Cisco Channel Chief Rodney Clark Out; Sales Veteran Tim Coogan Steps In To Lead Global Channel

A spokesperson says that Cisco 360, the company’s soon-to-be fully revamped partner program that was designed under the direction of Clark, is ‘moving forward as planned.’

Rodney Clark, Cisco Systems’ global channel chief of less than two years, is leaving the company, CRN has learned.

Clark, Cisco’s senior vice president of global partner sales, who oversaw partnerships and small and medium business, will stay on as a strategic advisor through the end of the year. Effective immediately, however, Tim Coogan, Cisco’s former senior vice president of U.S. commercial business, will take on the senior vice president role overseeing the Global Partner Sales organization.

The spokesperson said that Cisco 360, the firm’s soon-to-be fully revamped partner program that was designed under the direction of Clark, is “moving forward as planned.”

CRN has reached out to Clark for comment.

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“Cisco’s commitment to partners runs deep and it’s top of mind for our most senior leaders. With our CEO having served as a former channel chief, our chief sales officer bringing extensive experience as both a former partner and Cisco’s head of channel for five years, and our new channel leader previously leading the U.S. commercial organization …our commitment to the channel remains unwavering. Partners can expect a seamless continuation of our collaborative journey, with a leadership team that truly understands and champions the channel’s success,” Oliver Tuszik, chief sales officer and executive vice president for Cisco, said in an email to CRN on the channel chief transition.

Cisco has been working with partners closely to ensure a successful transition to the new Cisco 360 partner program, which has been rolling out to partners over the last few months, according to Elisabeth De Dobbeleer, senior vice president, Cisco Partner Program. De Dobbeleer has been working with Clark since the formal introduction of Cisco 360 at Cisco Partner Summit in November.

The tech giant first revealed Cisco 360 in an exclusive to CRN ahead of Partner Summit as a program being built to attract more MSPs and MSSPs with its focus on the value partners bring, rather than transactions. Cisco 360 represents a marked break from the biggest payouts going to partners landing large, capex infrastructure deals, but the massive overhaul to the iconic, 30-year-old program hasn’t been popular with all of the tech giant’s partners.

Cisco last month unveiled a series of updates, including a reworked value index across its six portfolios on which partners will be measured, incentives and benefits that are being shaped by new and important areas of technology for the tech giant, and a brand-new Cisco Partner Incentive Estimator, a tool that will help partners determine their profitability within the structure of the new program, Cisco told CRN in July.

“Our unwavering commitment to the Cisco 360 Partner Program and our partner ecosystem remains a top priority, and I am confident that, together with [Coogan] and our exceptional team, we will continue to drive outstanding value and growth for our partners and customers,” De Dobbeleer said in an emailed statement to CRN.

Coogan, for his part, is a 25-year Cisco veteran who has held a number of positions for the company, most recently as senior vice president of Cisco’s U.S. commercial business where he oversaw more than $7 billion in annual product and service sales across a diverse customer base, including small and medium businesses as well as Fortune 1000 companies. Coogan also held the position of area vice president for Cisco’s Global Enterprise Segment.

“I am honored to lead this world-class organization and excited to help our partners unlock the full potential of Cisco’s portfolio to deliver even greater value to customers. Together, we will accelerate mutual growth and build on the strong momentum that Cisco and our partners have created,” Coogan said in an emailed statement to CRN.

The Cisco spokesperson added that Clark and Coogan are “committed to ensuring a smooth transition” and that Cisco remains confident in its partner strategy.

“We wish [Clark] continued success in his future endeavors,” the spokesperson said.