News
Cisco Board Names Chuck Robbins as Next CEO
Cisco has announced the appointment of Chuck Robbins as chief executive officer effective July 26, 2015.
Robbins was also elected to the Board of Directors of Cisco, effective May 1, 2015. John Chambers will assume the role of Executive Chairman on July 26, 2015, and will continue to serve as the Chairman of Cisco’s Board.
“This is the perfect time for Chuck Robbins to become Cisco’s next Chief Executive Officer. We’ve selected a very strong leader at a time when Cisco is in a very strong position,” said John Chambers, Cisco Chairman and CEO. “Today’s pace of change is exponential. Every company, city and country is becoming digital, navigating disruptive markets, and Cisco’s role in the digital transformation has never been more important.
“Our next CEO needs to thrive in a highly dynamic environment, to be capable of accelerating what is working very well for Cisco, and disrupting what needs to change. Chuck is unique in his ability to translate vision and strategy into world-class execution, bringing together teams and ecosystems to drive results. Chuck knows every Cisco segment, technology area, and geography, and will move the company forward with the speed required to capitalize on the opportunities in front of us. He is a champion of the Cisco culture and has an incredible ability to inspire, energize, and connect with employees, partners, customers and global leaders. Chuck’s vision, strategy and execution track record is exactly what Cisco needs as we enter our next chapter, which I am confident will be even more impactful and exciting than our last.”
Robbins joined Cisco in 1997 and has moved quickly through the company’s ranks.
He most recently served as Cisco’s senior vice president of worldwide operations, leading the company’s global sales and partner team that drives $47B in business for the company.
He has helped lead and execute many of the company’s investments and strategy shifts, including building the industry’s most powerful partner program, now worth more than $40B in revenue to the company each year.
He was also a key architect of the company’s strategy for the commercial business segment, which grew 8% year-over-year last quarter, and now represents 25% of Cisco’s total business.
Robbins has sponsored the security and collaboration businesses at the executive level and was a sponsor for the Sourcefire and Meraki acquisitions.
As a member of the team that has led Cisco’s transformation over the last 3-plus years, Robbins has driven the reinvention of Cisco’s sales organization, cementing its place as the envy of the industry.
“I joined Cisco 17 years ago because I wanted to be a part of a company where I believed the possibilities were limitless. Today, I am even more convinced that Cisco is that company,” said Chuck Robbins. “Over the past 20 years, John Chambers’ vision and leadership have built Cisco into one of the most important companies in the world; a company fiercely committed to delivering for its customers, shareholders, partners, and employees. The opportunity that lies ahead for Cisco is enormous, and the ability to lead this next chapter is deeply humbling and incredibly exhilarating. I am focused on accelerating the innovation and execution that our customers need from us. Their success will continue to drive us. At a time when our industry is on the cusp of more disruption than we’ve ever encountered, I couldn’t be more confident in our ability to win, or more honored to lead this great company.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to watch Chuck grow as a leader at Cisco over the last 17 years and am convinced there is no better leader for Cisco today,” said Carol Bartz, lead independent director on the Cisco Board. “Chuck has demonstrated the same energy and passion to make Cisco great that John Chambers has demonstrated during his entire 20-year career as CEO. Finding a successor who could follow John was a challenge we took very seriously. All those we considered have the intellect, integrity, and charisma required for the position. Chuck stood apart as a leader with an extraordinary ability to connect vision, people and ideas to drive strategy and execution.”
Cisco also announced that John Chambers, currently CEO and Chairman of the Cisco Board of Directors, will remain on the board and assume the role of Executive Chairman on July 26.
He will devote his time to supporting Robbins and engaging closely with customers and governments around the world, with a focus on leading Cisco’s role in country digitization.
John Chambers has served as CEO of Cisco since January 1995, having joined the company in 1991 as the head of sales.
He has grown the company from $1.2B in annual revenue to its current run rate of $48B. Non-GAAP earnings per share during Chambers’ leadership has grown more than 3,000%.
“Chuck is clearly the leader for Cisco’s future, and he has the unanimous support of the Board of Directors,” said Roderick C. McGeary, Cisco Board Director, Chair of the Compensation and Management Development Committee, and the lead of the search committee.
“The board has always had a strong focus on succession planning. We initiated the formal CEO succession process 16 months ago, searching internally and externally to find the best leader for our employees, customers, partners and shareholders. With John Chambers taking the role of Executive Chairman and Chuck Robbins taking the role of CEO, the board is very confident Cisco has the leadership to drive its success for the next chapter.”
Founded in 1984, Cisco is the worldwide leader in IT whose technology and people change the way the world works, lives, plays and learns.
For a business to remain strong and relevant, experts have urged entrepreneurs to engage in solving problems in the Micro, Small, Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) space and build strong partnerships.
The experts stated at the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Business Series with the theme, “Stronger Together: Building Powerful Business Partnerships for Progress.”
Four seasoned business owners including: Beauty Entrepreneur, Dabota Lawson; Real Estate Mogul and Entrepreneur, Wale Ayilara; Journalist and TV producer Peace Hyde and Fashion Entrepreneur, Mai Atafo, encouraged participants to solve problems, invent in products & service and, create value to remain stronger in business and thrive amid competitive business environment.
Ayilara expressed that an entrepreneur must be able to solve problems and build a strong partnership in order to remain relevant in a challenging business environment.
He stressed further that there are a lot of business opportunities in Nigeria and questioned where consumers money is directed into.
Lawson said the inability to find a suitable sensitive skincare that matches her skin tone forced her to start her company.
On her part, Hyde stated that she ventures into media on the backdrop of telling Africa’s stories to international audiences.
Atafo said passion made him venture into fashion, maintaining that being an entrepreneur in Nigeria is tough work.
Speaking earlier, UBA’s Group Head, Retail and Digital Banking, Shamsideen Fashola, highlighted the critical role of partnerships in today’s dynamic business environment.
“In an increasingly interconnected world, the power of collaboration cannot be overstated. At UBA, we recognise that collaboration is the cornerstone of sustainable business success.
“The ‘Stronger Together’ Business Series is designed to inspire entrepreneurs and corporate leaders to forge meaningful alliances that drive progress, unlock opportunities, and contribute to Africa’s economic transformation,” Shamsideen said.
Nigeria’s leading commercial bank, First Bank of Nigeria, has joined forces with Mighty Media Plus Network Limited for the maiden edition of the QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit.
Also supporting the event are Nigeria LNG (NLNG) and Shell Nigeria, two major players in the country’s energy and development sectors.
Chief Executive Officer of Mighty Media Plus Network Limited, Olumide Iyanda, announced the partnerships in a statement on Monday.
Mr Iyanda described FirstBank’s involvement as a strong statement of the bank’s belief in the power of Nigeria’s creative sector.
“FirstBank’s support is a reaffirmation of its long-standing commitment to promoting the creative economy,” he said. “Through First@arts, the bank has become a reliable partner to talents, institutions, and organisations working to grow Nigeria’s cultural assets.”
First@arts is FirstBank’s platform for supporting the arts. It provides financing, advisory services, and exposure for creatives across the value chain. The bank has backed major cultural events and partnered with institutions such as British Council, Duke of Shomolu Productions, Live Theatre Lagos, Freedom Park and Terra Kulture.
Among the projects FirstBank has supported are The Headies Awards, Lagos International Theatre Festival, The Oxymoron of Kenny Blaq, Kurunmi, Eni Ogun, and Oke Langbodo.
Iyanda also praised NLNG for its role in promoting excellence in literature and science through The Nigeria Prize for Literature, The Nigeria Prize for Science, and The Nigeria Prize for Literary Criticism.
“NLNG has shown leadership by rewarding creativity and innovation in ways that impact both the literary and scientific communities,” he said.
The prizes, worth up to USD100,000, are among the most prestigious on the continent. They celebrate Nigerian authors, critics, and scientists whose work makes a real difference.
Shell’s support for the summit reflects its ongoing commitment to education and social development. The company focuses on sustainable, community-driven educational projects, ranging from scholarships to infrastructure development and ICT donations.
“Shell’s belief in education as a foundation for long-term progress aligns with our vision for the summit,” Iyanda added.
He further noted that more sponsors will be unveiled in the coming weeks.
The QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit, themed “Financing as Catalyst for a Thriving Creative Economy,” will take place on Tuesday, August 12, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. The venue is the prestigious Radisson Blu Hotel, Isaac John Street, Ikeja GRA, Lagos.
The summit will bring together creatives, investors, policymakers, and business leaders to explore solutions to the funding challenges facing Nigeria’s creative industries.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has strongly denied allegations of lack of integrity and transparency directed at its chairman, Ola Olukoyede, by columnist Steve Osuji.
In a statement issued by Dele Oyewale, spokesperson, EFCC. the commission described the claims as “worrisome and unjustifiable,” particularly criticizing the personal attacks on Olukoyede.
“More worrisome was his attack on Olukoyede for no justifiable reason. Allegations of lack of transparency, accountability and integrity deficit are wild and clearly off the mark,” Oyewale said.
He questioned the basis for the allegations and defended Olukoyede’s leadership since taking office.
“The question is: in what way has Olukoyede fallen short? Is it by insisting that the right things should always be done? By moving the nation’s anti-graft war forward radically and unprecedentedly?
“By bringing forth a preventive framework to tackle corruption and reaping bountiful gains for the nation?
“By recovering the globally-acclaimed 753 duplexes and other apartments, which are proceeds of fraudulent dealings for the nation?
“By launching the EFCC into a global map of accomplished anti-graft agencies? By handling 50,000 case files in one year?
“By embarking on a courageous internal cleansing system and other progressive initiatives to deepen and strengthen the anti-corruption fight?
“It is cowardly and uncharitable for any columnist to hide under vague and opaque cover to splash mud on Ola Olukoyede, arguably one of the finest breed of anti-graft czars around the world.”
Olukoyede, through the statement, reaffirmed that the EFCC has consistently submitted its annual reports to the National Assembly as required by law.
“Equally preposterous are claims of re-looting of assets by officers of the Commission. For the purpose of clarification, the Commission does not recover monetary assets into its covers and the non-monetary assets that are recovered are disposed of following clear pronouncements by court and proceeds paid into the Confiscated and Forfeited Properties Account account in the Central Bank in line with provisions of the Proceeds of Crime (Recovery and Management) Act, 2022.
“The EFCC does not operate in secrecy. All its operations are regularly communicated to the public, including public auction of assets. To deliberately cast the Commission in the mould of fraudulent engagements or criminality is not only mischievous but also untenable,” the statement concluded.
PAT Taps Osi as CEO
Africa Launches PAPSSCARD, First Pan-African Card Scheme
Burna Boy Distances Himself from Meme Coin, Labels Crypto as Fraud
NCC Introduces N10m Licence Fee for Bulk SMS Service
MTN Nigeria Targets $1Bn Cloud Market with Largest Modular Data Centre
Broadcasting1 day agoNigeria Week Ahead: Inflation, Oil and Naira in focus
News1 day agoEFCC: Accusations Against Our Chairman Are Baseless and Misleading
General News6 hours agoWoodhall Capital and Partners Launch ₦1.5Bn Fund
General News6 hours agoAM Best Reaffirms Stable Outlook for Cyber Insurance Market
News6 hours agoFirstBank, NLNG, Shell back QEDNG Creative Powerhouse Summit
Broadcasting9 hours agoA Billion-Dollar Obsession in 90-Second Bites
E-Business6 hours agoFirm Highlights Top Risks of Quantum Computing
Telecom6 hours agoMTN Nigeria Targets $1Bn Cloud Market with Largest Modular Data Centre