Cisco's EVP Explains How AI Agents Shift CIO Requirements From UX Expertise To Process Innovation Leadership
CIO, Wednesday, September 2nd, 2026
Why Cisco Is Redefining Its CIO Role
Thimaya Subaiya, Cisco's EVP of operations, discusses how AI agents and Model Context Protocol connectors are fundamentally reshaping the CIO role.
Traditional IT leadership skills like applications integration are becoming obsolete as agents have replaced the interface. Cisco seeks CIO candidates with backgrounds in product management, innovation, and transformation rather than conventional IT experience.
The ideal candidate should question whether processes need to exist at all rather than simply optimizing them. Security has been separated as its own function to maintain focus, while AI governance will eventually merge back into IT operations.