Shane Heraty Cisco has named as Vice President and General Manager for the Middle East, Africa, Türkiye, Romania, and CIS (MEA–TRC) region, effective May 1, 2026. The appointment positions Heraty to oversee cybersecurity strategy and commercial operations across a broad and strategically significant territory.
Heraty brings 30 years of experience in global and regional technology to the role. More than 20 of those years were spent at Cisco. Most recently, he led Cisco Africa, where he drove the company’s investment strategy across the continent and accelerated the Cisco Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program in multiple African countries.
Shane Heraty Cisco Career and Regional Background
Before leading Cisco Africa, Heraty served three years as General Manager for Cisco Qatar, where he lived for nearly a decade. He also led Cisco’s business across Scotland, Ireland, and Commercial UKI. His experience spans the partner ecosystem, service providers, and enterprise organizations.
Gordon Thomson, President of Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at Cisco, said Heraty has a strong track record in driving complex digital transformation initiatives. Thomson added that Heraty’s leadership would strengthen connections across the region’s digital ecosystem and accelerate the buildout of critical artificial intelligence infrastructure.
“Shane is a seasoned leader with a deep understanding of the region and a strong track record driving complex digital transformation that are instrumental in delivering the business outcomes our customers need.”
Gordon Thomson, President, EMEA, Cisco
Focus on AI Infrastructure and Digital Transformation
Heraty stated that the region represents a hub of activity for technology adoption. He said Cisco’s technology portfolio, local teams, and partner ecosystem place the company in a position to accelerate digitalisation and support economic growth across the region.
“The region is a hub of innovation. With Cisco’s advanced technology, talented local teams, and trusted partner ecosystem, we are uniquely positioned to accelerate digitalisation and AI adoption, boost economies and create lasting value for communities across the region.”
Shane Heraty, Vice President and General Manager, MEA–TRC, Cisco
Succession from David Meads
Heraty succeeds David Meads, who is retiring after a 30-year career at Cisco. During Meads’ tenure, Cisco strengthened its regional presence and led multiple initiatives that contributed to the region’s digital transformation. Meads led several Cisco businesses over the course of his career.
The MEA–TRC region covers a wide geographic footprint that includes key markets in the Gulf, Africa, and Eastern Europe. Cisco’s regional strategy under Heraty will focus on building the telecommunications and networking infrastructure required to support AI-era workloads and enterprise modernization.
About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is a global technology company focused on networking and security. The company has operated for more than 40 years and serves customers, partners, and communities across the world. Cisco’s solutions address connectivity, security, and digital resilience for organizations of all sizes.
