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Derek Idemoto
Derek Idemoto on LinkedIn 
Follow @As Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Cisco Investments, Derek leads Cisco's external innovation strategy and execution through acquisitions and investments. Since joining Cisco in 2007, Derek has championed and spearheaded more than 100 acquisitions and investments totaling over $50 billion, including the acquisitions of Duo Security, Acacia Communications, Sourcefire, OpenDNS and Leaba Semiconductor. Most recently, Derek led the acquisition of Splunk, a leader in cybersecurity and observability, for $28 billion.
Derek has been at the forefront of helping shape and influence Cisco’s technology strategy and approach to the start-up ecosystem. In 2024, Derek spearheaded the launch of Cisco’s global $1 billion AI Investment Fund, leading Cisco to strategic investments with world-class start-ups across software and infrastructure that build upon Cisco's strategy to connect and protect the AI era.
He has driven acquisitions and investments across Cisco’s cybersecurity, service provider, services, silicon, collaboration, IoT and digital media businesses. To increase Cisco’s capabilities in key markets, he also implemented new business development opportunities in Canada, India, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Derek was recently recognized as a 2022 A-List honoree by the Ascend Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to educate, advocate, and enable Asian and Pacific Islander (API) business leaders to reach their full potential and make greater positive societal impacts.
Prior to joining Cisco, Derek was the Managing Director of Venture Investment for ITOCHU Technology, the corporate venture capital arm of ITOCHU Corporation. He led information technology (IT) investments for the company, including those related to communication, software, services, digital media and the Internet. He was Vice President of Corporate Development at Overture Services, where he was responsible for the company’s acquisition strategy before it was acquired by Yahoo! in 2003.
A former venture associate with private equity firm Kline Hawkes & Co., Derek operated as an investment banker at Cowen after starting his M&A career with BancAmerica Securities. Derek earned an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA, where he was also a venture fellow, and a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from UC Berkeley. He was also a founding partner of a 501(c)(3) organization called the N! Leadership Network, whose mission was to increase the number of Japanese Americans with significant business leadership positions through development, mentoring and education.
As Senior Vice President of Corporate Development and Cisco Investments, Derek leads Cisco's external innovation strategy and execution through acquisitions and investments. Since joining Cisco in 2007, Derek has championed and spearheaded more than 100 acquisitions and investments totaling over $50 billion, including the acquisitions of Duo Security, Acacia Communications, Sourcefire, OpenDNS and Leaba Semiconductor. Most recently, Derek led the acquisition of Splunk, a leader in cybersecurity and observability, for $28 billion.
Derek has been at the forefront of helping shape and influence Cisco’s technology strategy and approach to the start-up ecosystem. In 2024, Derek spearheaded the launch of Cisco’s global $1 billion AI Investment Fund, leading Cisco to strategic investments with world-class start-ups across software and infrastructure that build upon Cisco's strategy to connect and protect the AI era.
He has driven acquisitions and investments across Cisco’s cybersecurity, service provider, services, silicon, collaboration, IoT and digital media businesses. To increase Cisco’s capabilities in key markets, he also implemented new business development opportunities in Canada, India, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
Derek was recently recognized as a 2022 A-List honoree by the Ascend Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization with a mission to educate, advocate, and enable Asian and Pacific Islander (API) business leaders to reach their full potential and make greater positive societal impacts.
Prior to joining Cisco, Derek was the Managing Director of Venture Investment for ITOCHU Technology, the corporate venture capital arm of ITOCHU Corporation. He led information technology (IT) investments for the company, including those related to communication, software, services, digital media and the Internet. He was Vice President of Corporate Development at Overture Services, where he was responsible for the company’s acquisition strategy before it was acquired by Yahoo! in 2003.
A former venture associate with private equity firm Kline Hawkes & Co., Derek operated as an investment banker at Cowen after starting his M&A career with BancAmerica Securities. Derek earned an MBA from the Anderson School at UCLA, where he was also a venture fellow, and a bachelor’s degree in finance and marketing from UC Berkeley. He was also a founding partner of a 501(c)(3) organization called the N! Leadership Network, whose mission was to increase the number of Japanese Americans with significant business leadership positions through development, mentoring and education.