Ben Dawson named new Cisco APJC President as Dave West shifts role

Cisco has named Ben Dawson as its new President for Asia Pacific, Japan, and Greater China (APJC), succeeding Dave West.

Ben Dawson will formally assume his new responsibilities as Senior Vice President for APJC Sales and APJC President, reporting to Oliver Tuszik, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Chief Sales Officer at Cisco.

Dave West, who has led Cisco's APJC region for over a decade, will now take on the role of Senior Vice President, Global Specialists. In this new capacity, West will lead a global team focused on responding to Cisco's evolving business landscape. His role will draw on his experience and understanding of customer needs and Cisco's portfolio, which he developed during his leadership of the APJC region and contributions to Cisco's international growth and transformation efforts.

Ben Dawson brings more than twenty years of experience at Cisco to the position. His career at the company has spanned several markets and segments, including enterprise, public sector, commercial, channels, and service provider businesses in both the United States and Australia. Most recently, Dawson served as the head of Cisco Australia and New Zealand, where he focused on driving digital transformation and encouraging the adoption of new technologies among clients and partners.

During his tenure in Australia and New Zealand, Dawson also placed emphasis on workplace culture, leading to Cisco being recognised as the number one best place to work in the region for five consecutive years. Previously, while based in Silicon Valley, he led sales for Cisco's Webscale business, overseeing global relationships with several of the world's largest web and cloud companies.

In his new position as APJC President, Dawson will oversee a team responsible for supporting customers and partners as they respond to technological trends, particularly in artificial intelligence. The region is viewed as a dynamic environment presenting both opportunities and challenges for businesses, organizations, and governments. Cisco aims to use its secure networking offerings and partnerships to help clients in these markets adapt to change.

"It's an exciting time to take on the leadership of the most diverse and innovative regions - Asia Pacific Japan and Greater China. 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 organizations 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."

Oliver Tuszik, Executive Vice President of Global Sales and Chief Sales Officer, endorsed Dawson's appointment and recognised his history within the company and the APJC region:

"Ben's exceptional 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 ANZ 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. 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 into the global specialist team. I am excited to partner with Ben and build on that solid foundation in APJC."

Dawson is currently based in Melbourne but will relocate to Singapore, which serves as Cisco's APJC headquarters, as he steps into his new role.

Cisco's management changes in the region are aimed at continuing the company's support of its APJC clients and partners as technology adoption and digital transformation progress in these diverse and fast-changing markets.