Cisco Seeking New U.S. Channel Chief

Robbins, group vice president of U.S. and Canada channels for Cisco, has been promoted to senior vice president of Cisco's U.S. commercial business, where he will oversee the 1,300-member direct-touch sales team that calls on customers with fewer than 1,500 employees. The change is effective immediately, with Robbins now reporting to Robert Lloyd, Cisco's senior vice president of U.S. and Canada operations.

Chuck Robbins

Solution providers said they are sad to see Robbins leave his job as North American channel chief, but they applaud Cisco's decision to put a channel veteran in the SMB sales role.

"When you lose somebody as an advocate, you have a little bit of consternation, but then to take someone with channel knowledge and move them into commercial sales is a plus, plus, plus," said Joel Schleicher, CEO of Presidio Networked Solutions, a partner in Greenbelt, Md.

Robbins is replacing Doug Dennerline, who was named senior vice president and general manager of Cisco's Collaboration Software Group, which includes its WebEx conferencing business. Dennerline, himself a channel veteran with vendors such as 3Com, will report to Senior Vice President Don Proctor, who Thursday was named as the head of Cisco's newly created Software Group.

Robbins said he will be able to bring his channel experience to bear in his new role as head of the San Jose, Calif.-based networking vendor's U.S. commercial sales, a business that moves 100-percent through the channel.

"I think what I can bring is a full view of how we can accomplish goals in the commercial segment by including the partners in ways others may not think of because I do know them and I know how we operate and I know our systems and programs and all of those things," Robbins said.

One example Robbins gave is that Cisco could better leverage its channel partners to tackle upgrade opportunities within the installed base rather than relying on its sales force to work up proposals with partners.

The move leaves an empty spot on Cisco's channel team, as the vendor has not yet named a replacement for Robbins, who has led Cisco's U.S. channel for the past five-and-a-half years. Keith Goodwin, Cisco's senior vice president of worldwide channels, said he expects to have the position filled by February 1, the beginning of Cisco's third fiscal quarter.

"We've got a very strong slate of candidates, but on the other hand, I want to make sure I take the appropriate time to vet all of the candidates and put the very best person in the role," Goodwin said. "We're getting close to the short list at this point."

Goodwin said that both internal and external candidates were considered at the outset of the process but said it was too early to comment on whether the short list will be comprised entirely of Cisco veterans.

Mike Fong, chairman and CEO of Calence, Tempe, Ariz., he hopes Cisco names an insider to the position.

"My preference is for someone from inside Cisco. Naming someone from outside of Cisco would be a concern because of all the tribal knowledge. Keep putting more gas on a positive fire," Fong said, of the momentum he's seen Cisco building up with its channel partners.

NEXT: Successor Will Have Challenges To Face