Jay McBain is a Chief Analyst at Canalys, leading channels research in North America, as well as being an integral part of the worldwide channels research and advisory team. Jay is one of the most visible and respected thought leaders in the global channel ecosystem. He is often sought out for industry guidance and future trends, helping vendors across the entire technology spectrum develop their partnering and ecosystem strategies. He regularly speaks at vendor channel events about major shifts in the channel ecosystem.

Prior to joining Canalys, Jay was a Principal Analyst at Forrester, covering channels and ecosystems. During his tenure at Forrester, Jay developed his reputation as an industry thought leader and was named 2021 Channel Influencer of the Year by Channel Partners Magazine. Jay has also held various executive channel sales, marketing and strategy roles with IBM, Lenovo and ChannelEyes over a 28-year career.

Jay grew up in Canada and currently lives in Florida. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree Management Information Systems from the University of Lethbridge and an MBA in Entrepreneurship, Louisiana State University.