S01 E01 Breaking Into Asia: Why Translation Isn't Enough | With Sedin Gabeljic

Jo Dunkley — Tue, 03 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Expanding into Asia isn't as simple as translating content and launching campaigns. The region spans dramatically different cultures, consumer behaviors, and business practices that require deep localization and long-term commitment. Sedin Gabeljic, Partnership Director for Asia at Infobip, reveals why successful market entry demands building trust, embracing partner ecosystems, and adapting everything from visual design to purchasing journeys for each country.
Sedin shares how companies can move beyond surface-level translation to true contextual adaptation, why reference customers matter more than Western credentials, and how omnichannel strategies dominate Asian consumer behavior. For CMOs eyeing Asia's growth potential, this conversation offers practical guidance on resource allocation, partner collaboration, and the patience required to build sustainable success in one of the world's most diverse regions.

Key insights include understanding why Indonesian consumers expect conversational commerce while Singaporeans prefer formal channels, how mobile-first adoption skipped desktop entirely across the region, and why three-party partnerships between solution providers, system integrators, and marketing agencies deliver the strongest results. Sedin explains the critical role of local system integrators who hold customer trust, the importance of joint go-to-market planning over portal-based content dumps, and why showing up consistently matters more than company size.
Whether you're planning initial market entry or scaling existing operations, this episode delivers actionable strategies for navigating Asia's complexity while respecting local business cultures and building partnerships that last.

Connect with Sedin Gabeljic:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sedingabeljic/
Learn more about Infobip:
Website: https://www.infobip.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/infobip

I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.
– Jo and the Collab Convo podcast team

Connect with Jo Dunkley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-dunkley-8a19a4b/
Visit the Coterie website here: https://www.coterie.co.uk/

Listen to Collab Convo on these podcast platforms:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qBjU4vQAFPJ7oyWZ3DBab
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/collab-convo/id1870225262
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S01 E01 How to Build a Partner-Led Growth Strategy That Actually Works | With Brian Gilman

Jo Dunkley — Tue, 20 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

Welcome to the very first episode of Collab Convo!

In this inaugural episode, host Jo Dunkley sits down with Brian Gilman, Chief Marketing Officer at ThetaRay, to explore what it really takes to build a successful partner-led growth strategy in B2B tech.

Brian shares the inside story of how ThetaRay—an AI-powered financial crime compliance platform—is expanding into North America through a partner-first approach rather than traditional direct sales. With over two decades of B2B marketing experience, including leadership roles at IntelePeer, Vonage, Polycom, and Vidyo, Brian reveals the practical strategies and hard-won lessons from scaling partnerships across systems integrators, technology partners, and analysts.
This isn't your typical partnership conversation. Brian gets refreshingly honest about why establishing partner relationships is actually easier than maintaining them, the true cost-benefit analysis needed before chasing big-name logos, and why treating analysts as true partners (not just report gatekeepers) can transform your market position.

Whether you're a CMO rethinking your go-to-market strategy, a partnership leader trying to prove ROI, or a marketer looking to understand how partnerships actually drive pipeline, this episode is packed with actionable insights you can implement immediately.
Topics Covered:

Why ThetaRay chose a partner-led model for North American expansion
The difference between marketing TO partners vs. marketing THROUGH partners
How to prioritize which system integrators and technology partners deserve your investment
Treating analysts as partners, not just as a means to reports
Building cross-functional alignment between marketing, business development, and product teams
The surprising truth about what it takes to maintain (vs. establish) partner relationships
Packaging your solution for partner resale without losing your core value proposition
How partnerships can provide brand credibility that marketing budgets alone can't buy

About ThetaRay:
ThetaRay is a global leader in AI-powered financial crime compliance, helping banks and fintechs detect sophisticated money laundering, sanctions violations, and human trafficking schemes while reducing false positives by up to 90%. Learn more at www.thetaray.com

KEY TAKEAWAYS:
✅ Start selective, then scale: Don't chase all five major system integrators at once. Pick your best bet, prove success, learn from mistakes, then replicate the model.
✅ Maintaining relationships is harder than establishing them: Opening doors is the easy part—staying relevant requires ongoing investment in human capital and relationship nurturing.
✅ Analysts are strategic partners, not just gatekeepers: Use analyst relationships for product feedback and market insights before launch, not just for report placements.
✅ One plus one should equal three: The best technology partnerships create a multiplier effect where joint go-to-market efforts benefit both brands more than working alone.
✅ Know your true partner ROI: Before investing in any partnership, conduct rigorous cost-benefit analysis. Big logos don't always justify the resource investment required.
✅ Packaging for partners requires thoughtful strategy: System integrators need service wrapper opportunities around your solution to see real value in the partnership.
✅ Cross-functional collaboration is non-negotiable: Marketing, business development, product, customer success, and sales must all align on partnership strategy for it to succeed.
✅ Focus on the right analysts, not all analysts: Identify which analyst firms and individuals have the most relevant share of voice in your space, rather than automatically targeting tier-one firms.
✅ Partnership ecosystems drive credibility faster than marketing spend: Partners bring established relationships and brand trust that even massive marketing budgets can't replicate quickly.
✅ Build relationships before you need them: Pre-brief analysts on upcoming products, engage technology partners early in development cycles, and invest in relationships during good times.

🔔 Subscribe to Collab Convo so you never miss an episode with leading CMOs and partnership experts
👍 Like this video if you learned something new about building partner ecosystems
💬 Comment below: What's your biggest partnership challenge right now? Our community wants to help!
📤 Share this episode with your marketing and partnership teams
🔗 Join the conversation: Connect with fellow partner marketers at Coterie Connect (www.coteriecommunity.global)

Brian Gilman
Chief Marketing Officer, ThetaRay
📧 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/bgilman1
🌐 ThetaRay: www.thetaray.com

About Brian: Brian Gilman is a seasoned B2B marketing executive with over 20 years of experience scaling high-growth technology companies. Prior to ThetaRay, he served as CMO at IntelePeer and held leadership roles at Vonage, Polycom, Vidyo, and Vitech Systems Group, where he achieved multiple Gartner Magic Quadrant placements.

#Partnerships #PartnerMarketing #B2BMarketing #CMO #CollabConvo #ThetaRay #AnalystRelations #GoToMarket #ChannelMarketing #EcosystemMarketing #MarketingStrategy #FinTech #SaaS #AIMarketing

I hope you enjoyed this episode! Give it a like, share, and subscribe to not miss the content coming your way weekly.

– Jo and the Collab Convo podcast team

Connect with Jo Dunkley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jo-dunkley-8a19a4b/ Visit the Coterie website here: https://www.coterie.co.uk/

#CollabConvo #JoDunkley #PartnershipMarketing #StrategicPartnerships #BoundarySpanner #MarketingStrategy #B2BMarketing #BrandPartnerships #BusinessGrowth #MarketingLeadership #Coterie #MarketExpansion #PartnershipStrategy #CollaborativeMarketing #BusinessDevelopment
Collab Convo is the podcast for marketing leaders who know that the best growth doesn't happen in isolation. Hosted by Jo Dunkley, partnership specialist and co-author of How to Be a Boundary Spanner, this show explores how brands build transformational partnerships that drive genuine business impact—not just press releases.
Through one-to-one interviews and panel discussions, Jo brings decades of hands-on partnership marketing experience working with global brands across IT, FMCG, fintech, consumer electronics, and beyond. Each episode unpacks the frameworks, human dynamics, and strategic thinking behind partnerships that become embedded in a company's DNA. From market expansion and ecosystem building to measuring ROI and securing internal alignment, Collab Convo delivers cross-sector insights for CMOs, Partnership Directors, and commercial leaders seeking to elevate partnership marketing from tactical deals to strategic advantage.