Charla Bunton Johnson, MBA
About Charla Bunton Johnson, MBA
Charla Bunton Johnson, MBA, serves as the Vice President of Global Alliances & Channels at Lightbits Labs, where she manages strategic partnerships with major companies and leads initiatives in cloud and hybrid solutions. With over 25 years of experience in channel marketing and partnerships, she has held key positions at various technology firms and has been recognized for her leadership in the industry.
Work at Lightbits Labs
Charla Bunton Johnson serves as the Vice President of Global Alliances & Channels at Lightbits Labs. She has held this position since 2022 and operates in a hybrid work environment based in San Jose, California. In her role, she leads the strategy and execution of the partner ecosystem, which includes cloud providers, strategic alliances, channel partners, system integrators, consultants, and managed service providers (MSPs). Johnson focuses on cloud strategy and go-to-market initiatives with major platforms such as Azure and AWS. She is responsible for the Lightbits Luminary Partner Program, which aims at global channel partner recruitment and development in AI, cloud, and hybrid solutions.
Education and Expertise
Charla Bunton Johnson holds a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) from the University of Phoenix, where she studied Business Administration and Management from 2001 to 2003. She also earned a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Business/Commerce from the same institution, completing her studies from 1998 to 2001. Additionally, she studied General Business Administration and Management at Fullerton College from 1987 to 1991. With over 25 years of experience in channel management, alliances, OEMs, and partnerships, Johnson has developed expertise in creating strategic partner programs and initiatives across various industries.
Professional Background
Johnson has held various leadership roles in marketing and channel management across multiple organizations. Prior to her current role at Lightbits Labs, she worked at Telos Corporation as Senior Director of Global Partner Marketing & Programs for seven months in 2021-2022. She also served as Global Director of Partner & Field Marketing at WekaIO from 2018 to 2020. Her earlier experience includes positions at Samsung Electronics America, Cisco Systems, Symantec, and Hitachi Global Storage Technologies, among others. Throughout her career, she has focused on channel marketing and partner development.
Achievements and Recognition
Charla Bunton Johnson has been recognized as a leader in the channel community, receiving multiple awards from industry publications and organizations. She was honored by CRN’s 2023 Inclusive Leadership Network and recognized in CRN’s 2023 Women of the Channel. Additionally, she has been named a CRN Channel Chief for 2024. These accolades reflect her influence and contributions to the field of channel marketing and partner ecosystems.