Meg Toups, CEO of BlueSky IT Partners, was one of five women to receive the inaugural Women in the Channel LEAD Award recognizing exceptional female leaders in the tech channel. WiC LEAD Award winners were honored at a ceremony during the 14th Women in the Channel WiCConnect Networking Event, September 25, in Austin during Channel Partners Evolution.
“Women in the Channel launched the inaugural LEAD Award in Fall 2017 as a way for our members to recognize female channel professionals who are exemplary leaders; authoritative mentors who give women a powerful and influential voice,” said WiC President Stacy Conrad, vice president channel sales at Fusion.” Meg was voted by the WiC membership as one of five women to receive this award. She is in rare company and we are grateful for her continued inspiration and leadership.”
As the CEO of BlueSky IT Partners, Meg Toups has taken the company from zero to over $10 million in gross sales in less than five years. Her team of 20,000 IT field technicians and 10 employees service clients consistently, across multiple technologies and in any location in the world, with 98 percent completion on all dispatch work.
Toups is a native Houstonian, and being a role model for women is important to her. She is involved in the Greater Houston Women’s Chamber of Commerce and mentors young female professionals in IT for Women in the Channel (WIC). She is also a trustee and board member of The Joy School, and participates in several nonprofit community events such as with the Junior League of Houston and Project 88. Other kudos include winning awards such as the Houston Business Journal’s Fastest Private Companies (#30) and Channel Partners 360 award for three consecutive years.
Toups is a huge sports fan and supports and contributes to her three kids in WUSA, WULL, SFL and the YMCA sports clubs. She believes sports provides great learning lessons for life and encourages hard work, honest play and having a love for the game. Toups is a former national junior tennis player and college athlete (Texas Tech) and is a solid influence for her kids and the community. She supports Rawls College of Business, Texas Tech Red Raider
Club and Texas Tech Alumni Association, Association for IT Professionals, SIM Women and her local church, West University United Methodist.
Q: Who is the woman who showed you how to lead the way (e.g., your role model)?
A: My first boss in telecom, Rachel Fucci. She was fearless, smart, strategic, and just fun to be around. She helped me to understand the client first, ask questions, and listen. She had a knack for team building and my colleagues and I went on some of the most memorable outings. Rachel helped me understand how successful I could be in telecom. She exemplified leadership, and I will always give her kudos for spring-boarding my career.
Q: What are you doing to lead the way for other women in the tech channel today?
A: My involvement is really about women in IT as a whole – be it in the channel, direct or at college level. I’m on the advisory board for CompTIA, the parent organization for AITP ( Association for IT Professionals). These organization support women in IT from the corporate to the college level, and I am helping to further the mission. CompTIA offers certifications and on-going IT training in areas such as Cisco, PMP and others. I am also involved with the Houston chapter of Women in SIM ( Society for Information Management) which supports the collaboration of and career-path planning for IT women. Last but not least, I’m a member of WiC. Last year, I was one of three women honored as “Break Out Women” for WiC. These are all amazing groups that I am honored to serve.
Q: What is one thing we could accomplish that would most benefit women in the tech channel going forward?
A: That is a great question. I think each person’s path is different; there is no one size fits all for women. Some women may want to get into management, some into the executive suite, and some (like me) may want to start their own business. I think mentoring, sharing stories, providing outlets for training, and networking are all things we should do to help others progress in their careers. I think women tend to explain themselves, where men never even think to. My personal advise is to believe in yourself – make a plan, set goals, get some people to support you but also offer constructive feedback, and go for it!