For Padmasree Warrior, it is business as usual at the world’s largest computer networking gear maker, Cisco Systems.
The 51-year-old, regarded as one of the most powerful women in the Silicon Valley, is one of the contenders for the company’s Chief Executive Officer’s (CEO) post.
In April this year, Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers said that two Indians — Warrior, its Chief Technology and Strategy Officer, and Executive Vice-President and Chief Development Officer Pankaj Patel, 58 — among others were possible candidates for the post. Chambers, 63, plans to step down sometime in the next two-to-four years. “I am very flattered and honoured. This shows that he (Chambers) has a lot of confidence in his leadership team … My own aspiration right now is to be the best Chief Technology and Strategic Officer in the industry,” Warrior said in an interview to
“I think the board will make a decision on who will succeed John (Chambers) and whoever they choose, I am happy to support them,” she said, adding that her day-to-day activities at Cisco continue uninterrupted as industry keeps its fingers crossed.
“I have a huge responsibility in the company,” she added.
While Pankaj Patel declined to comment, Chambers reiterated that both Warrior and Patel were among the contenders for the top job. “We will make an announcement about six months before the transition,” Chambers said, but declined to divulge any details.
ACQUISITIONS
For Warrior, acquisitions would be the way forward. Apart from being Cisco’s CTO, Warrior, who had joined the company in 2007 from Motorola, is also in charge of mergers and acquisitions. During the past 12 months, she had led the company through 14 acquisitions, including that of privately-held firm Ubiquisys. “All the 14 were in cloud, recurring revenue and software, and this could be an indication of the direction where we are headed. We are looking at acquisitions from a talent perspective or capability perspective. You will see us doing more of this,” she said.
Warrior, who has more than 1.4 million Twitter followers, is also looking at enabling video on the cloud as it benefits the educational and retail sectors in India.
(This correspondent was in Boston at the invitation of Cisco.)