Andre Smit is Cisco's Managing Director for Data Center Sales in Asia Pacific. Reporting to Owen Chan, President for Asia Pacific, Mr. Smit's primary responsibility is to drive the Data Center business that has been indentified as one of the primary areas of focus across Cisco. Besides leading the Data Center team across the region, he will drive channel partner relationships and be the primary interface with the Data Center-related Business Units in the company's global headquarters in San Jose. A Cisco stalwart of over eleven years, Mr. Smit started his career in the company as a systems engineer in Cisco's South African office, where he helped to establish Cisco as the communications provider of choice to large enterprises, service providers and the government. He has since risen up the ranks in the company, assuming managerial positions for Africa and the Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) regions. Prior to his relocation to the Asia Pacific, he was responsible for building and developing the Emerging Markets region in Europe spanning Russia, Central Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Before taking on his current role, he led the Advanced Technology and Product Management teams for Asia Pacific, as well as the Systems Engineering and Corporate Social Resonsibility teams. Mr. Smit is a qualified CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert) and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Actuarial Sciences from the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He currently lives in Singapore with his wife and two children. |
