“The Attic” Video Podcast Episode 11: Mike Strohl on the World of the Tech Reseller and Getting Ahead of the Market

It was a great experience bringing The Attic on the road and getting a chance to visit with Mike Strohl at our DISRUPT event in Newport Beach. Mike is CEO of e360, (formerly Entisys), a highly respected tech reseller and solution provider founded by his family three decades ago. Mike takes us through the company’s early days doing PC training, forward to its prominence today as a powerhouse in the EUC space.

Although e360 was founded by his dad, George Strohl, Mike did not follow the logical path from school directly to the family business. A San Francisco native, Mike majored in international marketing at San Francisco State, and having worked for UPS during college, wanted to join their corporate marketing team. Mike, however, offered a little too much unsolicited plans on what his next UPS job should be and was sent to the Siberian overnight schedule. It was fortuitous. After his shift, he spent the day working with his dad, getting a feel for the business. Sadly, his dad passed on just months after Mike officially joined the company. He and his brother Matt, along with his stepmother Bets, decided to continue building the business. At Citrix events they met Agile360, a company in a similar space, which they acquired in 2008. This, along with a series of other acquisitions has elevated e360 to becoming a leading provider of security, cloud, automation, digital workplace, and Microsoft solutions.

While Mike wasn’t much for traditional team sports growing up, there’s no question he’s at the top of his game today, leading an organization of almost 300 people and winning dozens of industry accolades for superior partnerships. From focusing on providing existing solutions, e360 is now also working with VCs and investors to create market briefings and work with customers to innovate products and get ahead of trends.

One influence Mike believes is only getting bigger is putting cybersecurity at the center of any EUC or data center build. Changing rules around privacy, security and compliance regulations, and companies’ need for help in finding a solution, opens the door for e360 to consult on the best cyber strategy.

Partnering with industry allies or with customers is at the heart of Mike’s approach to business. He shares this belief with IGEL, in companies partnering in the trenches together to build a better world and using technology to do it. Both companies continue to work together as partners in delivering EUC solutions.

Tune in and hear Mike talk about the changing dynamics in the cloud workspace market and how companies are retooling to become cloud-centric innovators. Also, find out what school course Mike failed. You’ll be surprised!

On Why Google is Great. “…what they’re doing around partner engagement, opportunities, business development, investment… they’re a great innovative partner.”

On Success Ingredients. “… success really comes with people that can execute. It doesn’t mean take technology X out and put technology Y in.”

On Effective Partnering. “In this business if you’re worried about competition then there’s something wrong with what you’re doing. …Customers’ requirements are changing now at an unprecedented rate…so if you don’t have your networking community, you have no chance of success.” Mike Strohl

See Episode 11 here:

You can watch all episodes of “The Attic” on the IGEL YouTube Channel or connect to The Attic on PodBean for direct links to all of the ways to listen in on your preferred podcast platform.

Thanks for stopping by The Attic. Stay tuned for more!