Cisco, the US-based networking and security company, has appointed Ossama Eldeeb as managing director for Africa, effective immediately. Eldeeb previously served as regional director for partner organization across Cisco's Middle East, Africa, Turkey, Romania and Commonwealth of Independent States region, where he oversaw partner ecosystem development, managed services expansion and the regional rollout of the Cisco 360 Partner Program.
Before joining Cisco, Eldeeb held senior roles in partner, commercial and sales functions at VMware, AMD and Microsoft, where he led government-assisted technology programs and grew partner-led business across emerging markets.
Shane Heraty, VP of Cisco Middle East, Africa, Turkey and CIS, described the rationale for the appointment: "Ossama's proven track record in scaling businesses and building strong partner ecosystems across the region makes him the ideal leader to drive our ambitions in Africa." Heraty added: "Africa is a strategic priority for Cisco. Under Ossama's leadership, we are confident we can deepen our impact, empowering governments, businesses, and communities with secure, AI-ready digital infrastructure and the skills to harness it."
Eldeeb said: "Africa represents one of the most exciting growth opportunities in our industry."
Heraty took over as VP of Cisco Middle East, Africa, Turkey and CIS in May 2026, succeeding David Meads who retired after 30 years at Cisco. Heraty had previously served as MD of Cisco Africa before moving into the broader regional VP role. Eldeeb holds a master's degree in mass communications with a minor in computer science from the American University in Cairo.
