New Cisco VP of Partner Marketing Amanda Jobbins: A Closer Look

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Jobbins previously was Cisco’s VP of technology and corporate marketing Europe. To fulfill her new responsibilities, Jobbins is moving from Europe to Silicon Valley, sources at Cisco indicated earlier this week. Her shift to a new position was part of a series of channel-oriented changes that Cisco Senior VP Keith Goodwin disclosed in a blog on July 21. Jobbins replaces Luanne Tierney, who left Cisco earlier this year to become VP of partner marketing at Juniper.

But who exactly is Jobbins? According to her LinkedIn profile, Jobbins has held marketing-related positions at Symantec, Veritas, McAfee, Bindview, WorldbyNet, IBM, BMC Software and Mercury Messaging. Generally speaking, each career move involved increased responsibility — climbing from product manager positions in the 1990s to VP positions in the past decade.

Although most of her biography includes European experience, sources close to Jobbins describe her as an international marketing expert who is no stranger to U.S. markets. “Cisco took its time to find exactly the right person to replace Luanne,” said one source close to Cisco. “Amanda was the right choice at the right time. I think you’ll be impressed with her work.”

A Direct Line to Cisco’s Chief Marketing Officer

In her new post, Jobbins reports directly to Cisco Chief Marketing Officer Blair Christie, according to Goodwin’s July 21 blog entry. Christie, meanwhile, joined Cisco in August 1999 and shifted to the Chief Marketing Officer slot in February 2011. Together, Christie and Jobbins will try to shift the industry conversation from (A) layoffs and heightened competition to (B) Cisco’s focus on five core markets, and the continued role of channel partners in those markets.

But the journey won’t be easy. Cisco is set to announce fiscal Q4 results on Aug. 10. At that time, CEO John Chambers will likely offer an update on6,500 job cuts that Cisco expects to make in August. Partners are also hoping for an update on Cisco’s Value Incentive Program; some partners are worried that Cisco plans to make more cuts to the program for fiscal 2012, which starts Aug. 1. So far, Cisco has declined to comment about its VIP plans for the next fiscal year.

Clearly, Jobbins shifts into the VP of partner marketing post during a critical time in Cisco’s history. The VAR Guy will be watching for more clues about her strategy. In the meantime, Cisco is mostly mum about its next moves. But the silence will likely end on August 10…