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10 Cisco operations leaders
These ten operations leaders hold or have held director-level and higher operations roles at Cisco, including a former Cisco chief operating officer, two regional COOs and an executive vice president of operations. A reader can learn how operations leaders build and run their teams in networking companies.
Professionals to explore
01—10Christopher Payne
LinkedInExperience: Director of Operations, Cloud Platform Solutions Group · Cisco
Director of Operations, Cloud Platform Solutions Group at Cisco since 2018 and Chief-of-Staff, Director of Business Operations, Outshift by Cisco since 2020; the profile describes running the business operations functions for Outshift, which is responsible for conceiving and driving Cisco's product incubations. Former Director of Operations, Service Provider CTO Strategy Development Team at Cisco (2014–2018).
Fay Martin
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Global Operations & Employee Experience · Cisco
Vice President of Global Operations & Employee Experience at Cisco since September 2025, a role the profile lists at the Executive level. Former Senior Director, Global Services & Employee Experience (2024–2025), Senior Director, Global Sourcing Strategy & Compliance (2020–2024) and Head of Global Facility & Employee Services, Workplace Resources (2015–2020) at Cisco.
Fernando Gil de Bernabe y Varela
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Sales, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific, Japan & Greater China (APJC Region) · Cisco
Former Vice President of Sales, Chief Operating Officer, Asia Pacific, Japan & Greater China (APJC Region) at Cisco (2014–2026); the profile headline describes the role as COO, Vice President of Sales Strategy & Operations for the region. Former Senior Director of Business Development, Greater China at Cisco (2008–2014). Strategic Advisor & Executive Educator at DE BERNABÉ ADVISORY since August 2026.
Glenn Van Orden
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Optics Operations · Cisco
Vice President of Optics Operations at Cisco since October 2025, a role the profile lists in the Operations department at the President/Vice President level. Former Senior Director of Optics Operations (2023–2025) and Director Of Engineering (2021–2025) at Cisco, and former Director of Product Engineering at Acacia (2019–2021).
Irene Lien
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operating Officer, Cisco Taiwan · Cisco
Chief Operating Officer, Cisco Taiwan at Cisco since August 2025, a role the profile lists at the C-Level in the General Management department. Former Head of Taiwan Digital Impact Office (2018–2025) and CDA, Strategy & Planning Manager (2018–2023) at Cisco, and former Senior Analyst at IDC (2015–2018).
Janine Daniel
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Operations - Customer Experience · Cisco
Vice President Operations - Customer Experience at Cisco since June 2025; the profile describes partnering with the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) to drive business operations. Former Senior Director Customer Engagements and Operations - Customer Experience (2024–2025) and Director, Customer Engagement Strategy and Operations (2021–2023) at Cisco.
Maria Martinez
LinkedInExperience: Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer · Cisco
Former Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Cisco from March 2021 to May 2024 (3 years and 2 months), a role the profile lists in the General Management department at the President/Vice President level. No other roles appear for this profile in the listing.
Swati Saran
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Operations · Cisco
Vice President Operations at Cisco since 2019 and Vice President Commerce Operations at Cisco since September 2024; the profile says the commerce role leads Global Commerce Operations for Cisco's $53B+ business. Former Vice President, Customer and Partner Experience, Global Business Services (2014–2019) and Senior Director, Operations Lead Service Provider (2011–2012) at Cisco.
Thimaya Subaiya
LinkedInExperience: EVP, Operations · Cisco
EVP, Operations at Cisco since January 2024, a role the profile lists in the Operations department at the President/Vice President level. Former Chief Transformation Officer (2023–2024), Chief Customer Experience Officer (2021–2023) and SVP GM Services, Customer Success and Renewals (2018–2021) at Cisco, and former COO, Global Customer Success at Salesforce (2017–2018).
Vijay Jagannath
LinkedInExperience: Director, Operations- EMEA Delivery, Quote To Cash, Partner Business Services & Goal to Commissions · Cisco
Director, Operations- EMEA Delivery, Quote To Cash, Partner Business Services & Goal to Commissions at Cisco since October 2024, a role the profile lists at the Director level in the Operations department. Former Director, Operations- EMEA Regional Delivery, UK & Ireland Operations & Goal to Commission (2022–2024) and Director, Operations APJ Service Provider & INDIA (2021–2022) at Cisco.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's scope to your question: COOs and executive vice presidents suit questions about running operations across the whole company or a region, while vice presidents and directors suit questions about one function such as commerce, customer experience, optics or regional delivery. Check whether the relevant Cisco role is current before asking about how Cisco runs operations today.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do you divide responsibilities between global operations teams and the regional teams that serve local sales and customers?
- 02What operating metrics do you review every week, and which ones have changed decisions most often?
- 03How do you run a large operational change, such as a new commerce or quote-to-cash process, without disrupting revenue?
Reaching Cisco operations leaders
How can I contact one of these Cisco operations leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Cisco, based on profile data retrieved on October 5, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Cisco operations leaders?
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About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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