Cisco announces new regional leadership in the UAE and Gulf

Wayne Hull has been appointed Director and General Manager for Cisco's UAE operations; Tarek Ghoul has been appointed General Manager for Cisco's Gulf operations.

These seasoned leaders are chartered with leading their respective territories to drive growth and further develop relationships in critical countries within Cisco's East Region.

Samer Alkharrat, previously General Manager for Cisco's Gulf region, has been appointed Senior Director of the Emerging Markets Public Sector, leading the efforts of this segment across many diverse countries.

Wayne Hull is leading the UAE, a country that represents a key global priority and growth opportunity for Cisco. Having joined Cisco in 2004, Wayne brings more than 11 years of experience in information technology and communications industry across the Middle East and Africa Region.

As part of Cisco's increased focus and commitment to the UAE, Hull will be reporting to Duncan Mitchell, senior vice president for Cisco's Emerging Markets East, based in Dubai.

Prior to his latest appointment, Hull was general manager for Cisco Qatar and Oman. Under his leadership, Cisco's business in Qatar consistently achieved one of the company's highest compound annual growth rates across emerging markets.

In this role, Hull steered key transformational initiatives, including collaborating with Qatar Foundation on a series of projects to help enable QSTP's vision of transforming Qatar into a knowledge-based economy, while facilitating youth employment across the country. Cisco was further selected as anchor technology partner for Silatech.

Tarek Ghoul is leading Cisco's Gulf operations, which comprises Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar. Over the past three years, he has built a strong business with sustainable, profitable growth. In his five years with Cisco, Ghoul has held roles both in country general management as well as within the channel organisation.

Tarek has more than 15 years of experience in the information and communication technology (ICT) industry and has been instrumental in establishing a strong Cisco presence and brand in the countries he led. Tarek established government and businesses leadership relationships, championed transformational initiatives and ICT programs in support of their aspirational reform agendas and modernisation objectives.

Samer Alkharrat will be moving to Public Sector, which is at the heart of Cisco's vision of country development and transformation.

Public Sector represents a significant opportunity for Cisco; Alkharrat will continue working with Government and business leaders across the globe to understand their needs and develop ICT strategies designed to maximise competitiveness and enhance the lives of citizens.

Throughout his long career at Cisco, Alkharrat was involved in sophisticated and pivotal industry shifts in technology and communications. He was responsible for shaping Cisco's overall strategy in the Gulf region and grew Cisco's presence in the region exponentially over four years.

Sam is known for pioneering a new business model for Cisco in the real estate industry in Dubai, as well as establishing a Cisco Capital entity at the Dubai International Financial Center to serve the Middle East and Africa region.