Cisco promotes Ben Dawson and Dave West

Cisco has promoted Ben Dawson as the new president of its Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China (APJC) business, succeeding Dave West. 

Effective as of 28 July, Dawson will report to EVP of global sales and chief sales officer, Oliver Tuszik, and will relocate from Melbourne to Singapore. A search is currently underway for a new A/NZ leader.

After more than a decade of advancing strategic influence and leadership in the APJC region, West will now step into the role of SVP global specialists. 

West will leverage his deep understanding of customer needs, Cisco’s technology portfolio, and the invaluable insights gained while spearheading Cisco’s global growth and transformation.

Dawson has spent more than two decades at Cisco, contributing across a diverse range of roles within the enterprise, public sector, commercial, channels, and service provider segments in both the United States and Australia. 

Most recently, he led Cisco Australia and New Zealand, where he worked closely with customers and partners to drive digital transformation and accelerate technology adoption. 

In his new role, Dawson will lead the APJC team in helping customers and partners seize the opportunities of the AI era. 

“It’s an exciting time to take on the leadership of the most diverse and innovative regions – Asia Pacific Japan and Greater China,” Dawson said. 

“The confluence of AI, cybersecurity, and next-generation networking presents an extraordinary opportunity, and we are in a pivotal moment. 

“Throughout my career at Cisco, I’ve seen us help organisations navigate major technology transitions, from building the internet to enabling cloud computing, and now shaping the future with AI.

“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and has the potential to reshape industries, economies and societies. I am looking forward to leading our business in this dynamic region and building on our success.”

Tuszik added Dawson’s track record in driving business success and fostering a strong culture truly sets him apart. 

“With his global and regional experience, Ben brings a unique perspective to our team. As A/NZ often leads the way in emerging technology adoption, his leadership will be invaluable in accelerating growth across the region as Cisco has unified networking, security, observability, and collaboration to create a true platform advantage for our customers,” Tuszik said. 

“I also want to thank Dave for his immense contribution to APJC working with our customers, partners, and teams. He is a tremendous leader and will transfer much of his experience to the global specialist team. I am excited to partner with Ben and build on that solid foundation in APJC.”

Earlier this month, Luke Power returned to Cisco as its new APJC managing director of partner success.

Power has spent close to three decades in the IT industry, previously working for Cisco from 2005 to 2007 and then again from 2017 to 2022.

Before making his latest comeback, Power worked for Extreme Networks, Trellix, McAfee, Avaya, and Nortel.