Salim Rizk Email & Phone Number

United Arab Emirates

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Leading the EMEA SP delivery business.Leading the EMEA delivery transformation effort across all EMEA Cisco theaters.Led the global field response team following Russia Ukraine war

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

In this role, I lead the Customer Experience business for all service providers in the Middle East, Africa and Russia and for all customer segments in Russia and CIS. I have full P&L responsibility for all services lines of business: Advanced Services, Technical Services, Cloud & Managed Services and Consulting.My key objective is to help our customers be more efficient in running their infrastructure, and more agile in offering new solutions to their customers. My extended team works… Show more In this role, I lead the Customer Experience business for all service providers in the Middle East, Africa and Russia and for all customer segments in Russia and CIS. I have full P&L responsibility for all services lines of business: Advanced Services, Technical Services, Cloud & Managed Services and Consulting.My key objective is to help our customers be more efficient in running their infrastructure, and more agile in offering new solutions to their customers. My extended team works with our customers to plan, build, support and manage their networks and IT infrastructures. I also drive the operational excellence and "P&L" for the overall EMEAR region. I have led our group through operating model changes, and transformation initiatives such as the transition to a more global, automated and agile delivery model. I lead the revenue forecasting process for a portfolio of nearly $1B pa, the interlock with various cost and delivery centers, productivity and profitability strategy and execution, investment and Partners spend. I often champion initiatives to streamline how we interact with customers and how we optimized and evolve our delivery capabilities. As a result, the EMEAR region is recognized for its innovation as well as consistently meeting or exceeding growth and profitability targets. Show less

Dubai

In this role, I had the full services P&L responsibility for all segments across diverse regions. With a team of hundreds of technology consultants, services delivery executives and directors, BDM's and PMO, we have delivered unprecedented growth in partnership with sales, and turned the services profitability around.During those 3 years, I had the pleasure to work with a diverse set of Enterprise and SP customers, and regions, and had the opportunity to partner with great innovators… Show more In this role, I had the full services P&L responsibility for all segments across diverse regions. With a team of hundreds of technology consultants, services delivery executives and directors, BDM's and PMO, we have delivered unprecedented growth in partnership with sales, and turned the services profitability around.During those 3 years, I had the pleasure to work with a diverse set of Enterprise and SP customers, and regions, and had the opportunity to partner with great innovators such as Swisscom, Du, Turkcell, Sberbank, Halkbank, and others.I managed to transform the services business and delivered double digit margin improvement while growing the top line and delivering some of the most innovative engagements.I developed Cisco's globally first few managed services contracts and built the operation from the ground up which later became the foundation of Cisco's Cloud and Managed Services line of business.To help inject new talent into Cisco and as part of Cisco's commitment to local communities, I launched programs to incubate new and diverse early-in-career talent which later became Cisco mainstream programs. One of those programs was the graduate program that I launched in Saudi Arabia to recruit and develop Saudi graduates (with 50% gender diversity) that were later placed in various functions in Cisco. Some of those recruits progressed to take key leadership roles in the country. Show less

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

I led the transition to form the Emerging Centers of Excellence to drive services across all our SP customers. The CoE's covered all SP technologies (IPNGN, Optical, Voice, HCS, Mobility, Video).Despite the downturn in the market, I delivered double digit growth and won new flagship franchises, mainly in Video and Broadband in LATAM. One remarkable engagement I led was a multi country strategic LATAM video on demand program where we primed the end to end system integration of multiple… Show more I led the transition to form the Emerging Centers of Excellence to drive services across all our SP customers. The CoE's covered all SP technologies (IPNGN, Optical, Voice, HCS, Mobility, Video).Despite the downturn in the market, I delivered double digit growth and won new flagship franchises, mainly in Video and Broadband in LATAM. One remarkable engagement I led was a multi country strategic LATAM video on demand program where we primed the end to end system integration of multiple software and hardware vendors. Show less

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

I was sponsored to relocate to Dubai to lead the Europe and Emerging Markets Mobile Wireless Center of Excellence. Over a period of 3 years, I doubled the mobility business and drove some of the most innovative engagements, including priming engagements with Tier 1 SP customers in Europe such as Orange. Another key engagement was the Turkcell packet core where I led the prime engagement of multiple vendors which was a new practice in Cisco.As a stretch assignment, I led a… Show more I was sponsored to relocate to Dubai to lead the Europe and Emerging Markets Mobile Wireless Center of Excellence. Over a period of 3 years, I doubled the mobility business and drove some of the most innovative engagements, including priming engagements with Tier 1 SP customers in Europe such as Orange. Another key engagement was the Turkcell packet core where I led the prime engagement of multiple vendors which was a new practice in Cisco.As a stretch assignment, I led a cross-functional technical team to develop our offering around "Mega Cities" and "Country Transformation" which later became a standalone business in Cisco. One of those engagements was the KAEC (King Abdullah Economic City) where I led a team that developed a technology blueprint to offer city-wide smart services. In addition, I have orchestrated the Azerbaijan country transformation technology plan. Show less

Dallas/Fort Worth Area

In this role, I led the creation of Cisco's first global practice focusing on SP mobility business. I led a team of technology experts in the US and globally who were passionate about making Cisco the partner of choice to our largest SP mobility customers.In partnership with Engineering and Sales, I led the incubation of new mobility solutions, developed new services offers, delivered double digit growth, and supported the global field teams in acquiring new franchises.Some of… Show more In this role, I led the creation of Cisco's first global practice focusing on SP mobility business. I led a team of technology experts in the US and globally who were passionate about making Cisco the partner of choice to our largest SP mobility customers.In partnership with Engineering and Sales, I led the incubation of new mobility solutions, developed new services offers, delivered double digit growth, and supported the global field teams in acquiring new franchises.Some of the notable consulting engagements I won and led was the integration of Cingular and ATT into a single network following the merger. In addition, my team delivered the first readiness study and packet core expansion to help ATT launch the iPhone which became a game changer globally. Show less

San Francisco Bay Area

I joined Cisco professional services as a mobility engineer to help kick off the newly created wireless practice. I partnered with Engineering on the development and Go-to-Market of a number of wireless solutions such as: signaling over IP, enterprise mobility, mobile gateways, deep packet inspection, WLAN, P-WLAN, and early versions of WiMAX. I enjoyed working with a wide range of customers from Enterprises such as Wal-Mart and Lexus-Nexus to large SP's such as Cingular, Verizon… Show more I joined Cisco professional services as a mobility engineer to help kick off the newly created wireless practice. I partnered with Engineering on the development and Go-to-Market of a number of wireless solutions such as: signaling over IP, enterprise mobility, mobile gateways, deep packet inspection, WLAN, P-WLAN, and early versions of WiMAX. I enjoyed working with a wide range of customers from Enterprises such as Wal-Mart and Lexus-Nexus to large SP's such as Cingular, Verizon, Nextel, Sprint, Telstra, KDDI, Alltel, and AWS. I have worked extensively with Verizon wireless and AT&T as their dedicated deep packet inspection and gateway engineer. Jointly with my two customers, we developed prototypes for new Cisco product capabilities. Show less

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Microcell was the first North American operator to offer GSM service under the brand of Fido (The company was later acquired by Rogers Wireless). I started in network operations where I became an expert on the majority of systems (mainly Ericsson, Logica, Newbridge and Converse). I later transitioned to network planning and was responsible for some of the most disruptive and innovative projects at that time. Some of the projects I directly led or worked extensively on were: 1. CLEC… Show more Microcell was the first North American operator to offer GSM service under the brand of Fido (The company was later acquired by Rogers Wireless). I started in network operations where I became an expert on the majority of systems (mainly Ericsson, Logica, Newbridge and Converse). I later transitioned to network planning and was responsible for some of the most disruptive and innovative projects at that time. Some of the projects I directly led or worked extensively on were: 1. CLEC application (we were the first mobile operator in North America to become a CLEC). 2. Network of Networks (early concepts of MVNO and white labeling). 3. Inukshuk (wireless broadband license, application and win). 4. GSM over IP (early trials of mobile in a box for enterprise customers, using Cisco's Jetcell). 5. 3G and data trials, business cases and roll-out. 6. First to develop and offer local number portability. 7. Designed coverage, transmission and roll-out to Quebec's north communities over satellite. 8. Saved Microcell 10's of CND millions by simple redesign of call routing plans. 9. saved 50% on long distance by proposing, designing and implementing voice compression Show less

Beirut District, Lebanon

Cellis was one of the early GSM operators in the Middle East (still operating under the Alfa brand). I started in network operations center and quickly transitioned to design and engineering. This allowed me to learn and experience working across different areas including interfacing with external parties such as suppliers, the 2nd operator, the government and their consultants to design and implement the numbering plans, transmission links and points of interconnect.

Mba, Telecommunications Management

Master’S Degree, Telecom Engineering

Transmission Engineering, MS in Fiber Optics