Cisco UK boss tips Chambers to make British visits

Phil Smith says he expects John Chambers to appear in the UK in his role as executive chairman

Cisco's UK boss Phil Smith has said he expects former CEO John Chambers to make UK appearances, as he will continue to be key to "big relationships".

In July Chuck Robbins replaced Chambers as chief executive of the networking giant. But Chambers, who ran Cisco for 20 years, has stayed on at the firm as executive chairman.

Speaking to Morgan Stanley analyst James Faucette, Smith said he expects to still see Chambers appearing in the UK.

"John [Chambers], as executive chairman, has a lot of opportunities," he said on a call transcribed by Seeking Alpha. "I think we will see him here in the UK and other places because he is very committed to serve the country, digitisation and those sorts of areas."

While Smith said Robbins is "the man... and he is making the decisions", he said that Chambers will play an important role in key relationships.

"As an executive chairman and as any executive or any chairman for that matter, often big relationships can still be only about that person," he said. "Whether it would be Bill Gates or whatever, you still saw them in some of those big relationships and that's probably a valid thing to do while Chuck [Robbins] runs the business every day."

The comments come after Cisco opened its new London office last month which was part of the firm's $1bn (£663m) investment in the UK over the next three to five years. It also follows its recent acquisitions of UK firms Portcullis and Acano.

Speaking to CRN, Oliver Rickeard, sales director at Cisco partner Atomos Networks, said he wouldn't be surprised if the former CEO spends time in the UK.

"He [Chambers] has taken a step down and Robbins has filled his boots, and whether he'd be over here, I think quite possibly," he said. "Being such a pivotal area, why wouldn't he be involved in what they see as a big growth market in Europe? And as they are opening up a new [London] HQ, I could see him being here more. While Chuck [Robbins] is trying to steer the business in the US, sending Chambers over would be nice to continue that vision."

Rickeard said the new London office, along with recent acquisitions, form part of Cisco's strong focus on the UK.

"They see the UK market – and not just the UK but the European market – as a massive growth market," he said.