Cisco TechBeat

AB joins Chef José Andrés and Brian Tippens for a powerful talk on food, disaster relief, and how technology helps World Central Kitchen deliver hope globally.

Join AB for a candid conversation with AI luminaries Pascal Bornet and Sam Charrington. From the sci-fi films that sparked their early interest in tech to the strategic frameworks for mastering today's AI, this episode bridges the gap between high-level industry insight and the personal stories that shaped their careers. Discover how to move beyond the hype and truly harness the power of AI.

AB sits down with Ammar Maraqa, Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer, to discuss topics such as turning an acquisition into a competitive advantage, fostering an agile and customer-centric culture, aligning business cases with long-term innovation goals to drive real value, and much more.

AB sits down with Akshay Bhargava, Cisco's VP of Product Management, AI Software and Platform, to chat about AgenticOps, how Cisco is providing guardrails to keep AI safe, and the risks modern businesses face if they fail to adopt AI quickly. 

AB chats with Anthony Grieco, Cisco's SVP & Chief Security & Trust Officer, Security and Trust Organization, and Eric Wenger, Cisco's Senior Director, Technology Policy, Global Government Affairs, about how Cisco is revolutionizing product security by removing insecure protocols, updating defaults, and strengthening authentication across our portfolio. 

AB sits down with Tom Gillis, Cisco’s SVP and GM, Infrastructure & Security Group, to explore the crucial role security plays in the ever-changing AI landscape. 

AB sits down with Tim Coogan, Cisco's SVP, Global Partner Sales, for a fun chat about the important role partners play to drive positive business outcomes. From partnering in the AI era to the link between sales and partnerships, this informative conversation highlights why it’s critical for business to cultivate a powerful partner ecosystem. 

AB sits down with Gordon Thomson, Cisco’s SVP EMEA Sales and EMEA President, for a great talk about The EMEA Moment, sovereign critical infrastructure, and how AI is a tool that is helping unlock human potential.

AB sits down with Zeus Kerravala, founder of ZK Research and a leading technology industry analyst, for a great conversation on the role analysts play in the world of tech , trends and innovations related to AI infrastructure, why the network is critical to AI workloads , and more.  

AB sits down with Fran Katsoudas, Cisco EVP and Chief People, Policy, and Purpose Officer, to explore her 29-year career journey-from starting in the TAC Center to leading Cisco's people and purpose initiatives. Discover Fran's insights on AI's transformative impact on the workplace and how Cisco empowers employees in the AI era. She also shares her role as Chair of the Global Citiz...

AB sits down with Carlos Pereira, Cisco Fellow & CX Chief Architect, for a fun conversation that cuts through the hype and discusses the real challenges and opportunities of AI adoption. Learn how AI is revolutionizing customer engagement and operational efficiency, and hear why Cisco is uniquely positioned to be the trusted partner for companies that strive to further integrate AI into their...

AB sits down with Snorre Kjesbu, SVP & GM of Employee Experience at Cisco, for a great conversation on  a variety of topics such as the value of AI-powered collaboration in the workplace; unifying devices, spaces, and workflows to enhance employees’ day-to-day experience; and how Cisco is helping organizations prepare for the future with a platform that simplifies management, future-proofs inv...

AB sits down with Jorge Ramirez, GM's Global Director Automation, Chief Manufacturing Cybersecurity Officer, to discuss how GM leverages Cisco technology extensively across its global manufacturing plants to enhance operational efficiency, cybersecurity, and network visibility. 

AB sits down with PepsiCo’s Rajat Arora, Global Head of Networks and IT/OT Infrastructure, to talk about how Cisco technologies and solutions are driving better business outcomes for PepsiCo across the globe. This is a great conversation that covers a variety of topics, from IT/OT convergence to the integration of Cisco WAN to self-healing networks.

AB sits down with three of Cisco’s leaders: Lawrence Huang, SVP and GM of Network Platform and Wireless; Greg Dorai, SVP and GM of Cisco's Switching business; and Vikas Butaney, SVP and GM of Cisco Routing and Industrial IoT, to discuss Cisco's latest advancements, from AI-driven network management to Industrial IoT solutions, highlighting how these and other technologies are transformin...

AB sits down with Ramana Kompella, Cisco Fellow and Head of Cisco Research, for a great talk about Cisco's focus on quantum networking as a next-generation technology. From networking entanglement to the importance of research to the development of Cisco's new networking-entanglement chip, this conversation highlights how Cisco is innovating in ways that aim to unify classical and quantu...

AB sits down with Cisco’s CIO, Fletcher Previn, to talk about the role IT plays in driving business success. Fletcher shares his thoughts on the skills needed for the future of IT, how AI can enhance human potential, and why individual creativity can drive even better IT experiences and outcomes. 

AB sits down for a fun, informative, in-person chat with Kelly Jones, Cisco’s Chief People Officer, to discuss a variety of topics ranging from empathetic leadership to wellbeing in the workplace to future trends that could transform the HR landscape in 2025.

In this insightful and engaging episode, AB engages in a conversation with Dr. Guy Diedrich, Cisco's Senior Vice President and Global Innovation Officer, to explore the impressive global influence of the Cisco Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program. Marking its 10th anniversary, CDA has played a crucial role in narrowing the digital divide worldwide. This discussion delves into key subjec...

Wawira Njiru serves as the Founder and CEO of Food 4 Education, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating childhood hunger in Kenya by providing meals to over 500,000 students annually. In this insightful discussion, AB engages with Wawira and Brian Tippens, Cisco's Senior Vice President and Chief Social Impact & Inclusion Officer, to explore the significance of community-driven in...

At Cisco, partnerships aren't merely a business transaction — they hinge on personal connections that have been cultivated over time. AB sits down with Rodney Clark, Cisco's SVP, Partnerships and Small & Medium Businesses, to chat about the ever-evolving partner ecosystem at Cisco. This great conversation dives into topics such as streamlining the partner experience, the shift from p...

AB sits down with Matt Caulfield, VP of Identity and Duo, Cisco Security, to talk about the vision and strategy for Cisco’s identity portfolio. This insightful conversation spans various topics, including multi-factor authentication (MFA), social engineering, and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in identity security technologies.

AB sits down with Matt MacPherson, Chief Technology Officer, Cisco Wireless, for an informative chat about the current state of Wi-Fi and cellular convergence, the importance of seamless roaming across Wi-Fi and cellular networks, and how Wi-Fi 7 is enhancing the user experience when compared to earlier Wi-Fi standards. 

AB sits down with Bert Soto, Chief Diversity Officer and Vice President of Sales at TGS, the official technology provider for the Kansas City Chiefs, 2024 NFL Champions. This great conversation focuses on the company's trajectory from a small business to a comprehensive IT consulting firm that handles all facets of an IT environment, including managed services, automation/AI, security platfor...

AB sits down with Papi Menon, VP of Product Management at Outshift by Cisco, to discuss Outshift’s charter to foster new and cutting-edge tech ideas and tools to help technology teams succeed in the future. Building successful products is not an overnight effort, and this enlightening conversation emphasizes the critical roles of commitment and patience in guiding a new product from its initial co...