Cisco has appointed Stefan Leitl (pictured) as the new Vice President for Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) commencing in September 2025.
Leitl brings extensive experience to this leadership position, gained from a diverse range of roles and markets, including more than a decade with Cisco. Most recently he served as Global Vice President for Industrial Internet of Things (IoT) Sales. In this capacity, he was instrumental in driving Cisco’s industry-leading solutions to simplify and scale IT within operational technology (OT) environments, ensuring they are cyber-resilient and AI-ready industrial networks. His work enabled global customers to securely connect and manage critical infrastructure, leveraging advanced networking and security to enhance operational efficiency and accelerate digital transformation.
Leitl returns to Melbourne after six years based in Silicon Valley. He will now lead all aspects of Cisco’s Australia and New Zealand business and will take over from Ben Dawson who has been appointed President of Cisco’s Asia Pacific Japan & Greater China (APJC) region.
Leitl is deeply committed to delivering outstanding customer outcomes by harnessing the full potential of Cisco and the partner ecosystem. This approach has fostered mutual success for customers and Cisco all over the world and has been underpinned by innovative go-to-market thinking.
Cisco Vice President of Australia & New Zealand Stefan Leitl said, “As the world evolves at an unprecedented pace, it’s clear that networking, security, and infrastructure is forming the foundation of every organisation’s success in the AI era.”
“Through my experience in a global role, I have seen the impact that Cisco’s technologies and teams play to help organisations securely connect and manage critical infrastructure. I am excited to bring this perspective to help drive greater resilience, efficiency, and readiness for the future technology use cases across Australia & New Zealand.”
“I am honoured to lead a talented team as we build on our solid foundation and unlock the next phase of growth. Together, we will empower our customers to thrive, adapt, and lead in this new age of transformation.”
Leitl will report to Dawson, who was appointed to be the President for Cisco’s APJC business in July 2025. Jessica McFadden remains the Country Leader for Cisco New Zealand.
Leitl moved to the United States in 2019 to lead a team and grow Cisco’s webscale business with Apple, Oracle, Salesforce, Netflix, Twitter, Rackspace, and Equinix. Leitl started with Cisco in 2011 as a Product Sales Specialist for Cisco’s collaboration portfolio and progressed to Client Executive helping some of Australia’s largest companies in the financial services industry to transform and advance their digital capability.
Prior to Cisco, Leitl worked for a key Cisco partner NetStar, later acquired by Logicalis.
Leitl is based in Melbourne with his wife and three children.
