Dive Brief:
- Robert Soderbery, the head of Cisco Systems' enterprise engineering division, is leaving the company, according to a post on LinkedIn.
- Soderbery helped lead Cisco’s Digital Network Architecture and the Meraki acquisition, according to CRN. The company has been working to shift its core offerings to focus on security, IoT, collaboration, the next generation of data center technology and cloud technology.
- Soderbery was at Cisco for seven years. Jeff Reed, senior vice president of Cisco's Enterprise Infrastructure and Solutions, will take over Soderbery's networking responsibilities, according to Cisco.
Dive Insight:
Soderbery did not say where he plans to go next. He previously worked at Symantec. In his LinkedIn post about his "seven year itch" to move on from Cisco, Soderbery delved into how the approach toward enterprise technology has changed, with the move from "technology as infrastructure to technology as product." On top of that, technology is disrupting global business, not just the tech sector.
As the market shifts, Cisco has struggled to maintain its revenue stream. Revenue for Cisco’s core businesses— switching and routing systems — has been steadily weakening as the market has evolved. Last month, the company announced plans to lay off 5,500 employees, or approximately 7% of its workforce, as part of a restructuring effort. The company is also looking toward subscription-based offerings.
The company may continue to see executive shakeups as it works to reinvent itself in the new tech landscape.