Cisco TechBeat

AB sits down with Carrie Palin, Cisco’s Chief Marketing Officer, for a spirited conversation on a variety of topics, from her journey as a marketing leader across several tech giants, to the skills she looks for when building an incredible organization, to how AI is positively reshaping the marketing landscape and customer outcomes. 

AB joins Chef José Andrés and Brian Tippens for a powerful talk on food, disaster relief, and how technology helps World Central Kitchen deliver hope globally.

Join AB for a candid conversation with AI luminaries Pascal Bornet and Sam Charrington. From the sci-fi films that sparked their early interest in tech to the strategic frameworks for mastering today's AI, this episode bridges the gap between high-level industry insight and the personal stories that shaped their careers. Discover how to move beyond the hype and truly harness the power of AI.

AB sits down with Ammar Maraqa, Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer, to discuss topics such as turning an acquisition into a competitive advantage, fostering an agile and customer-centric culture, aligning business cases with long-term innovation goals to drive real value, and much more.

AB sits down with Akshay Bhargava, Cisco's VP of Product Management, AI Software and Platform, to chat about AgenticOps, how Cisco is providing guardrails to keep AI safe, and the risks modern businesses face if they fail to adopt AI quickly. 

AB chats with Anthony Grieco, Cisco's SVP & Chief Security & Trust Officer, Security and Trust Organization, and Eric Wenger, Cisco's Senior Director, Technology Policy, Global Government Affairs, about how Cisco is revolutionizing product security by removing insecure protocols, updating defaults, and strengthening authentication across our portfolio. 

AB sits down with Tom Gillis, Cisco’s SVP and GM, Infrastructure & Security Group, to explore the crucial role security plays in the ever-changing AI landscape. 

AB sits down with Tim Coogan, Cisco's SVP, Global Partner Sales, for a fun chat about the important role partners play to drive positive business outcomes. From partnering in the AI era to the link between sales and partnerships, this informative conversation highlights why it’s critical for business to cultivate a powerful partner ecosystem. 

AB sits down with Gordon Thomson, Cisco’s SVP EMEA Sales and EMEA President, for a great talk about The EMEA Moment, sovereign critical infrastructure, and how AI is a tool that is helping unlock human potential.

AB sits down with Zeus Kerravala, founder of ZK Research and a leading technology industry analyst, for a great conversation on the role analysts play in the world of tech, trends and innovations related to AI infrastructure, why the network is critical to AI workloads , and more. 

AB sits down with Fran Katsoudas, Cisco EVP and Chief People, Policy, and Purpose Officer, to explore her 29-year career journey-from starting in the TAC Center to leading Cisco's people and purpose initiatives. Discover Fran's insights on AI's transformative impact on the workplace and how Cisco empowers employees in the AI era. She also shares her role as Chair of the Global Citizen Festival and how the event drives positive global change through technology and community engagement.

AB sits down with Carlos Pereira, Cisco Fellow & CX Chief Architect, for a fun conversation that cuts through the hype and discusses the real challenges and opportunities of AI adoption. Learn how AI is revolutionizing customer engagement and operational efficiency, and hear why Cisco is uniquely positioned to be the trusted partner for companies that strive to further integrate AI into their businesses.  

AB sits down with Snorre Kjesbu, SVP & GM of Employee Experience at Cisco, for a great conversation on  a variety of topics such as the value of AI-powered collaboration in the workplace; unifying devices, spaces, and workflows to enhance employees’ day-to-day experience; and how Cisco is helping organizations prepare for the future with a platform that simplifies management, future-proofs investments, and unlocks intelligence everywhere work happens. 

AB sits down with Jorge Ramirez, GM's Global Director Automation, Chief Manufacturing Cybersecurity Officer, to discuss how GM leverages Cisco technology extensively across its global manufacturing plants to enhance operational efficiency, cybersecurity, and network visibility. 

AB sits down with PepsiCo’s Rajat Arora, Global Head of Networks and IT/OT Infrastructure, to talk about how Cisco technologies and solutions are driving better business outcomes for PepsiCo across the globe. This is a great conversation that covers a variety of topics, from IT/OT convergence to the integration of Cisco WAN to self-healing networks.

AB sits down with three of Cisco’s leaders: Lawrence Huang, SVP and GM of Network Platform and Wireless; Greg Dorai, SVP and GM of Cisco's Switching business; and Vikas Butaney, SVP and GM of Cisco Routing and Industrial IoT, to discuss Cisco's latest advancements, from AI-driven network management to Industrial IoT solutions, highlighting how these and other technologies are transforming the way businesses operate across diverse environments to deliver operational simplicity to our customers. 

AB sits down with Ramana Kompella, Cisco Fellow and Head of Cisco Research, for a great talk about Cisco's focus on quantum networking as a next-generation technology. From networking entanglement to the importance of research to the development of Cisco's new networking-entanglement chip, this conversation highlights how Cisco is innovating in ways that aim to unify classical and quantum internet infrastructures.

AB sits down with Cisco’s CIO, Fletcher Previn, to talk about the role IT plays in driving business success. Fletcher shares his thoughts on the skills needed for the future of IT, how AI can enhance human potential, and why individual creativity can drive even better IT experiences and outcomes. 

AB sits down for a fun, informative, in-person chat with Kelly Jones, Cisco’s Chief People Officer, to discuss a variety of topics ranging from empathetic leadership to wellbeing in the workplace to future trends that could transform the HR landscape in 2025.

In this insightful and engaging episode, AB engages in a conversation with Dr. Guy Diedrich, Cisco's Senior Vice President and Global Innovation Officer, to explore the impressive global influence of the Cisco Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program. Marking its 10th anniversary, CDA has played a crucial role in narrowing the digital divide worldwide. This discussion delves into key subjects such as differentiating between resource availability and accessibility, building trust between global leaders and Cisco, and the importance of education and skill development to enhance countries' digital competitiveness, among many other topics

Wawira Njiru serves as the Founder and CEO of Food 4 Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating childhood hunger in Kenya by providing meals to over 500,000 students annually. In this insightful discussion, AB engages with Wawira and Brian Tippens, Cisco's Senior Vice President and Chief Social Impact & Inclusion Officer, to explore the significance of community-driven initiatives, the implementation of sustainable practices in tackling the global food crisis, the crucial role of trust in fostering partnerships between corporations and communities, and much more.

At Cisco, partnerships aren't merely a business transaction — they hinge on personal connections that have been cultivated over time. AB sits down with Rodney Clark, Cisco's SVP, Partnerships and Small & Medium Businesses, to chat about the ever-evolving partner ecosystem at Cisco. This great conversation dives into topics such as streamlining the partner experience, the shift from products to outcomes, the role of AI in driving better end-user experiences, and much more. 

AB sits down with Matt Caulfield, VP of Identity and Duo, Cisco Security, to talk about the vision and strategy for Cisco’s identity portfolio. This insightful conversation spans various topics, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), social engineering, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in identity security technologies.

AB sits down with Matt MacPherson, Chief Technology Officer, Cisco Wireless, for an informative chat about the current state of Wi-Fi and cellular convergence, the importance of seamless roaming across Wi-Fi and cellular networks, and how Wi-Fi 7 is enhancing the user experience when compared to earlier Wi-Fi standards. 

AB sits down with Bert Soto, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Sales at TGS, the official technology provider for the Kansas City Chiefs, 2024 NFL Champions. This great conversation focuses on the company's trajectory from a small business to a comprehensive IT consulting firm that handles all facets of an IT environment, including managed services, automation/AI, security platforms, and end-user devices. 

AB sits down with Papi Menon, VP of Product Management at Outshift by Cisco, to discuss Outshift’s charter to foster new and cutting-edge tech ideas and tools to help technology teams succeed in the future. Building successful products is not an overnight effort, and this enlightening conversation emphasizes the critical roles of commitment and patience in guiding a new product from its initial concept to market launch.

AB sits down with Joe Vaccaro, GM, Cisco ThousandEyes, for a great conversation on the unique technology of ThousandEyes and how it is becoming the de facto digital experience assurance solution across Cisco products and beyond, helping customers deliver excellent digital experiences. Beyond the tech talk, Joe also discusses his passion for family, the great outdoors, and a lot more. 

AB sits down with Denise Lee, Cisco’s VP Engineering Sustainability Office, for a great chat on a wide range of topics, from circular design to embedding sustainability principles into business practices to achieving overall sustainability goals. This is also a great conversation for anyone looking to explore the diversity within sustainability roles that exist at companies like Cisco. 

AB welcomes Adele Trombetta, Cisco’s SVP and GM, Cisco CX EMEA, for a fun and spirited conversation on her passion for technology and her mission to create an extensive inclusive culture program in EMEA. From her days as a young mechanical engineer to her current role as a CX leader at Cisco, Adele’s story is a perfect example of how even in an industry overwhelmingly dominated by men, being a woman AND a super successful tech leader at the same time is an achievable goal.

AB sits down with his friend and colleague Classye James to talk about the challenging shift many athletes face when moving from their sports careers to positions in the business sector. Serving as a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Events & Activations Business Leader at Cisco, Classye is committed to developing tools that enable former athletes to work and thrive in corporate roles within organizations such as Cisco.

AB kicks off 2024 with a fun episode featuring Nick Biasini, Head of Outreach, Cisco Talos. This is a great conversation that highlights some of the top cyber threats from 2023, while looking to what the trends in cybersecurity may be in 2024, from AI to ransomware to social engineering, and more. AB also presses Nick on his passion and commitment to making the best cup of coffee possible. Check it out!

AB sits down for a fantastic chat with Gloria Goins, Cisco's Chief Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer. This fun conversation dives into what DEI really means and highlights how Gloria and her team are working hard to drive Cisco's DEI strategy by fostering inclusive communities and promoting equity. Some of the great topics discussed include Gloria's extensive legal background and how that  has served her as a DEI lead; the importance of wellness as a driver of inclusion; why it's so important to communicate effectively and have courageous conversations; and more. 

AB sits down with Cisco’s EVP and Chief Customer and Partner Officer, Jeff Sharritts, for a great talk on the evolving dynamics between sales and the partner ecosystem.  Jeff also dives into other topics such as what it means to be an effective leader, the importance of diversity to fostering company culture and driving better business outcomes, Cisco’s use of AI to improve customer experiences, and much more.

Join AB as he chats with two incredibly influential cybersecurity minds in the industry, Dr. Magda Chelly and David Bombal. This fun, spirited, and engaging conversation explores the life journeys of each guest and covers a wide range of cybersecurity topics including AI, the importance of diversity within cybersecurity, how to better prepare for a cybersecurity career, effective use of social media to market yourself, and so much more.

Great CX is all about building relationships and effective communication, and Cisco and Honeywell have formed an alliance that is taking Customer Experience to the next level. 

Join AB as he sits down with Harry Caldwell, SVP, and General Manager, Cisco Customer Experience (CX), Americas, and Ali Alsaadawi, Lead Enterprise Architect, Honeywell, to discuss how the strong  alliance between both companies is driving incredible CX outcomes.

Join AB as he welcomes Jonathan Davidson, Cisco’s EVP and General Manager, Cisco Networking, for a fascinating chat on life, leadership, and secretly being Tom Hanks? This unexpected conversation touches on the criticality of connectivity in the next era, Sci-Fi visions, and the need for failure, vulnerability, and choice for a trailblazing legacy.

When it comes to battling cybersecurity attackers, Lurene Grenier is all about offense. As Director of Security Architecture at Cisco Talos, she has spent her career analyzing state-sponsored actor trends, writing detection to block those threat actors, and in general, educating users and administrators on how to deploy the most robust security solutions. Lurene joins AB for a great conversation on a variety of topics, from offensive security to infrastructure vulnerabilities to her passion for playing guitar.

As April is Earth Month,  who better to have as a guest than Mary de Wysocki, Cisco's very own Chief Sustainability Officer. Mary sits down with AB to chat about her role in leading Cisco’s sustainability efforts and how we need to work together on a global level to create more sustainable and resilient communities.

AB sits down with Tazin “Taz” Khan for an engaging, friendly chat around a variety of topics ranging from diversity of roles in cybersecurity to ethics and privacy to what it means to be resilient as a woman in the tech industry. Taz shares her transition from retail worker to cybersecurity specialist, and she gives great insight into what excites her the most about the work she does at Cisco and beyond. 

In celebration of Black History Month and all things Social Justice, AB sits down for a great chat with Brian Tippens, Cisco's SVP and Chief Social Impact Officer. A seasoned tech leader with a history of serving in purpose-driven roles, Brian shares his passion for giving back to underserved communities, the importance of driving purpose as a business priority, and highlights how Cisco's comprehensive approach to cultivating a diverse workforce and the deliberate efforts for equality across the tech industry is not only a force for good inside our company but also in the communities where we live and...