New CIO Needs Cisco to Be a Mannequin for Hybrid Work

Mr. Previn, who relies in Connecticut, was appointed Cisco’s CIO in September, succeeding 

Jacqueline Guichelaar,

who now leads the corporate’s customer-experience operate for the Asia Pacific, Japan and Better China area. Mr. Previn joined Cisco in 2021 as chief digital officer from Worldwide Enterprise Machines Corp., the place he was CIO.

Months into his new function, Mr. Previn stated one in all his targets is to mildew the San Jose, Calif.-based firm right into a mannequin for versatile workplaces as extra workers return to the workplace.

“I’ve the good luxurious of being CIO of Cisco and to have the ability to undergo our complete catalog and portfolio of architectures and expertise and say, ‘What are the components which might be actually required to resolve this?” Mr. Previn stated about enabling hybrid work. “The businesses that get that proper will win.”

Mr. Previn stated he intends to additional automate inner processes and fine-tune IT to make groups extra agile to allow them to sort out extra initiatives throughout software program growth, infrastructure, networking and cybersecurity.

“Even for those who’re supporting a 30-year-old legacy utility, there’s simply as a lot area for innovation in that utility as a brand-new cellular app that you simply construct on the cloud,” he stated.

Mr. Previn, who studies to Cisco Chief Working Officer Maria Martinez, oversees a staff of about 9,200 folks in features similar to worker IT assist, core finance and supply-chain methods, gross sales and advertising and marketing instruments, manufacturing, and data-center and safety infrastructure.

An

IBM

veteran of greater than a decade, Mr. Previn was named that firm’s CIO in 2017. At IBM, he had prioritized design considering and person expertise in an effort to draw and retain workers. Mr. Previn’s prior expertise main an IT division of greater than 12,000 folks ready him for Cisco, the place he has taken the identical employee-centric mindset in tackling hybrid work.

Enabling hybrid work must be a precedence for CIOs as a result of it might probably lower workplace prices whereas bettering worker productiveness, stated

Bobby Cameron,

a principal analyst at

Forrester Analysis Inc.

“Priorities for the hybrid work surroundings proceed to be digital instruments for conferences and energetic collaboration,” Mr. Cameron stated. “These ought to tie collectively shared data, the flexibility to work collectively on particular issues, and may assist the hybrid staff have interaction with clients and companions similarly.”

Cisco final week reported stronger-than-expected earnings for the quarter ended Oct. 29 and income of about $13.6 billion as supply-chain challenges abated. The corporate additionally introduced a restructuring plan, which may have an effect on about 5% of its employees beginning within the present quarter and consists of decreasing its real-estate portfolio to align with its hybrid work technique. A spokesperson stated the corporate expects to have roughly the identical headcount on the finish of its fiscal yr, on Jul. 29, 2023, because it did when the yr began.

Mr. Previn declined to say whether or not his staff shall be affected by the restructuring, however stated his group remains to be hiring.

Write to Belle Lin at belle.lin@wsj.com