Former Cisco CFO Details Career Marked by Transformation and Impact
R. Scott Herren, former Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Cisco Systems, has had an impressive career marked by transformation and impact. After graduating from Georgia Institute of Technology in 1984 with a degree in industrial engineering, Herren initially worked as a cost engineer at IBM before shifting to finance due to the role's relocation.
IBM subsequently sponsored his MBA from Columbia University, which he completed in 1995. Herren then held various positions at FedEx, Citrix Systems, and Autodesk, where he helped the company transition from one-time sales to a SaaS-based software model with recurring subscriptions.
At Cisco Systems, Herren led the company's shift towards more software and recurring revenue, including the $28 billion acquisition of cybersecurity firm Splunk in March 2024. He also played a key role in shaping the company's push into artificial intelligence, grouping AI into three buckets: internal use, product integration, and infrastructure investment.