Sherriff Takes Reigns of Cisco U.S. and Canada Channels Organization

Cisco Systems Inc. said that Jim Sherriff, a 30-year IT industry veteran who most recently served a two-year stint as chief executive of the vendor’s operation in China, will take over as head of its U.S. & Canada partner organization, the largest such channels group under the Worldwide Partner Organization umbrella.

As senior vice president of Cisco’s U.S. & Canada partner organization, Sherriff succeeds Wendy Bahr, who, in a series of organizational changes the vendor announced earlier this month, was elevated to senior vice president, global and transformational partnerships.

The channels re-organization, which becomes effective August 1 at the start of Cisco’s fiscal year 2011, also included Edison Peres, now Cisco’s senior vice president, worldwide channels, and Dave O’Callaghan, the vendor’s new vice president, worldwide commercial sales.

Sherriff will be based in Austin, TX.

Keith Goodwin, Cisco senior vice president, Worldwide Partner Organization, disclosed the appointment in a blog entry this week, in which he said that Sherriff’s “recent global experience and his deep understanding of Cisco’s field, customers, and partner needs make him the ideal leader for this key sales role.”

In his assignment in China, Sherriff, a nine-year Cisco veteran whose jobs also included a turn as senior vice president for Cisco’s U.S. Enterprise business, was credited with enhancing Cisco’s brand name recognition and reputation with the Chinese government “through excellent coordination and execution of our commitments and investments,” Goodwin said.