Cisco reorg prompts key product execs to resign

A recent juggling of roles at Cisco has prompted four product executives, all senior vice president-level employees, to resign effective June 17, according to an internal memo from CEO Chuck Robbins that was obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
Mario Mazzola, Prem Jain, Luca Cafiero and Soni Jiandani were all senior vice presidents and ran a unit of Cisco called Insieme Networks. Cisco bought Insieme, which is focused on switching and routing products, in 2013 for more than $800 million. Prior to the acquisition, Insieme was funded by Cisco; that move is called a spin-in.
Beyond Insieme, the four tech execs sold their first startup, Crescendo Communications, to Cisco, another spin-in, back in 1993.
In the latest shake-up prior to their resignations, Mazzola, Jain and Caifiero were named advisers while Jiandani retained the SVP title.
According to Robbins’ memo, the decision “is based on a disconnect regarding roles, responsibilities and charter that came to light immediately after the announcement. I have personally learned so much from them, and they will always be an important part of Cisco’s engineering story. Their legacy will live on through our ongoing innovation and the talented engineering leaders they have mentored. I wish them the best.”