Middle East & Africa · Independent Advisory

Is your MEA channel built to carry the next stage of growth?

Most channels stall not for lack of ambition, but for lack of direction — the wrong markets, thin coverage, unmanaged stock, and forecasts nobody trusts.

TrueNorth gives vendors, distributors, channel partners, and investors an independent read on where the growth actually is — and a plan to reach it.

20+ Years MEA Channel Former Head of Distribution, HP MEA Independent
Coverage, designed market by market
Clarity. Direction. Growth.
Track Record

Built on Experience.
Proven in Practice.

20+ years leading channel and distribution across MEA
Former HP Head of Distribution Sales for the region
Senior commercial leadership at Philips
Executive advisory across vendor and distribution landscapes
20+
Years Leading MEA Channel
20
Services Across 4 Practices
What We Do

Four practices, one operating discipline

From investor-grade diligence to the operating rhythm that keeps multi-market performance predictable.

Channel Strategy
01

Where the growth is, and how to reach it

Route-to-market strategy
Market entry and prioritization
Coverage and tier-mix design
Distributor landscape and selection
Cost-to-serve analysis
Commercial Excellence
02

Plans that hold, forecasts people trust

Business and joint business planning
Forecasting and S&OP cadence
Target and quota models
KPI frameworks and scorecards
Quarter management and linearity
Partner Ecosystems
03

Distribution and partner performance, governed

Distribution management
Program design — tiers, incentives, MDF
Governance and deal registration
Partner performance audits
Ecosystem health and coverage review
Investor & Transaction Advisory
04

An independent read before and after the deal

Commercial due diligence
Channel-health assessment
Sell-in vs. sell-through validation
Investor-grade analysis
Post-deal value creation
Specialist Engagements
Capability Building Training Executive Coaching
Commissioned standalone, or attached to a strategy engagement to make the plan stick.
How We Work
AI-enabled by design
Assisted forecasting, partner analytics, and intelligence built into the decision cadence — across all four practices, not a separate service line.
Who We Serve

Every side of the channel

Vendors

Entering or scaling MEA with the right coverage model and partners.

Distributors

Professionalizing commercial operations, planning, and governance.

Channel Partners

Building repeatable, scalable channel growth beyond opportunistic deals.

Investors

Evaluating distribution assets and revenue quality before and after deal.

Commercial Leaders

Building high-performing teams and a disciplined operating rhythm.

Channel Organizations

Improving ecosystem performance, partner health, and predictability.

The Diagnostic

Does any of this sound familiar?

If you recognize three or more, the problem is structural — not effort. That is the work we do.

Coverage & Reach
Is more than half your revenue sitting in two or three partners?
Do you know which markets you are under-covered in, and by how much?
Can you name the partner tiers that actually carry margin?
Distributor Performance
Do you see sell-through, or only sell-in?
Is your distributor holding stock you will eventually take back?
Do quarterly reviews change behavior, or only report it?
Forecast & Inventory
Does your forecast still hold past week six of the quarter?
Is aging channel inventory visible before it becomes a credit note?
Do you close the quarter on demand, or on discount?
Partner Programs
Can partners explain your tier structure without help?
Does MDF spend tie to measurable sell-through?
Are incentives paying for volume you would have won anyway?

If three or more landed, start with the Diagnostic

A structured, independent read on your channel — scoped tightly enough to finish in two weeks, and specific enough to act on the day it lands.

Scope

The twelve questions above, answered against your actual numbers — coverage, distributor performance, forecast quality, and partner programs.

What you get

A written assessment: where the channel is structurally sound, where margin is leaking, and the three things to fix first — with the reasoning behind each.

Timeline

Two weeks from kickoff, and no more than two working sessions with your team. Scoped and priced on the introductory call.

Request the Diagnostic Prefer to talk it through first? Call +971 50 616 4791.
Why TrueNorth

Why organizations choose TrueNorth

Independence is not a positioning line here — it is the reason the read is worth having.

Independent Advisory

No vendor bias, no reseller bias — purely objective recommendations.

Deep MEA Expertise

Real operating experience across Middle East & Africa markets.

Operator-Led Consulting

Guidance rooted in execution, not theory or templates.

AI-Enabled by Design

Modern forecasting, planning, and decision-making built in.

Commercial Excellence

Strategy translated into measurable, governed execution.

AI-Enabled by Design

Modern commercial leadership powered by AI

Forecasting, partner analytics, and planning intelligence embedded in the operating cadence — so decisions are made on evidence, on time.

AI-powered demand forecasting
Partner performance analytics
Planning intelligence and scenario modelling
Commercial dashboards and decision support
Compass rose over the Middle East and Africa, with channel intelligence signals converging on an AI core
Meet the Advisor Behind TrueNorth

Jehad Abu Shaqrah

Founder & Managing Director

Jehad founded TrueNorth Channel Advisory after 20+ years scaling channel and distribution businesses across the Middle East & Africa — most recently as HP's Head of Distribution Sales for the region, following commercial leadership at Philips.

At HP he owned full P&L for a multi-billion-dollar distribution portfolio across the region, delivering consistent growth across complex, multi-market dynamics. He built executive-level joint business plans with the region's top broadline distributors and ran the cross-functional operating rhythm — sales, supply chain, finance, category — that makes complex, multi-market performance predictable.

His work sits at the intersection of commercial strategy, partner ecosystems, and operational execution: designing routes to market, building partner programs, and embedding the governance that turns strategy into numbers.

"Sustainable growth comes from combining strategic clarity with disciplined execution."
20+ years MEA channel & distribution leadership
HP and Philips — regional leadership roles
Multi-billion-dollar portfolio across MEA markets
Engagement Model

How we work

STAGE 01

Discover

Baseline the channel: coverage, partners, economics, and where value leaks.

STAGE 02

Analyze

Quantify the gap — sell-through, cost-to-serve, partner health, forecast quality.

STAGE 03

Design

Set the bearing: route-to-market model, partner program, planning cadence.

STAGE 04

Execute

Embed the rhythm with your team — owners, scorecards, quarter management.

STAGE 05

Optimize

Tune with data and AI-assisted forecasting until performance is predictable.

Insights & Perspectives

MEA Business Insights by Jehad

Jehad's LinkedIn newsletter on channel & distribution across MEA

Operator perspectives on running channels in MEA, published weekly on LinkedIn.

Subscribe on LinkedIn

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In Brief

TrueNorth in seventy seconds

The four practices, the audiences we serve, and how independent advisory changes the numbers — from due diligence to AI-enabled planning.

Let's find your TrueNorth

A 30-minute introductory call, no cost and no obligation. Come with a market, a partner problem, or a number that isn't moving — you'll leave with a clear read on it.

01
Introductory call
We discuss your market, channel structure, and the outcome you need.
02
Initial point of view
Within five working days: initial read, key risks, and where the value sits.
03
Scoped proposal
Defined objectives, deliverables, and timeline — only if it's a fit.
Based in
Dubai, UAE · GMT+4
Response
Within one business day

Your request is ready to send

We'll be in touch within one business day. Prefer to reach us directly? Write to info@truenorthchannel.com.

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What do you need help with?
Prefer to speak first? Call +971 50 616 4791.