Cisco names Daisy Chittilapilly as president of India and SAARC

Cisco announced the appointment of Daisy Chittilapilly as the new president of its India and SAARC theatre. Daisy is taking over from Sameer Garde, who recently announced his decision to join the social sector after four years at the company. With over 25 years of experience in the technology industry, including 17 years of leadership experience at Cisco, Daisy has a proven track record of transforming operations and cultures to drive growth at scale. As president of the India & SAARC theater, she will be responsible for strategy and sales, operations, and investments to drive long-term growth in the region. Daisy will start her new role from 1 August 2021, which also marks the beginning of Cisco's new financial year.

Daisy most recently held the position of managing director for Cisco's Digital Transformation Office, where she worked with customers to capture and scale opportunities emerging in the digital world. In addition, as the leader of software and services sales, she worked with partners to accelerate Cisco's transition towards software and subscription-based offerings.

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"Daisy's appointment comes at a time when the company is looking at India & SAARC as an engine of innovation and growth. With businesses across the region looking to capture the economic rebound, her wealth of experience and knowledge in digitally enabling organizations and developing Cisco's go-to-market strategies around software and services will help propel Cisco, our customers, and partners to the forefront of the digital economy," said Dave West, president, Cisco Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China.

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Commenting on her new role, Daisy Chittilapilly, president, Cisco India and SAARC, said: "Technology is no longer viewed as an experience-enhancer but as the prime enabler of everything we do. In today’s digital and cloud-first world, Cisco’s leadership across networking, cybersecurity, and collaboration put us at the forefront of helping business with their digital transformation and unlocking a new era of growth. I am excited about the possibilities we can shape for India's people and businesses, and I look forward to working closely with our customers, partners, communities, and the government to bring these possibilities to life."

Before joining Cisco, Daisy worked with Wipro Limited across multiple sales management roles. She also serves as Co-Chair on the FICCI National Committee for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Transformation and is an advisory board member of the non-profit 'Dragonflies Everywhere'.