Akamai appoints Fiona Zhang to lead APJ channel sales

Akamai has appointed Fiona Zhang as Regional Vice President, Channel Sales and Programs for Asia Pacific and Japan.

The hire comes as Akamai expands its channel-led sales model across the region.

Zhang will lead channel strategy and the partner ecosystem across Asia Pacific and Japan, working with partners that sell Akamai's cloud and security products. The role reflects the importance the company now places on indirect sales in the region.

According to Akamai, 90% of new customers in Asia Pacific and Japan are onboarded through partners, while two-thirds of regional customers are served through the channel. It is also expanding its partner network across service providers, value-added distributors, system integrators, cloud service providers and technology partners.

The appointment gives a broader regional brief to an executive who has worked within the business for several years. Zhang joined Akamai in 2019 and most recently led channel strategy and operations in Greater China, covering delivery, security and compute offerings.

Her remit now spans a region where demand for cloud and security services is rising as companies pursue digital transformation and increase AI-related spending. Partners are taking on a bigger role not only in resale, but also in building service practices and advising customers on more complex digital and security needs.

Channel expansion

A unified partner scheme, Akamai Partner Connect, sits at the centre of this approach. The programme is designed to simplify how partners engage with Akamai and support partner-led sales growth across markets.

Zhang has more than 15 years of experience in cybersecurity, cloud and networking. Before joining Akamai, she was Head of Channels at Palo Alto Networks in China, where she managed the channel organisation during a period of expansion. Earlier in her career, she held sales, business development and channel management roles at Cisco.

Akamai described her as an executive with experience building partner networks and managing strategic channel relationships. It also said she delivered double-digit year-on-year growth in previous roles.

The move highlights the importance many enterprise technology suppliers now place on regional partners as they seek broader market coverage without relying solely on direct sales teams. In Asia Pacific and Japan, that is particularly relevant because customers often buy through local intermediaries that offer sector knowledge, language support and implementation services.

For Akamai, the channel has become a major route to customer acquisition across a region that includes mature markets such as Japan and Australia, as well as faster-growing Southeast Asian economies. The figures cited by the company suggest the indirect model is already central to winning new accounts.

Zhang outlined the scale of that reliance in comments accompanying the announcement.

"Asia Pacific is one of the most diverse and fast-moving technology markets in the world, and that makes a channel-first strategy essential," said Fiona Zhang, Regional Vice President, Channel Sales and Programs, Asia Pacific and Japan, Akamai.

"At Akamai, partners already play a central role in how we go to market - two-thirds of our customers in the region are served through partners, and 90% of new customers are onboarded through the channel. That momentum continues to grow. Across APJ, our partners are doing far more than reselling; they are building practices, advancing AI adoption, and helping enterprises navigate an increasingly complex digital landscape. My focus is on making Akamai the platform our partners want to build their business around," Zhang said.

Regional focus

The appointment was also backed by Sean Li, who leads Akamai in Greater China. His comments underscored the commercial importance of incentives and revenue opportunities in attracting and retaining channel partners in a competitive market.

"Our channel ecosystem is fundamental to Akamai's growth strategy. I want to ensure that Akamai continues to deliver better incentives, revenue opportunities and most importantly, industry-leading solutions for our partners. Fiona's leadership will be instrumental in strengthening our partner network and enabling our partners to capture these opportunities across the region," said Li.

The change gives Zhang oversight of one of Akamai's key go-to-market routes in a region where partner relationships now account for most new customer wins.