Cisco Crowns Rodney Clark New Global Channel Chief: Exclusive

The networking giant names Rodney Clark, a Microsoft veteran of more than two decades, as its new SVP, Partnerships and Small & Medium Business, taking over at the helm for Oliver Tuszik, who moved on to lead Cisco EMEA in August.

Ahead of its 2023 Partner Summit this week, Cisco Systems has named Microsoft veteran Rodney Clark as its global channel chief.

Clark, a tech stalwart, is picking up the channel chief mantel from Oliver Tuszik, who sat in the channel chief seat since 2018.

Tuszik, also a Cisco veteran of more than a decade, took on a new role leading Cisco’s Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) region as Cisco’s EMEA president on August 1.

[Related: Rhonda Henley Named New Cisco Americas Channel Chief: Exclusive]

In his new role as SVP, Partnerships and Small & Medium Business, Clark will report to Cisco Executive Vice President and Chief Customer and Partner Officer Jeff Sharritts.

Clark in his new role will enable Cisco’s global ecosystem of partners, while strengthening Cisco’s position in routes to market like Managed Services and Cloud Marketplaces. Clark will also help the tech giant and its partners maximize the massive opportunities in the SMB segment, Sharritts said in a statement on Clark’s appointment.

“Approximately 90 percent of our annual bookings runs through our partners, and [Clark] is the perfect leader to drive our next phase of growth. Our ecosystem of partners is not only our single biggest advantage in the market, but it’s also fundamental to our transformation strategy. I am confident that [Clark] will thrive in this job,” he said.

Clark joins San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco from industrial machinery manufacturer Johnson Controls, where he has served as the company’s chief commercial officer since June 2022. Prior to that, Clark spent more than 24 years at Microsoft where he held a variety of positions, including most recently corporate vice president of global channel sales and channel chief. Before his time at the Redmond, Wash.-based tech giant, Clark spent eight years at IBM in sales and marketing roles.

Clark, who is based in Seattle, will begin his channel chief tenure at Cisco in January, a Cisco spokesperson told CRN.