Cisco Partner Organization in Flux

Cisco Systems channel chief Keith Goodwin is retiring.

Goodwin has led the equipment giants partner strategy since 2005, overseeing changes including last years big shift to the Partner Led” sales model. Thats the most recent example of Goodwins efforts to steer resellers and systems integrators through years of up and down as Cisco, reacting to economic and end-user buying patterns, alternately has added to, and then contracted, its ranks. Other examples include several reorganizations of the Worldwide Partner Organization and the promise in 2008 to focus on SMBs.

Above all, Goodwin was able to make partnering a part of our DNA across the company,” Rob Lloyd, Ciscos executive vice president of worldwide operations, told CRN this week.

Bruce Klein will succeed Goodwin on Aug. 1. Klein has worked for Cisco for eight years and now serves as senior vice president of the U.S. public sector for Cisco. Like Goodwin, Klein will report to Lloyd. In turn, Edison Peres, Wendy Bahr, Andrew Sage, John Donovan and Chris Treille all will report to Klein.

Goodwin has held various roles at Cisco since 1999. Before that, he spent 20 years at Hewlett-Packard. In terms of his impact on Cisco partners, its clear that Goodwin leaves a hole.

When he succeeded Paul Mountford in 2005, he was a relative unknown in channel circles,” wrote Channelnomics Larry Walsh this week. He made his mark with a calm demeanor, approachable intelligence and consistent delivery on promises to partners. Nary did a word exit his mouth that wasnt preceded by careful thought on what impact it may have on Ciscos channel partners.”