Putting a sales person in charge of a technology company has never really worked. Not in companies I’ve worked, not in other large companies. Sales executives come with the experience of reaching quarterly numbers. And in all the cases I’ve seen that carries over into their new CEO role. A tech company, though, needs to also – if not primarily – focus on what’s next. And make that the focus, from top down. Also, the CEO should be worried about how to best serve its customers, not how to maximize revenue or profits. Exactly why Steve Ballmer failed as CEO. Even though the consequences of such behavior may impact a tech giant only years later. It’s still inevitable. History has proven this to be the case. We’ll see, in a few years, how Cisco is doing with this decision.
Full story: Cisco Systems Names Chuck Robbins as Its New CEO