Cisco appoints new Philippine head

MANILA, Philippines — Tech giant Cisco has appointed a new managing director and leader for its business in the Philippines.

The company announced the appointment of Zaza Soriano Nicart, an industry veteran, to succeed Karrie Ilagan, who has taken on a regional role to lead Cisco Meraki across Asia Pacific, Japan and China.

Nicart will be responsible for driving business growth and overseeing all operations across the Philippine market.

Prior to the appointment, Nicart led the service provider business for the company in the Philippines and was responsible for delivering significant year-on-year growth.

She also spearheaded the largest Cisco project in the ASEAN region, where the team built a nationwide transport network transformation strategy, aligned to the digitization plan of the Philippines.

“I am delighted to have Zaza lead our operations in Philippines. With decades of experience in the technology sector, she has in-depth knowledge of how businesses can leverage technology to address challenges and open growth opportunities,” said Bee Kheng Tay, Cisco ASEAN president said.

“I am confident that her experience coupled with her leadership abilities will contribute tremendously to bolster digital innovation in the Philippines and bring immense value to the success of our teams, customers and partners,” she said.

With Nicart at the helm, Cisco said it aims to help organizations of all sizes navigate the hybrid environment to unlock new growth opportunities, power an inclusive recovery, and promote equal opportunities for underserved populations to bridge the digital divide.

The appointment of Nicart as Cisco Philippines’ managing director will also bolster the company’s plans to champion inclusive recovery in today’s hybrid, cloud and digital-first world for this year and beyond.

“Businesses across the Philippines are relying on technology more than ever. Over the past two years technology has helped businesses across the country continue to serve their customers, and keep their employees connected, even as most people worked from home,” Nicart said.

“We believe that technology will play an even bigger role in the future. It will open new growth avenues for businesses and boost the post-pandemic economic recovery. More importantly, it will enable an inclusive recovery by bringing these opportunities to underserved communities across the region. At Cisco, we are committed to contribute toward powering an inclusive future for all and I am looking forward to working with the team towards that,” she said.