Moving strong on the solid shoulders of an influential tech leader, board member, and seasoned business professional, Denzil Samuels, Global Leader for Cisco’s Partner Ecosystem for Customer Experience (CX), leads the transformation of that ecosystem from one that is focused on hardware support services to one that embraces and drives solutions (hardware and software) and “as-a-service.”
A transformation of this magnitude has yet to happen in the technology industry. It will position Cisco as the established leader as a full-stack solution provider spanning every dimension from software, as-a-service, security, networking, distribution, and all aspects of Cisco’s portfolio.
As a veteran of Salesforce, where Denzil built and led the Salesforce ecosystem and through his experiences gained as the former Chief Channel Officer for HPE, GE, and Siemens, this inspiring tech leader to watch, is uniquely positioned to drive this groundbreaking transformation. At Cisco, Denzil is ensuring partners around the world are delivering exceptional customer experiences with their own innovation and expertise wrapped around Cisco’s core technology. As a former Cisco partner, Denzil knows firsthand Cisco’s unwavering commitment to its partner-led Customer Experience (CX) strategy. Cisco’s CX Partner Lifecycle Services model (launched last year) gives partners greater insights into their customers’ environment (through Cisco’s digital platform CX Cloud). It enables the creation of new partner services, which in turn, helps partners generate revenue, expand their opportunities, and set up their businesses to succeed with customers.
Denzil has more than 35 years of experience and has been a key force behind pivotal transformations. In addition to being an executive leader at Salesforce, HPE, GE, and Siemens, Denzil was the Executive Vice President of Worldwide Sales & Marketing for ServiceSource. In 2023, the visionary leader received the prestigious CRN Channel Chief award. This annual recognition pays tribute to the outstanding channel executives who have made significant contributions to partner programs and strategies while displaying a steadfast commitment to the partner community.
Denzil studied Electronic Engineering at London’s Southall College of Technology and earned an honorary management doctorate from Colorado Technical University. Denzil currently serves on the Augustine Institute Board of Regents and the Board of Trustees of Ave Maria University. “I’ve always had an insatiable curiosity and used that curiosity in every role I’ve ever had. I started as a software engineer before moving into product management and sales, becoming the general manager of a region, global marketing, and eventually partner and channel leadership roles. Having lived and worked in many nations, including the UK, France, Germany, China, Saudi Arabia, and the US, I truly understand what it means to be global. The people around me energize me,” asserted Denzil, sharing more about his journey.
Denzil’s Leadership approach
Denzil’s leadership approach is (and always has been):
- Trust your instincts.
- Hire brilliant people—mostly people smarter than you.
- Create a vision for your employees that inspires them and gives them a sense of purpose. Give them the tools they need to succeed and step aside (and step in when they need you).
- Do not tolerate bad behavior in any way. Put an end to it as soon as it occurs.
Leaders need to develop and communicate their points of view. Your employees should be consistently aware of your approach. People are interested in your opinion as well as your willingness to have it influenced.
Overcoming the Hurdles Along the Way
The speed of change is the industry’s primary challenge-changes in priorities, organizational structure, consumer and employee needs, technology, and many other factors. As a leader, Denzil has found that companies must focus on strategically communicating in these ever-changing times.
He holds an “all teams” call every two weeks in any organization he leads, which he started doing many years ago. No matter how many people were in his organization—thousands or fifty—, they all understood it was THEIR time. His top of mind, celebrating (birthdays, anniversaries, triumphs), and Q & A comprised the format, intermittently introducing new subjects. The inspirational leader made sure to be present and never to cancel the call. The outcome has been thriving, engaged, empowered, committed, and driven teams.
Denzil’s Take on Diversity and Inclusion at the Workplace
When Denzil was a young child (of Indian heritage) growing up in London, he occasionally experienced bullying and exclusion due to his skin tone. It helped him understand the value and influence of inclusion and diversity.
Sharing his insights on diversity and inclusion, the visionary leader said, “We MUST set the tone as leaders. A company’s culture is defined by its leaders, and our Cisco leaders walk the walk. Diversity and inclusiveness are core values at Cisco. We are what we do. We promote full-spectrum diversity and inclusion across the organization, crossing the digital barrier to create a place where everyone can connect, engage, and prosper,” the visionary leader adds.
Future Roadmap – At a Glance
“At Cisco, our mission and vision are to transform the Cisco Partner ecosystem of Value-Added Resellers (VARs) who provide reactive hardware support today, into customer-obsessed, outcome-driven as-a-Service providers. It is something that our partners support and recognize as necessary. The value of the customer lifecycle journey is greater than just selling Cisco products, as recognized by our partners. The customer will benefit from this adjustment. The greatest partner ecosystem in the industry is undergoing a 3- to 5-year change. My immediate goal is to complete the task,” Denzil replied when questioned about his future.
He continued, “Long term? Whatever the next big challenge Cisco has for me. I love Cisco’s culture. In his book “Who Said Elephants Can’t Dance,” Lou Gerstner wrote about his turnaround of IBM and said, “I thought culture was part of the game. It isn’t. It IS the game.”
Words of Wisdom to the Blooming Entrepreneurs
If you don’t truly love what you’re doing, stop and look for something else to do. Maintain a never-ending curiosity about everything around you. Funnel it out. Every time you enter a door, leave your ego outside. Genuine compassion, respect, and kindness should be shown to everyone you encounter. Consider how you may use your work to change the world rather than seeing it as just a job. After that, change the world.
Denzil concludes the discussion with his secret formula for success: “There are three things. One is laughter (You cannot grow up in the UK without developing that British sense of humor). I use humor every day, and I love to laugh with others! It is very therapeutic, not to mention that it makes work fun. Second, one should never underestimate the power of giving. Give back to the communities you serve and to those who love and support you. Third, be thankful. Express your gratitude and appreciation for everything in your life, including your work, the people you love and support you, your beliefs, and anything else. Being grateful serves as a reminder of all of our blessings. As the late great Maya Angelou said, ‘My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.’”