This week, Deidre welcomes Vikas Butaney, Chief Product Officer and GM at Cisco. Vikas shares how Cisco implemented OKRs, the power of every employee being aligned on the mission, and advice for new business leaders who need to connect distributed teams.
Vikas Butaney is a networking visionary and SVP/GM of Cisco Secure Routing and Industrial IoT, pioneering integrated SD-WAN security, multicloud networking, and IIoT solutions that simplify ops for industries like manufacturing, energy, and finance.
He drives product strategy, roadmaps, and deployments for hundreds of thousands of customers—fusing AI-driven security with Cisco Networking Cloud to secure hybrid models and accelerate digital transformation amid tight IT/OT convergence.
From Cisco's Industrial IoT VP roots and startup stints at Accelera and MobileIron, he incubates businesses that scale securely, serving on Seeq's board with an MS in EE from Virginia Tech.
Deidre Paknad has founded and led three tech startups, acquired companies and been acquired, and led a high-growth business as an executive at IBM for several years; this affords her a unique perspective on using both speed and scale to drive growth. In her role as CEO at WorkBoard, she works with senior leadership teams at some of the world’s largest companies to clarify, align, and drive strategic priorities with greater speed and agility. She is a frequent speaker on Outcome Mindset™ and tapping into ambition.
Deidre has over a dozen patents and has twice been inducted into the Smithsonian Institution for innovation. Goldman Sachs named her one of the 100 most intriguing entrepreneurs of 2019. Deidre hosts The OKR Podcast, which focuses on accelerating outcomes and fostering an outcomes culture.