BlackBerry Hires Former Cisco Collaboration Executive to Head Global Sales

Mobile device maker BlackBerry (BBRY) has hired Carl Wiese, a 30-year IT sales and marketing veteran and ex-Cisco (CSCO) global collaboration senior vice president, to preside over its worldwide sales efforts, replacing John Sims who had served in a similar role since December, 2013.

BlackBerry said that Wiese, who directed sales and go-to-market strategy for Cisco’s collaboration unit during his 13-year tenure at the networking giant, holds the official title of Global Sales president, reporting to chief executive John Chen. He is tasked with driving the company’s go-to-market strategy and advancing its global sales efforts.

Chen said Wiese’s solution sales experience, particularly in enterprise software and new technologies, keyed his hiring.

“I am pleased to welcome Carl, a veteran sales leader, to BlackBerry to be the head of our global sales organization,” he said. “We are deeply committed to working with our customers to bring them the most innovative and secure solutions, and Carl will be central to that effort,” said Chen.

“Carl has extensive experience in enterprise software and emerging technology solutions, which will be instrumental as BlackBerry moves toward stabilizing revenue and sustaining profitability,” he said.

In his stint leading Cisco’s multi-billion collaboration product sales, Wiese directed the sales and go-to-market strategy for the vendor’s unified communications telepresence, web conferencing and contact center solutions, and was responsible for a 1,500-person sales team. While at Cisco, Wiese co-chaired its Collaboration Architecture Board.

Wiese also has held executive positions at Apple (AAPL), Avaya (AV), Lucent (ALU) and Texas Instruments (TI).

BlackBerry didn’t offer any details on Sims’ departure. Chen brought Sims, a former SAP (SAP) top mobile executive, onboard as Global Enterprise Services president in the midst of an executive suite purge that saw a number of the vendor’s top brass shown the door. Sims is a 20+ year veteran of the mobile telecom business.