Cisco has announced the appointment of Hani Raad as Managing Director for Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to the company, Raad, a 15-years Cisco veteran, brings over 25 years of diverse experience in ICT and Executive Leadership to the region.

He currently leads Cisco’s Small and Medium Enterprise Business sales and strategy across Middle East and Africa.

“In his new role, he will be shaping Cisco’s strategic direction in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a strong focus on leveraging technology to support digitisation, innovation and social inclusion,” the company added.

Raad is succeeding Garsen Naidu, who has been appointed as Leader of the Sales Specialist Organisation at Cisco Middle East and Africa.

The company describes Raad is a strong supporter of Corporate Social Responsibility, including Cisco’s Networking Academy program, which delivers ICT training and skills development to Africa and the rest of the world.

“At Cisco we are passionate about innovation, but we also know that our responsibility does not end with technology. True to our company purpose to ‘Power an Inclusive Future for all’, we believe in a world where businesses operate with all aspects of society in mind, not just the majority.” Raad said.

He added that a key focus for Cisco Sub-Saharan Africa under his leadership will be strengthening channel relationships and supporting customers in their ambitions to deliver sustainable economic growth and create employment opportunities across the continent.