Cisco Names Liebo New Global Partner Marketing Leader

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ: CSCO) has turned to an internal top services and customer segment marketing executive to lead its partner-facing marketing initiatives, tapping Sherri Liebo as its new global partner marketing vice president, filling a slot vacant since last summer after Amanda Jobbins unexpectedly left the networking giant.

Liebo, who joined Cisco in 2005 after a 16-year stint at Hewlett-Packard‘s (NYSE: HPQ) partner marketing organization, will take on “ultimate responsibility for Cisco’s global partner marketing programs and initiatives,” according to Bruce Klein, Cisco Worldwide Partner Organization senior vice president, who disclosed her ascension in a blog post. Liebo will report to Klein and Karen Walker, Cisco senior Marketing vice president, who has filled the post in the interim.

Specifically, Liebo will oversee Cisco’s strategic partner marketing, channel programs, services partner marketing and strategic partner communications teams. Those units collaborate with the Worldwide Partner Group, sales teams and regional marketing to drive partner growth and profitability.

Liebo’s reach also will extend to Cisco’s Velocity partner marketing conference (slated for April 16-18 in Cannes, France) and the offerings and co-marketing resources available on Cisco’s Partner Central site, Klein said. The newly appointed Liebo is expected to meet and greet Cisco partners at the Velocity event.

Her most prominent role at Cisco to this point has been to lead marketing for Cisco Services, the vendor’s $10 billion global services business. In addition, she has served as Services and Service Provider Marketing vice president and Customer Segments Marketing vice president.

Klein credited Liebo with creating and managing the launch of Smart Care, Cisco’s SMB-centric vehicle for add-on service sales.

It will be interesting to see if Liebo can make an immediate splash in much the same manner as Jobbins, who, herself, had large shoes to fill in replacing Luanne Tierney, the Velocity conference architect who left Cisco in 2011 to take a similar position at Juniper Networks (NYSE: JNPR). Jobbins has resurfaced as chief marketing officer at Sage Group.

“We’ve been without a full-time global partner marketing lead since last fall, and I personally want to thank Karen Walker, senior vice president of Cisco marketing, for leading the effort to keep our partner marketing programs strong during that transition,” Klein wrote.