Cisco names new CEO for UK & Ireland

Cisco has announced the appointment of Sarah Walker as its new chief executive for the UK and Ireland.

Walker steps into the role having led Cisco’s Enterprise business in the UK and Ireland for the last two years, where she was responsible for the company’s relationship with more than 100 large, private sector organizations across key sectors.

She is also involved in Cisco’s relationship with wider communities, being the executive sponsor of Women of Cisco in the UK and Ireland, non-executive director at Liverpool Women’s Hospital Trust, and is the Chair of the Board of Trustees at Greater Manchester Academies Trust.

Prior to joining the business, the seasoned technology and communications veteran spent almost 25 years at BT in various senior leadership positions across both the public and private sectors - most recently serving as the company’s director for corporate and public sector.

Walker succeeds David Meads, who now transitions to lead Cisco’s operations in the Middle East and Africa.

“Sarah brings not only a proven track record in leveraging technology to solve problems and create value for organizations across the public and private sectors, but also a wealth of energy and innovative thinking,” commented Oliver Tuszik, Cisco’s president for Europe, Middle East, and Africa.

“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.”

Appointment comes at a critical time for Cisco

Cisco plays a prominent role in internet connectivity across the UK and Ireland, with nearly every connection in the region touching the company’s technology and services. Through its Digital Impact office, Cisco also specializes in digital skills training in more than 300 Cisco Networking Academies across the UK and Ireland.

To date, the firm has successfully supported hundreds of projects to help accelerate digitisation in the region via its Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program, from connecting remote communities, to improving connectivity and the digital skills of the national health service.

Commenting on her appointment, Walker said the move comes at an “important juncture” for the region, the technology industry, and Cisco’s customers as new technologies such as AI gain prominence.

“AI is creating even clearer lines between the outcomes that technology can support, the strategic objectives of organizations and the needs of society,” she explained. “The way we utilize 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 organizations, over 200 universities and colleges and over 500,000 Cisco.