Managing Director, Partner Sales – Australia & New Zealand (ANZ)

Job description

Meet the Team The ANZ Partner Sales organisation plays a critical role in Cisco's growth across Australia and New Zealand, helping customers achieve business outcomes through a diverse ecosystem of strategic partners, distributors, service providers and alliances. Working closely with Sales, Customer Experience, Marketing and Operations, the team leads partner-led go-to-market strategies that drive growth, innovation and customer success across the region. As Managing Director, Partner Sales ANZ, you will be a key member of the ANZ leadership team, responsible for shaping and executing Cisco's partner strategy while strengthening executive relationships across the partner ecosystem. You will lead a high-performing organisation focused on delivering business results, developing talent and creating exceptional experiences for partners and customers. We pride ourselves on a culture of inclusion and excellence, working closely with our direct sales counterparts to deliver a seamless “One Cisco” experience for our customers. In this role, you will help define the next phase of Cisco's growth in ANZ by inspiring teams, strengthening strategic partnerships and building organisational capability across the Partner Sales business. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a multi-year partner strategy aligned to Cisco's global priorities and the opportunities within the ANZ market. People Leadership & Culture: Lead and develop a high-performing Partner Sales organisation, fostering an inclusive culture of accountability, collaboration, coaching and growth. Partner Ecosystem Growth: Strengthen and expand Cisco's ecosystem of strategic partners, distributors, systems integrators, managed service providers and alliances, with a focus on software, services and recurring revenue growth. Business Performance: Lead the ANZ Partner Sales organisation to deliver revenue, bookings and profitability objectives while driving sustainable growth. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with ANZ Sales leadership, Marketing, Operations and Customer Experience teams to deliver integrated go-to-market motions and improve the partner experience. Executive Representation: Act as executive sponsor for strategic partner relationships, advocating for partner priorities internally while positioning Cisco as the partner of choice for business transformation. Regional Spokesperson: Represent Cisco across partner, customer, industry and media engagements, articulating Cisco's vision, technology leadership and market impact. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Business, Marketing, Technology or a related discipline; MBA preferred. 15+ years of experience in partner sales, channel leadership, business development or related leadership roles within the technology industry. 10+ years of experience leading and developing large, geographically dispersed teams. Demonstrated success leading high-performing sales or partner organisations and delivering sustained business growth. Experience developing and scaling partner strategies across software, SaaS, services or managed services business models. Strong understanding of the Australia and New Zealand technology market, including experience working with major partners, distributors and systems integrators. Preferred Qualifications Proven ability to influence and engage senior stakeholders, including C-suite executives, both internally and externally. Strong commercial and strategic acumen, with the ability to translate market insights and data into business outcomes. Deep understanding of partner business models and the ability to guide partners through the transition from hardware-centric to lifecycle-focused business practices. Experience leading teams through growth, transformation and organisational change. Outstanding communication skills with a track record of driving cross-functional alignment in a matrixed global organization. Why Cisco? At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect organizations in the AI era – and beyond. We’ve been innovating fearlessly for 40 years to create solutions that power how humans and technology work together across the physical and digital worlds. These solutions provide customers with unparalleled security, visibility, and insights across the entire digital footprint. Fueled by the depth and breadth of our technology, we experiment and create meaningful solutions. Add to that our worldwide network of doers and experts, and you’ll see that the opportunities to grow and build are limitless. We work as a team, collaborating with empathy to make really big things happen on a global scale. Because our solutions are everywhere, our impact is everywhere. We are Cisco, and our power starts with you.