Mike Volpi has been appointed chief executive at online video start-up Joost.

Volpi previously headed up Cisco's routing business and was considered a potential contender for the chief executive role at the networking giant.

He left Cisco in February citing personal reasons after a 13-year run with the company.

Joost is an online video provider that plans to offer free content supported by advertising. The service is currently in beta.

The company was founded by Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström, two successful internet entrepreneurs who previously founded Skype and the Kazaa file sharing service.

Joost has also made headlines for signing video content partnerships with major providers including CBS Corp.

Volpi replaces Fredrik de Wahl, who has been appointed chief strategy officer.