At CXANZ, we’re continuing to invest in local expertise so partners and customers across New Zealand can access the right support, guidance, and conversations closer to home. As the market evolves, having people on the ground matters, and our growing team is here to help partners and customers identify opportunities, build capability, and support better outcomes for their customers.
Meet Annette Young, our new Partner Development Manager based in Auckland, and Anton Sounes, our new Sales Solution Specialist based in Christchurch. Their appointments strengthen CXANZ’s local presence across both the North and South Islands, giving partners more access to practical expertise, regional insight, and support to turn customer conversations into meaningful opportunities.
For partners and customers, this is about more than new faces in the team. It reflects a stronger local network, deeper technical and commercial conversations, and a renewed focus on helping the channel make the most of the opportunities ahead.
Meet Annette Young
Based in Auckland, Annette joins CXANZ as Partner Development Manager, working closely with partners across New Zealand to strengthen relationships, support growth, and help uncover new opportunities through practical, local engagement.
Annette’s career at Dicker Data has grown across several parts of the business, giving her a broad understanding of the channel and the partners she supports today.
“I've been with Dicker Data for nearly 10 years, starting in an order entry role and gradually working my way into sales. After it became clear I was probably a little too loud and talkative for life in the office, moving into a customer-facing role felt like the natural next step!”
“Throughout my journey at Dicker Data, I've worked across several areas of the business, progressing from hardware accessories to laptops, then infrastructure and networking, before moving into the software team. With the addition of CXANZ to my portfolio, I’m continuing to expand my knowledge and expertise across the business.”
For Annette, joining CXANZ is an opportunity to keep building her knowledge while finding new ways to support partners across New Zealand.
“I’m always interested in expanding my knowledge and finding new ways to support and add value to my partners.”
“I'm excited to be part of a team where there is local support not just in Australia but also in New Zealand.”
Annette is most looking forward to strengthening partner relationships and spending more time connecting with partners face to face.
“Building strong relationships and helping partners be successful, as well as getting out and about a bit more, is what I’m most looking forward to.”
Outside of work, Annette volunteers with the Air Cadets, supporting young people as they build confidence, develop leadership skills, and step outside their comfort zones.
“I love seeing them grow in confidence, take on new challenges, and become role models for others. Being able to support and mentor the next generation of leaders is something I find incredibly rewarding.”
When she is not working or volunteering, Annette is often found sewing, painting, crafting, baking, or working on her latest DIY project. Her advice is simple.
“Treat yourself! You deserve that extra coffee, chocolate bar or fancy new handbag. Enjoy the small, and not always so small, luxuries. You can tell I live by this from the amount of chocolate I eat... just ask the team!”
Meet Anton Sounes
Joining the team from Christchurch, Anton is our new Sales Solution Specialist. His appointment strengthens CXANZ’s presence in the South Island and gives partners greater access to local Citrix expertise, technical guidance, and support for customer conversations.
“Coming from the partner side, I fully understand the critical need for a local Citrix presence here in New Zealand.”
Anton’s IT career began in 1999 and has taken him across small and medium-sized businesses, consulting roles, and deep experience within the Citrix ecosystem.
“My IT career actually began in 1999 when I picked up an MCSE NT4 training bundle. I cut my teeth working for multiple small-to-medium-sized companies, doing everything from installing Token Ring networks and building desktops to servicing printers out on farms.”
Anton’s career has taken him across continents and organisations, with Citrix remaining a consistent thread throughout his professional journey.
“My journey with Citrix specifically started in 2004 with IBM South Africa, which eventually led me to Denmark for a Citrix upgrade at Carlsberg. After moving to New Zealand in 2008, I continued to build my Citrix expertise across roles at Datacom, Fujitsu, Deptive, and Inde, alongside a stint with Citrix Consulting in Australia.”
For Anton, joining CXANZ is about helping rebuild momentum for Citrix across New Zealand and Australia by working directly with partners and customers.
What opportunities are you seeing in the market right now?
For Anton, the opportunity is not just about technology; it’s about helping partners rebuild confidence, open stronger customer conversations, and identify where Citrix can deliver practical value in today’s market.
“When I look at the market right now, I see a few massive opportunities. I see hypervisor cost savings by utilising XenServer, ZTNA enhancements transforming application-layer connectivity, and device posture adding a critical layer to DLP. I see real cost savings in Azure and AWS by replacing native load balancing with NetScalers, and organisations freeing up administrative burden by moving to a Citrix DaaS cloud platform.”
A key challenge Anton is excited to help solve is rebuilding trust with customers and the Citrix brand in the local market.
“Having just come from the partner side, I know exactly what the local market is feeling and what they need from us right now. I am excited to tackle this head-on and show our partners that CXANZ is here, we are listening, and we are here to help them succeed.”
With stronger local coverage across both islands, the CXANZ team is better positioned to support partners with practical conversations, local expertise, and guidance that helps turn plans into action.
“The CXANZ team is here and ready to help. If you’re planning projects, reviewing roadmaps, or looking at where Citrix can support your customers next, reach out for a conversation with the team. Whether you’re building a new opportunity or looking to get more from an existing Citrix environment, we’re here to support you.”
Supporting Partners Across New Zealand
Annette and Anton joining CXANZ strengthens our presence in New Zealand and reinforces our commitment to giving partners the local coverage, expertise and support they need to grow.
From Auckland to Christchurch and everywhere in between, the CXANZ team is here to help you build the right connections, uncover new opportunities and access the local expertise and support you need.
Connect with Annette and Anton or any of our CXANZ team members here.