235 – Decoding Customer-Centric Innovation, the Future of Partnerships at Cisco — Ultimate Partner®

Rodney Clark Joins Ultimate Partner®

I was delighted to welcome Rodney Clark, Senior Vice President of Partnerships and Small and Medium Business at Cisco, to Ultimate Partner. Rodney and I worked together at Microsoft, and he was a guest on this platform while leading Microsoft’s Industry-renowned Ecosystem.

This distinguished technology sector leader is bringing his expertise to shape Cisco’s market evolution, specifically the future of partnerships and co-selling to drive innovation and growth.

Throughout his career, Rodney has played a key role as a global leader in technology, fostering collaborations that empower businesses of all sizes. His insights into how companies can leverage technological advancements have made him a respected figure in the industry.

In this conversation, Rodney and I delved into his new role at Cisco and his vision for the future of their partnership, go-to-market (GTM) approach, and sales strategy. We highlighted the crucial role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of technology, the importance of maintaining a customer-centric focus, and how significant shifts driven by hyperscalers—such as cloud commitments, marketplaces, and co-selling—are influencing his plans and strategy.

He believes businesses must adapt to this new environment and offers a roadmap for how organizations can thrive. This is a must-listen episode of Ultimate Partner. I hope you join us for this thought-provoking leadership discussion.

What You’ll Learn From This Episode:

Customer-Centric Focus: Rodney emphasizes the shift in customer behavior and the need for businesses to adapt. [00:00:00]
Rodney’s Role at Cisco: Discusses his journey at Cisco and the focus on connecting partners and industries. [00:01:11]
Shift in Buying Behavior: Transition from a vendor-channel model to a customer-driven, ecosystem-centric approach. [00:04:15]
AI’s Role in Cisco: Cisco focuses on networking, security, and AI integration for customer outcomes. [00:06:55]
Importance of Marketplaces: Rodney highlights Cisco’s collaboration with hyperscalers and the role of marketplaces. [00:10:49]
Partner Enablement and Success: Cisco aims to empower partners through AI training and incentives. [00:13:00]
Future of Cisco’s Partner Ecosystem: Cisco’s vision is to help partners grow through networking, security, and collaboration expertise. [00:32:10]
Co-Sell and Growth Opportunities: Cisco’s growing co-sell business with hyperscalers and its success in driving revenue. [00:38:31]
Cisco Partner Event Theme – Forward as One: Rodney teases Cisco’s October partner event and its focus on partnership-driven growth. [00:40:39]

https://youtu.be/TCVtWtAAM0M?si=2nltzan8HSm28Wp1

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