excitement for the category, deliver value for customers, and grow the business. Prior to WorkSpan, Chip was with SAP for over 13 years, most recently growing the SAP Community Network to over 2 million engaged customers, partners, and developers. He has an MBA from the University of Chicago and an engineering degree from Northwestern.
