NewsUC&C5 Aug 2024 · 3 min read

Cisco Appoints New Chief Executive for UK and Ireland

Cisco has appointed the former BT exec Sarah Walker as its new Chief executive for UK and Ireland.

Cisco UK and Ireland chief executive appointment

Cisco has appointed the former BT exec Sarah Walker as its new Chief executive for UK and Ireland.

Walker takes over from David Meads who, in turn, is assuming the role of company operations in the Middle East and Africa.

According to the US technology company Cisco, she has a breadth of experience within the technology and communications industry, including 25 years working in various leadership positions within both the public and private sector.

Oliver Tuszik, President, Europe, Middle East and Africa at Cisco, produced a glowing reference for Walker:

“Sarah brings not only a proven track record in leveraging technology to solve problems and create value for organisations across the public and private sectors, but also a wealth of energy and innovative thinking.

“I could not be more confident in her ability to lead the Cisco team in the UK and Ireland to create an even greater impact through our solutions, benefiting our customers, partners and the community.”

Walker Steps Up

Cisco’s related press release explains that Sarah Walker has historically focussed on taking a customer first approach, alongside deploying technologies that enable greater business outcomes.

Walker joined Cisco in August 2022 as a managing director of Cisco’s Enterprise businesses within the UK and Ireland, where she was responsible for managing relationship with over one hundred major private sector firms over key verticals within the two regions, such as transport, pharmaceuticals, financial services, and more.

Beyond helping customers, Walker also works to support and empower communities of people through her positions as executive sponsor of Women of Cisco in the UK and Ireland, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Greater Manchester Academies Trust, and Non-Executive Director at Liverpool Women’s Hospital Trust.

Walker shared her feelings about the latest role: “I am delighted to be stepping in to this role at such an important juncture for the nation, the technology industry and for our customers.

“AI is creating even clearer lines between the outcomes that technology can support, the strategic objectives of organisations and the needs of society.

“The way we utilise and build for AI now, will shape the next decade and I truly believe that no one is better placed than Cisco to ensure that we do so securely and responsibly.”

“We have some of the best technology minds in our community of over 4,000 partner organisations, over 200 universities and colleges and over 500,000 Cisco Networking Academy students; what we are able to do together is unmatched.”

Giving a sense of the nature and scale of operations that Walker will preside over, Cisco claims that nearly all internet connections within the UK and Ireland will have touchpoints with its own services, which include enabling businesses of all shapes and sizes to establish secure connections.

Cisco’s Digital Impact Office offers digital skills training to more than 300 Cisco Networking Academies across the region, as well as supporting hundreds of projects through its Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) programme).

Its work has ranged from bringing connections to remote areas to introducing applicable skills and knowledge for those working with technologies in the National Health Service.

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