Cisco Names Giancarlo as Technology Chief

Cisco Systems Inc. reshuffled the executive deck in its product development organization Tuesday when it named Charles Giancarlo to the post of chief technology officer.

Giancarlo, who will retain his post as president of Cisco-Linksys LLC, becomes only the third CTO in Cisco’s history. The post has remained vacant since Judith Estrin resigned from it in April 2000.

Giancarlo, who came to Cisco with the 1994 acquisition of Kalpana Inc., also will lead Cisco’s Global Government Solutions Group. Although he will now report to president and CEO John Chambers, Giancarlo will continue to work with Mario Mazzola, senior vice president and chief development officer.

Cisco also reorganized its technology organization and announced several new appointments. Jayshree Ullal, who joined Cisco along with Mazzola from Crescendo Networks 11 years ago, was tapped to lead the new Security Technology Group. Ullal, a senior vice president, will continue to report to Mazzola.

Cisco also set up a new Data Center, Storage, Switching and Wireless Technology Group under the direction of Luca Cafiero, also an 11-year Cisco veteran. Cafiero, a senior vice president, also will continue to report to Mazzola.

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In addition, vice president and general manager Tony Bates was tapped to lead Cisco’s Carrier Core Multiservice Business Unit in the Routing Technology Group under Prem Jain and Mike Volpi. Kathy Hill will lead the new Midrange and Stackable Switching Technology Group under Mazzola, and Kambiz Hooshmand will lead the Optical and Broadband Transport Technology Group under Mazzola.

“We continue to strengthen the technology team and promote our next generation of leaders under Mario’s direction,” Chambers said in a prepared statement. “We also recognize the tremendous value [Giancarlo] will bring in contributing to and communicating more broadly Cisco’s business and technology vision.”

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