Cisco Announces it's Vice President for Middle East and Africa

Cisco has announced the appointment of David Meads as Vice President for its the Middle East and Africa operations. In the current era of digital disruption, Meads, in this newly created role, will oversee the execution of Cisco’s strategy in these two regions, ensuring the technology leader maintains its momentum at the forefront of digital transformation efforts.

Cisco is the worldwide technology leader that has been making the Internet work since 1984, and as digital adoption gathers pace in the Middle East and Africa, the new geographical set up under Vice President, Meads, will allow for greater synergies, relevancy and sharing of best practices across the two regions.

David Meads’ appointment to lead Cisco’s business in the Middle East and Africa comes at a time of tremendous potential for the region to reap the benefits of digital transformation-Edwin Paalvast

“David Meads’ appointment to lead Cisco’s business in the Middle East and Africa comes at a time of tremendous potential for the region to reap the benefits of digital transformation, supported by the prioritization of digitization in both government and business agendas,” said Edwin Paalvast, President, Cisco EMEAR.

With more than 30 years’ experience in the IT industry, Meads is said to have joined Cisco in 1996 and is now Cisco’s Vice President for Africa, where he will be responsible for partnering with organizations across the continent to help them implement strategies to unlock the full potential of the digital era. Over the years he has reportedly developed a reputation as a trusted advisor to enterprises and governments, partnering with them to deliver competitive advantages and efficiencies gained by adopting digital technologies.

Cisco is said to have long-standing government partnerships across the Middle East and Africa and is working closely with relevant government entities in the region on multiple initiatives that support IT skills training and education, as well as the development of entrepreneurship, business and innovation ecosystems.

Combined, the Middle East and Africa region has the world’s youngest demographic and presents a significant market opportunity- David Meads

Vice President for the Middle East and Africa, David Meads also expressed his willingness to take on the additional responsibility of a fast-evolving, dynamic region working with his team. He was also quoted as saying; “Combined, the Middle East and Africa region has the world’s youngest demographic and presents a significant market opportunity, where new business models and innovative technology adoption are addressing unique market needs. Cisco’s expansive portfolio allows us to partner with our customers-supports port their digital journey.”

Cisco_Cathy Smith

Cisco also announced that Cathy Smith – who is currently the Managing Director for Cisco Southern Africa – will now look after the whole of the Sub-Saharan Africa region reporting to David Meads. Olakunle Oloruntimehin (General Manager: Nigeria and English speaking West Africa) and David Bunei (General Manager: East Africa and Indian Ocean Islands) remain in their roles but now report to Smith in her expanded role Cisco revealed.