Fiona O’Brien on Lenovo’s AI Opportunity for Partners

In a thought-provoking interview with CRN India, Fiona O’Brien, VP, Sales Transformation & Enablement, International Markets, Lenovo, discusses their AI vision, “Smarter AI for All,” and how it is contributing to the company’s channel strategy. She mentions AI solutions such as the Bid Portal and navigator tool, which enhance partner efficiency. Lenovo is broadening its PC origins to provide end-to-end solutions, which include infrastructure and cloud offerings. Lenovo is also investing in AI Innovation Centres in India to tap into local talent to drive AI innovation on a worldwide basis. Through the Lenovo 360 framework, Lenovo assists partners to expand their business, especially in AI, infrastructure, and services. O’Brien sees AI as a transformative opportunity, emphasising its potential to enhance productivity rather than replace jobs. They are also collaborating with third-party vendors like NVIDIA to offer AI use case workshops, allowing partners to explore AI’s potential in their industries.

Lenovo has been a vocal supporter of “Smarter AI for All”. How is Lenovo’s channel strategy being influenced by this vision, and what is the role partners are playing in driving AI adoption industry-wide?
We strongly believe in the potential of AI to revolutionise business and industries, hence our advocacy for the “Smarter AI for All” vision. This is at the heart of our channel strategy because we envision huge opportunities in AI—not just for Lenovo but also for our partners. We don’t talk about AI as a hype for us; it’s making real, actionable solutions for industries that make things more efficient, more productive, and more innovative.
Our partners are very instrumental in assisting us in driving AI adoption. Lenovo is a trusted partner in the ecosystem, and we use our channel partners to extend to more customers. Through close collaboration with our partners, we assist them in realising the value of AI and equip them with the capability to deploy AI solutions in various verticals. From end-user devices to infrastructure and services, AI unlocks new potential for growth, and our partners play a key role in assisting in delivering this vision to end customers.

You spoke about how partners play a critical role in the adoption of AI. With AI revolutionising the world of enterprise, how is Lenovo empowering its channel partners with AI-driven partner programs? Could you highlight some initiatives or success stories?

One of the fundamental tenets of our partner programs is that we must not only be empowering partners with the traditional means but also with next-generation AI tools. That’s where AI has been a complete game changer for us and our partners.

We have a range of AI-driven initiatives aimed at making business operations easier for our partners. An example is the Lenovo Bid Portal that uses machine learning and AI to enable partners to react more quickly to customer quotes and bids. The AI assists us in giving more accurate pricing estimates, faster turnaround times, and more competitive bids in order to win business more quickly. The gains in efficiency here are worthwhile since partners have the luxury to concentrate on getting the business rather than wasting valuable time on bureaucratic work.

We’re also piloting an AI-powered navigator tool within our partner portal. Many of our partners work with multiple vendors, which means they must navigate several portals to find answers or resources. Our AI-powered navigator is designed to streamline this process by guiding partners to the exact information they need quickly. The goal here is to make their business operations more efficient, which ultimately translates into better customer service and more sales.

Along with this, we are also collaborating with third-party partners such as NVIDIA to provide AI use case workshops. These workshops assist partners in viewing AI’s value, not only in terms of operational effectiveness, but in viewing how they can create new opportunities in the marketplace by talking with customers about AI solutions.

It’s clear that Lenovo is applying AI to not only benefit its own company but also to empower partners. The B2B partnership model is transforming at a very fast speed, particularly with the increased utilisation of AI and cloud-based products. How is Lenovo making its partner engagement strategies keep up with these transformations?
This is an exciting area for us. Lenovo has always been known for its strong position in the PC market, but over the past few years, we’ve worked hard to transform into a solution-driven organisation. As cloud and AI technologies revolutionise industries, it’s crucial that our partner engagement strategies are informed by these emerging forces.
What we’re doing now is broadening the scope of our engagement with partners. Historically, our relationship with partners was heavily focused on endpoint devices. Now, we’re building solutions around infrastructure, services, and cloud offerings, which require a deeper, more integrated engagement with our channel partners. Our solutions are designed to address business outcomes, not just product sales.
To make this happen, we’ve taken a more collaborative way of working with our partners. We collaborate closely with them to gain an understanding of their customers’ needs, exchange insights, and co-develop solutions that deliver actual business results. It’s not anymore about transacting a product; it’s about collaboratively building solutions that can trigger growth, productivity, and efficiency for our customers.
In addition, we are reinforcing the partnership with our partners through more transparency and convenience of doing business with Lenovo. This has involved a holistic digital transformation of our partner programs, such as online tools and support that make it easy for partners to have easy access to resources they require.

India is quickly becoming a centre for AI innovation and digital transformation, with several AI centres of excellence being set up. How is Lenovo tapping into India’s potential to fuel local growth and drive global AI solutions?
India is an important market for us, and we view it as a significant contributor to the global AI ecosystem. In the last two years, we have made substantial investments in India to leverage the vast talent and innovation that India has to offer. India’s expanding technology ecosystem, along with the encouragement of the Indian government towards AI initiatives, provides a conducive climate for innovation.
We have already witnessed the richness of the Indian talent pool when it comes to creating and implementing AI solutions. For instance, we have set up AI Innovation Centres in India, where we can work with local talent and incorporate their perspectives into our global product lines. These centres are not merely about creating AI solutions; they are about establishing a feedback loop where we can innovate quicker and more effectively by leveraging the local expertise.
What is special about Lenovo’s strategy is our global-local synergy. While India’s AI ecosystem is developing very fast, we view it as part of our global strategy. We would like to tap into India’s strengths to drive growth not only in the local market but also in the broader international arena. By investing in India, we can leverage the technological advancements of the country and bring those innovations to the global platform.

Along these lines, there’s an increasing demand for talent, particularly in engineering and AI. How is Lenovo sourcing local talent, and do you have any collaborations with Indian universities or training programmes?
To be honest, I don’t have the specifics on the local recruitment efforts in India, but globally, Lenovo has strong relationships with universities and research institutions to foster talent. What we normally do is let our local teams interact with the talent pool themselves because they know the market and where the talent is required most.
All that aside, I do know that we have partnered with local institutions in India to provide training and development programs, specifically in the fields of AI and engineering. We give our local teams the autonomy to form partnerships with educational institutions because they’re best placed to understand the market and the specific skills required. In addition, we often host internships and training programmes that allow students and professionals to gain hands-on experience with AI and other emerging technologies.
Our India-specific go-to-market model is strongly rooted in the Lenovo 360 approach, which is centered on three pillars: Enable, Connect, and Grow. The Enable pillar is all about supporting partners with the capabilities needed to be successful, with a focus on making it as easy as possible to do business with Lenovo. This means supplying tools, training, and technical support to enable partners to sell Lenovo solutions effectively. The Connect pillar is one of building solid, cooperative relationships with partners. To accomplish this, Lenovo has optimised its partner management system, where individual client managers closely work with partners to build rich, value-based relationships. The Grow pillar focuses on unlocking market opportunities for partners, particularly through incentives aimed at high-growth sectors like infrastructure and AI, allowing partners to capitalise on these emerging opportunities. Ultimately, Lenovo aims to create a mutually beneficial environment where both the company and its partners thrive. In India, this strategy emphasises infrastructure and services as key areas for growth, ensuring Lenovo is well-positioned to seize the increasing market potential. offering more incentives in these sectors to help partners grow their businesses.

At Lenovo Tech World 2025, that recently happened in Mumbai, what key takeaways did partners get from the event? How have they best positioned themselves to capitalise on Lenovo’s AI-driven offerings in the coming years?
The most important takeaway from Lenovo Tech World ‘25 is undoubtedly the opportunities around AI. AI is no longer a distant future—it’s happening now. Our partners saw the full range of Lenovo’s AI-driven products and solutions, which are available for immediate deployment. They got insights into how our AI offerings can help them deliver value to their customers right away.
For partners looking to capitalise on AI in the coming years, the key is to stay close to us. We will continue to invest in our partners, not just with products but with the support they need to succeed. Partners should position themselves by staying engaged with Lenovo’s developments, understanding the AI landscape, and exploring the use cases that will drive the most value for their customers.

Finally, having been in business for nearly twenty years, what do you see as the role of AI in personal computing, and how will it help customers?
AI is on the verge of transforming personal computing. To me, it’s all about augmentation—AI will not displace humans, but it will augment their abilities. Whether it’s through AI-enabled personal devices, more intelligent productivity tools, or better customer service, AI will liberate humans from routine tasks and enable them to focus on high-value tasks.

Here at Lenovo, we’re already witnessing the advantages of AI in how we empower our partners and our internal teams. For customers, AI will enable their devices to be smarter, more efficient, and more intuitive. It will enable them to be more productive and make smarter decisions. The potential of AI is huge, and we’re just beginning to scratch the surface.