Recognized for driving partner growth and operational excellence in security validation

BOSTON, May 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pentera, the market leader in AI-powered Security Validation, announces that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has recognized Kara Cassidy Poulin and Megan Padgett on the prestigious Women of the Channel list for 2026.

This annual CRN list celebrates women from vendors, distributors, solution providers and other channel-focused organizations who make a positive difference in the IT ecosystem. The CRN 2026 Women of the Channel honorees are innovative and strategic leaders committed to advancing channel excellence and supporting the success of their partners and customers.

Kara Cassidy Poulin leads field and channel marketing across the Americas for Pentera, where she builds targeted partner campaigns, forms strategic alliances, and enables partners to lead their market with proven security validation solutions. Her work connects marketing, sales, and channel teams so partners can articulate Pentera’s value and drive measurable outcomes.

Megan Padgett manages the operational backbone of Pentera’s channel program. She drives improvements to partner-facing processes, streamlines communication between internal teams, and ensures partners receive clear guidance and consistent follow-through at every stage of engagement. Her attention to detail and proactive coordination make Pentera’s partner experience reliable and easier to navigate, strengthening long-term partner relationships as the channel scales.

“It’s a privilege to celebrate the remarkable achievements of these women who are driving meaningful change across the IT channel,” said Jennifer Follett, VP of U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN at The Channel Company. “Each honoree has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to bold, innovative strategies that fuel transformation, growth, and success for their organizations and the broader channel. We’re proud to recognize their impact and look forward to seeing how they continue to shape the future of our industry.”

“Kara and Megan represent two sides of what makes a channel program actually work: strong go-to-market execution and the operational reliability that partners depend on every day,” said Scott Merkle, Vice President, Sales Americas at Pentera. “This recognition reflects their commitment to helping our partners succeed, and we’re proud to see their contributions acknowledged by CRN.”

The 2026 Women of the Channel has been featured online at crn.com/wotc.

About Pentera
Pentera is the market leader in AI-powered Security Validation, equipping enterprises with the platform to proactively test all their cybersecurity controls against the latest cyber attacks. Pentera identifies true risk across the entire attack surface, and automatically orchestrates remediation workflows to effectively reduce exposure. The company’s security validation capabilities are essential for Continuous Threat Exposure Management (CTEM) operations. Thousands of security professionals around the world trust Pentera to close security gaps before threat actors can exploit them.

For more information, visit: pentera.io

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world’s top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit thechannelco.com.

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