Today, Cisco announced the appointment of David Meads as Vice President for the Middle East, Africa, Romania, and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Meads succeeds Reem Asaad, who has led Cisco's business in the region for over four years.

In his new role, Meads will oversee Cisco's strategy and commercial operations in the aforementioned regions, focusing on empowering customers and partners to leverage digital technologies for economic growth and societal benefit. Meads will continue serving as Chief Executive of Cisco in the UK and Ireland until the end of Cisco’s fiscal year in July 2024.

With a career spanning three decades across various business functions and geographies, including the Middle East and Africa, Meads brings deep industry and technology expertise to his new role.

Oliver Tuszik, President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Cisco, welcomed Meads back to the region, emphasizing his leadership skills and track record in driving business growth and technology initiatives. Tuszik expressed confidence in Meads' strategic vision and understanding of customer and partner needs, highlighting his role in guiding Cisco's next phase of growth in the region.

Meads expressed his honor and excitement for the opportunity to lead Cisco's business in the vibrant and diverse Middle East, Africa, Romania, and CIS regions. He highlighted the immense potential of the region and Cisco's strong teams and ecosystem of partners to empower customers and contribute to the advancement of national digital agendas.

Having started his career with Cisco in 1996, Meads has held various leadership positions within the company. He served as Chief Executive of Cisco UK & Ireland since 2019 and as VP of Cisco’s EMEA Partner Organization, where he developed strategic initiatives to support partners as the company's primary route to market. Meads also brings extensive experience from his tenure in the Middle East and Africa, where he led Cisco’s business and collaborated with governments and businesses to build technology skills and ecosystems driving economic growth.

The appointment of David Meads underscores Cisco's commitment to driving growth and innovation in the Middle East, Africa, Romania, and CIS regions, positioning the company to capitalize on opportunities and contribute to digital transformation initiatives.