Skype snatches Cisco's enterprise chief for CEO role - UPDATED

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 05 October 2010 07:42

IT Industry - Strategy

Skype has named Tony Bates, a former senior vice president of Cisco, as its CEO and a member of the board of directors.

 

Bates was most recently general manager of Cisco's enterprise, commercial and small business division where he was responsible for over $US20 billion of annual revenue and managed over 12,500 employees worldwide.

Following Skype's announcement of his appointment, Cisco announced that its CTO, Padmasre Warrior, would take on Bates' former responsibilities in addition to her current responsibilities as CTO. In a company blog announcing her appointment, John Earnhardt, Cisco's director, social media communications, descibed the division as "the heart of Cisco's business."

Egon Durban, managing director of Skype's owner, Silver Lake, , said: "'¦[Bates] has tremendous management experience at a global public company and technology leader and is uniquely qualified to lead the company in its next phase of growth."

In August Skype filed for an IPO on NASDAQ. There has since been speculation that Cisco was looking to buy Skype, but this was dampened when Skype announced a strategic relationship with Cisco rival Avaya.

Bates' appointment re-inforces Skype's focus on the enterprise market. However he has broad experience in other areas of the Cisco, and a solid technology background.

According to Skype "He was the driving force behind Cisco's three key enterprise architectures known as Borderless Networks, Data Centre and Collaboration, [reported to] Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers, '¦ was a member of the senior staff responsible for charting the company's global strategy and served on the Cisco development council, the video council, and the enterprise business council."

Skype says that, in addition to running Cisco's enterprise division, has also served as general manager of Cisco's service provider group, responsible for annual revenue of $US10 billion, and that he is an expert on Internet technologies and holds nine patents and has served on the boards of a range of technology companies.

Durban said: "Josh Silverman, our outgoing CEO, has been instrumental in maintaining Skype's momentum and growth. Since 2007, Skype has more than doubled its connected user base and billing minutes, introduced key new products for desktop and mobile platforms, and initiated successful partnerships with companies ranging from Avaya to Verizon'¦Adrian Dillon, Skype's chief financial and administrative officer, will serve as interim CEO until Bates joins the company at the end of October."