90% of MSPs Call AI Critical But Only Half Feel Confident in Client Conversations as Synthreo Names Kyle Grove CRO

Former CloudIT growth leader brings “coach-first” approach as research shows steep decline in MSP AI confidence despite industry recognition

PHOENIX, AZ, UNITED STATES, October 2, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- As managed service providers navigate a $300+ billion industry undergoing rapid AI transformation, Synthreo today announced the appointment of Kyle Grove as Chief Revenue Officer. Grove, whose coaching philosophy helped triple CloudIT’s recurring revenue in two years, will focus on empowering MSP partners who recognize AI’s strategic importance but need guidance to confidently lead client implementations.

“Kyle’s superpower isn’t closing deals it’s unlocking potential in others,” said Callen Sapien, CEO of Synthreo. “At CloudIT and Lyra, he didn’t just hit revenue targets; he coached teams to exceed what they thought was possible. That’s exactly what MSPs need right now: a guide who gets energized by their success, not someone pushing products.”

Grove’s appointment addresses a critical market gap. While 90% of MSPs recognize AI as vital to their growth strategy and 53% anticipate significant AI services revenue, only 50% feel confident guiding small and mid-sized business clients through AI adoption a steep decline from 90% confidence just one year ago. Meanwhile, 75% of small businesses are investing in AI, with 82% believing adoption is essential to stay competitive.

The Coach’s Philosophy

Grove describes his approach as fundamentally different from traditional sales leadership: “My energy comes from watching MSPs have those breakthrough moments when they realize they can own the AI conversation with their clients instead of being intimidated by it. That’s what drives me.”
At CloudIT, Grove pioneered a coaching methodology that focused on partner enablement over product pushing. His team developed playbooks, conducted hands-on training sessions, and provided ongoing mentorship that helped MSPs build sustainable growth engines.

Coaching MSPs Through the AI Confidence Gap

The managed services market is projected to reach $731 billion by 2030, with AI representing the fastest-growing segment. Yet a significant expertise gap persists: 93% of MSPs cite data quality issues as barriers to AI implementation, while 52% struggle with legacy system integration and 52% face shortages of skilled AI professionals. Only 42% of MSPs report AI integration levels above 25%, indicating most remain in early adoption stages.

Grove will address this gap by expanding Synthreo’s MSP GTM support engineering function into a comprehensive coaching program:

• Sales Confidence Building: Helping MSPs develop the expertise to lead AI conversations with clients, moving beyond selling product to delivering strategic advisory relationships
• Practice Development: Coaching partners through the process of building profitable AI service offerings that differentiate them in competitive markets
• Revenue Optimization: Supporting MSPs as they scale from pilot projects to recurring AI revenue streams, with partners reporting accelerated deal velocity and expanded service margins

“The biggest barrier for MSPs isn’t understanding AI it’s believing they can be the AI authority for their clients,” Grove explained. “My job is to coach them through that transformation, to help them see that they’re not just reselling technology; they’re becoming strategic advisors.”
Grove is joined by Jay Henningfeld as Director of Marketing, who will support the coaching initiative with enablement tools, training materials, and co-marketing campaigns designed to build MSP confidence and capabilities.

From Experimentation to Strategic Implementation

The timing is critical. Research shows 91% of small businesses using AI report revenue boosts, with 87% saying it helps them scale operations and 86% experiencing improved margins. Small business AI adoption surged 41% year-over-year, jumping from 39% in 2024 to 55% in 2025.
However, there’s a significant gap between AI experimentation and strategic value creation. While 75% of SMBs are using AI tools, most are limited to surface-level applications chatbots for customer service, content generation, or basic automation. Few are capturing the transformative value that comes from strategically integrating AI across their business processes.

“SMB's are now generally dipping their toe and playing with AI, but they aren't fully leveraging this next frontier of technology to drive growth, yet. The opportunity in front of the MSP community to deliver this at scale absolutely fires me up! said Grove. He continued “that’s where MSPs become invaluable they understand the client’s entire technology stack and business processes in ways that individual business owners simply can’t.”

“The opportunity isn’t just selling AI tools it’s about business process transformation,” said Sapien. “MSPs who understand this become indispensable strategic partners, not just technology vendors. That’s the shift Kyle will help our partners make.”

Synthreo’s platform currently supports MSPs serving end clients across diverse industries. Internal data from Synthreo partners shows significantly faster implementation times and expanded deal sizes when MSPs lead with AI capabilities, demonstrating the revenue impact of confident, consultative positioning.

Beyond Traditional Revenue Leadership

“Traditional CROs optimize for quarterly numbers,” said Sapien. “Kyle optimizes for partner transformation. When MSPs succeed long-term, everyone wins. That coaching mindset is what will separate Synthreo in this market.”

Unlike Microsoft Copilot or Google AI, which require MSPs to become product experts for specific tools, Synthreo’s no-code platform enables MSPs to build custom solutions across any environment giving them the flexibility to truly own the AI relationship with their clients.
“Kyle understands that MSPs don’t want to be order-takers; they want to be problem-solvers,” said Grove. “My mission is to coach them into that role; to help them realize they have everything they need to become their clients’ AI authority. The market opportunity is massive 59% of MSPs expect over 20% revenue growth in 2025 but capturing it requires confidence, not just capability.”

About Synthreo

Founded in 2025, Synthreo is the first AI platform built exclusively for Managed Service Providers. Its no-code platform enables MSPs to create, deploy, and manage custom AI agents across any environment, helping partners build profitable AI practices without vendor lock-in. With a coaching-first approach to partner success, Synthreo is rapidly becoming the go-to platform for MSPs looking to own the AI relationship with their clients.

Jay Henningfled
Synthreo
+1 727-251-8477
email us here

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