Last week, we marked an important milestone in our SMB journey with the first-ever EMEA SMB Partner Advisory Board-a dynamic and insightful gathering of 51 partners who joined us for two days of deep discussions, strategy alignment, and collaborative workshops.

A Powerful Start

We kicked off with an inspiring keynote where Jose van Dijk emphasized the critical role SMBs play in Cisco's strategy. I had the opportunity to expand on this, detailing our EMEA SMB vision and what the future holds. Agostino Santoni, our VP for EMEA South Europe, brought a sales perspective to the conversation and introduced one of our valued customers, La Marzocco from Italy, to share real-world insights on leveraging Cisco technology.

Jose and Jeetu Patel also had a quick chat on why the SMB segment is so critical to Cisco. I highly recommend watching it.

Engaging Sessions & Meaningful Discussions

The event was packed with valuable discussions and hands-on experiences, including:

• Live SMB Experience Demos:Showcasing real-world solutions in action
• Partner & Distributor Roundtables:Strengthening collaboration and sharing best practices
• Focused Sessions:Deep dives into Networking, Security, Collaboration, and Cisco Financial Solutions
• Marketing Strategy for SMB:Led by Nieves Navarro, our VP of EMEA Marketing, outlining our go-to-market approach

Driving Action with Workgroup Streams

We also launched seven dedicated workgroup streams focused on key areas such as Service Providers, Industry Verticals, Marketing, and more. These sessions enabled focused discussions and actionable takeaways to further align our strategy with partner needs.

Shaping the Future Together

This Advisory Board is just the beginning. The insights, feedback, and collaboration from this event will play a vital role in shaping the future of Cisco SMB in EMEA. We are committed to working closely with our partners to drive innovation, accelerate growth, and empower SMB customers across the region.