Venkatesh Ponniah

Editor
DISC Type : SC

Senior Director, Cisco Security at Cisco

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India

Overview

Venkatesh Ponniah is a Senior Director at Cisco Security, bringing over 23 years of experience in product development, engineering leadership, and building global teams. An alumnus of IIM Bangalore and BITS Pilani, he is a frequent speaker on technology topics. Colleagues describe him as dependable, action-oriented, and a strategic thinker.

He is passionate about mentorship, particularly supporting women entering the cybersecurity field. Described by peers as energetic with an "inviting and beaming smile, " he focuses on building strong professional relationships. He also shows a keen interest in literature on sales leadership and business strategy.

Beyond his corporate roles, he co-founded Qualyon Cognitive Intelligence, a startup focused on AI-powered voicebot solutions.

Personality Overview

Objective Thinker

Sometimes Friendly

Fact-Driven

They are thorough and always follow a systematic approach.  The only way to convince them is by showing them examples and ample proof. They do not like taking risks at all and go for proven options in the end.

Topics They Care About

Cybersecurity Landscape
As a leader at Cisco Security and a speaker at industry events, he is actively engaged in the evolving landscape of cybersecurity and building resilient systems.
Engineering Leadership
His career is defined by leading global engineering teams at companies like Cisco, Mavenir, and Mitel, focusing on the entire product development lifecycle.
Digital Transformation
He speaks at events on topics like accelerating digital transformation at scale for global capability centers (GCCs) and leveraging new technologies for business impact.

Media Appearances

Venkatesh has no verified media appearances

Work History

9-2022
Senior Director, Cisco Security at Cisco
11-2021 - 8-2022
Vice President Of Engineering at Salesken
1-2020
Co-Founder at Qualyon Cognitive Intelligence
2-2019 - 3-2020
VP Engineering at Mavenir (formerly Mitel Company)
2-2016 - 1-2019
Director Engineering & Global Head – Cloud Systems & Solutions at Mitel

Education

2010 - 2011
Executive General Management Program from Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
2002 - 2004
MS from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 9 Location : Bengaluru, Karnataka, India Job Level : Senior Designation : Senior Director, Cisco Security at Cisco
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Insights For Selling To Venkatesh

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Share a one-off customer success story but keeps the focus on highlighting objective, numerical results
  • Use phrases like 'results based on data', 'measurable proof', 'X% growth' etc.
  • Actively address their concerns around change, risk, and acceptance by users

DONT's

  • Do not sound overly eager, modulate your energy levels especially if you are generally enthusiastic
  • Avoid phrases like ‘trust me’, ‘you will just love it’ etc.
  • Avoid emotional and informal language, stay objective and to the point instead

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Venkatesh is

  • Low-risk, adoption by others are very important to them, followed by confidence in ROI.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Venkatesh

  • Often, they don't say no, or keep going about it in circles.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Venkatesh move?

  • They do not like to rush and therefore can be quite slow in their decision-making.
  • Can Venkatesh take some risk or not?

  • They have little risk-appetite and prefer to take measured decisions.

You And Venkatesh

Personality Compatibility


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