INDUSTRY APPOINTMENTS
Cisco appoints
David Meads as Vice
President for Middle
East and Africa
Cisco has announced the appointment of
David Meads as Vice President for its Middle
East and Africa operations. In the current
era of digital disruption, Meads, in this newly
created role, will oversee the execution
of Cisco’s strategy in these two regions,
ensuring the technology leader maintains
its momentum at the forefront of digital
transformation efforts.
As digital adoption gathers pace in
the Middle East and Africa, the new
geographical set up under Meads will allow
for greater synergies, relevancy and sharing
of best practices across the two regions.
“David Meads’ appointment to lead
Cisco’s business in the Middle East and
Africa comes at a time of tremendous
potential for the region to reap the benefits
of digital transformation, supported by
the prioritisation of digitisation in both
government and business agendas,” said
Edwin Paalvast, President, Cisco EMEAR.
With more than 30 years’ experience in
the IT industry, Meads joined Cisco in 1996
and was most recently Cisco’s Vice President
for Africa, where he was responsible for
partnering with organisations across
the continent to help them implement
strategies to unlock the full potential of
the digital era. Over the years he has
developed a reputation as a trusted adviser
to enterprises and governments, partnering
with them to deliver competitive advantages
and efficiencies gained by adopting digital
technologies. Meads will be based in Dubai,
Cisco’s hub for the Middle East.
“As we deepen the commitment to the
region, we’re excited to have someone of
David’s calibre at the helm to spearhead our
strategy and support customers along their
digitisation journey. One of David’s priorities
will be helping Cisco’s customers and
partners create value in a highly connected,
digital world, while enabling greater
responsiveness to emerging market and
customer needs,” concluded Paalvast.
“I look forward to taking on the
additional responsibility of a fast-evolving,
dynamic region and to working with the
phenomenal team we have in place,” said
David Meads, Vice President, Cisco Middle
East and Africa. “Combined, the Middle East
and Africa region has the world’s youngest
demographic and presents a significant
market opportunity, where new business
models and innovative technology adoption
are addressing unique market
needs. Cisco’s expansive
portfolio allows us to partner
with our customers and support
their digital journey.”
A veteran business leader,
David Meads has rich sales
leadership and general
management credentials. He
has held various leadership
positions within Cisco, including
a three-year stint as Managing
Director for South Africa, based
in Johannesburg. During this
time, he achieved exceptional
levels of employee engagement
within the organisation and
helped the country develop
its e-skills initiative, aimed
at harnessing the power of
technology for inclusive socio-
economic development.
Zyxel Communications
appoints Mamoun
Abdullah as new GM
and Head of Channel
for the Middle East
Zyxel Communications, a broadband
networking company that provides leading
Internet solutions, has announced the
appointment of Mamoun Abdullah as the
company’s General Manager and Head of
Channel for the Middle East region. In his
new position, Abdullah will oversee the
Middle East’s channel operations, placing
key focus on identifying, mentoring and
managing potential as well as current
partners to grow Zyxel’s regional business.
Abdullah is expected to lead the company’s
continuing efforts to establish itself as the
most channel-friendly company, while also
implementing strategies that are aimed at
increasing effectiveness of marketing and
communication to maximise the recall factor
among channel partners.
With more than 16 years of experience
in channel sales management, business
development, managed services,
product strategy management and
team management, Abdullah is highly
experienced in the field of information
technology, networking and security. He
is widely proficient and has an in-depth
understanding of market dynamics and
related economic, cultural and geopolitical
drivers within the Middle East.
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