Cisco Picks Insider to Manage Domestic Channels

Previously operations director for Cisco's Atlantic Area Channels and Federal Channels efforts, Robbins replaces Bob Bruce, who several months ago took another assignment inside Cisco to serve as vice president of worldwide service provider partners.

The latest change is but one of several made by Cisco of late. Recently, for example, the company lured Edison Peres from Avaya to serve as Cisco's vice president of emerging technologies for worldwide channels. His appointment came on the heels of naming Paul Mountford as senior vice president of worldwide channels at Cisco. Mountford replaced Tom Mitchell, who rose to the position of executive vice president of worldwide channels before retiring from the company last year. Mitchell played a key role in helping to transform Cisco from a company dependent on direct sales to one that generated the bulk of its business from indirect sales. Today's new managers face altogether different challenges, according to partners.

"The top challenge for Cisco partners is making money with the company's products," says Sam Kumar, president of Microtech-Tel of Denver. "With so many partners and a mature channel, the company has its work cut out in trying to make it so third parties can engage it profitably."

Cisco has tried several ways to strengthen its channels in the past year, including requiring partners to choose among a growing number of specialties. While the effort clearly improved skills and awareness, it has yet to materially impact profitability, partners say. That must change, says Cisco's vice president of U.S. channel programs and distribution, Tushar Kothari. In an interview two weeks ago, Kothari said improving partner profitability is among Cisco's top priorities this fiscal year.

Amid that back drop, Robbins takes center stage beginning next month at the vendor's partner summit. In his new role, he will be responsible for driving channel strategy in the U.S. and managing day-to-day operations in the field. He'll work in conjunction with Kothari and, likewise, report directly to Mountford.

In his previous role, Robbins was responsible for sales, support and operations for enterprise channel business from Pennsylvania to Louisiana. A five year Cisco veteran, Robbins started his career at Cisco as an account manager. After rising through the ranks, he accepted his role as operations director in 2000. Thanks, in part, to his efforts, the Atlantic and Federal areas were two of the top three top performing areas in the entire U.S. Channels organization last fiscal year, according to the company.

Before joining Cisco, Robbins spent six years in various sales and management positions at Bay Networks and Ascend Communications.