#19—Inside Cisco’s Strategy Office: Building the Infrastructure for the AI Era

In this episode, Cisco’s Chief Strategy Officer Ammar Maraqa joins host Kaihan Krippendorff to discuss how one of the world’s largest technology companies is evolving its strategy to lead the next wave of AI and digital infrastructure.


From building AI-ready data centers to fostering intrapreneurship through Outshift, Cisco is reimagining how strategy, innovation, and execution come together. Ammar shares lessons from his experience leading Cisco’s strategy organization and shaping its innovation portfolio across build, buy, partner, and incubate pathways.


Topics Covered

• Cisco’s strategy for the AI and digital infrastructure era
• How the Strategy Office connects long-term vision with execution
• Building AI-ready data centers and enabling digital resilience
• The meaning of agentic AI and its impact on enterprise productivity
• How Cisco’s Outshift incubator drives internal innovation
• Cisco’s approach to build, buy, partner, and incubate innovation
• The difference between a “push” and “pull” model in corporate strategy teams
• Why resource allocation is the truest test of strategic clarity

Key Quotes
“We’re helping customers build AI-ready data centers — the infrastructure that will power the next generation of digital workers and intelligent systems.”

“Cisco has always viewed the startup ecosystem as an extension of our own R&D. We don’t have a monopoly on good ideas.”

“A successful strategy team isn’t the strategy police. It’s when people across the business pull you in because of the value you bring.”





Resources Mentioned

• Cisco Outshift (https://outshift.cisco.com (https://outshift.cisco.com/) )
• Cisco’s Digital Resilience framework
• Outthinker Networks (https://outthinker.com (https://outthinker.com/) )

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