--- title: CRN honors two Acronis managers as CRN Inclusive Channel Leaders description: "Exciting news: CRN recently honored Aleksandra (Sasha) Gorbatenko and AJ O'Donnell as exceptional leaders for building diversity in the channel." canonical_url: https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/crn-honors-two-acronis-managers-as-crn-inclusive-channel-leaders/ locale: en last_updated: 2026-10-27 --- [Acronis Blog](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/) # CRN honors two Acronis managers as CRN Inclusive Channel Leaders Exciting news: CRN recently honored Aleksandra (Sasha) Gorbatenko and AJ O'Donnell as exceptional leaders for building diversity in the channel. [![Image 2: Lee Pender](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/96b4b6d9ceee3c624b79f42543d1d633.png)](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/lee-pender/ "Lee Pender") [Lee Pender,](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/authors/lee-pender/)Senior Content Marketing Manager 2 min read Last updated 17 July 2025 CRN recently honored Aleksandra (Sasha) Gorbatenko and AJ O'Donnell as exceptional leaders for building diversity in the channel. The stalwart industry publication develops an annual list of channel members “dedicated to fostering equity and inclusion within their organizations, the IT channel and the entire industry,” according to a press release about the award. As the [CRN website](https://www.crn.com/rankings-and-lists/inclusive-channel-leaders-2024?mkt_tok=MzI5LUtFSS0xMjQAAAGau_VhkbxvjMraTzG5eRtYtOYOWohr8bv5B_1W0_3nPPEnsCG8-xSN7oGZZRnsCNMJtVD1fx4KVMcSOR3K04OGArhR1arHbqtyiYmMft_VeULy_TlT) notes, building diversity “isn't an easy endeavor or a quick fix — it takes time, effort and education to bring together people from diverse backgrounds and make certain that their voices are heard.” ## Gorbatenko and O’Donnell honored for inclusivity Gorbatenko and O’Donnell exemplify Acronis’ commitment to diversity as a global organization. Based in Serbia, Gorbatenko has nearly 15 years of experience in global marketing and serves as senior global channel marketing program manager. She is an advocate for gender equality in the IT sector and speaks on panels at industrial conferences and TEDx events. She has earned several honors for her work in the industry, including a 2023 CRN Award for Channel Women on the Rise. She was also a finalist in 2024 for an honor from the Google [#IAmRemarkable](https://www.rmrkblty.org/iamremarkable), a global movement that empowers people to celebrate their achievements at work and beyond. Gorbatenko is an #IAmRemarkable platinum tier facilitator and a chapter leader for [Women In Tech](https://women-in-tech.org/). O’Donnell works to foster business development and deliver strategic programs to grow channel IT sales revenue. He has more than a decade of experience in business and marketing management and serves as partner marketing manager for the Americas at Acronis. O’Donnell’s background includes stints supporting VMware, Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Dell EMC. Throughout his career, O’Donnell has dedicated himself to inclusive business practices, whether within his own team or when dealing with partners. His dedication to upholding the principles of diversity has earned him respect on the channel as well as in the technology industry as a whole. ## Acronis is committed to diversity Acronis is committed to giving everyone in the company’s ecosystem an equal chance to flourish. As a global company based on two continents in Switzerland and Singapore, Acronis employs a workforce that is diverse in every sense of the world. Inclusivity is a driver of success for Acronis and will continue to be a priority. [Cybersecurity](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/tags/cybersecurity/) ## Written by ![Image 3: Lee Pender](https://staticfiles.acronis.com/images/content/96b4b6d9ceee3c624b79f42543d1d633.png) Lee Pender Senior Content Marketing Manager Lee was a journalist in the technology industry for 15 years, writing for and managing publications that served both IT and partner audiences. His experience as a corporate content creator includes tenures with an MSP and a provider of tax-compliance services. He writes about a variety of topics for Acronis, including cybersecurity trends, MSP management, emerging technologies and product updates. [Previous post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-dr-to-azure-is-here-more-flexibility-same-console/) [Acronis DR to Azure is here: More flexibility, same console](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-dr-to-azure-is-here-more-flexibility-same-console/) [Next post](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-defends-against-every-attack-in-av-tests-real-world-atp-evaluation/) [Acronis defends against every attack in AV-TEST's Real-World ATP evaluation](https://www.acronis.com/en/blog/posts/acronis-defends-against-every-attack-in-av-tests-real-world-atp-evaluation/) About Acronis Acronis is a leader in AI-native cyber protection, unifying data protection, cybersecurity, IT operations and hybrid infrastructure to deliver business continuity, security and compliance with less cost and complexity. More than 21,000 service providers trust Acronis to protect over 750,000 businesses in 150 countries. Acronis is headquartered in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. 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