ASSIGNMENT 5
Please identify the current CEO of each of Cisco Systems and two of its competitors. For each CEO please examine his or her bio and any back ground information. Please summarize his or her previous successes.
Cisco system’s niche is in the computer communications industry, whose main competitors are Huawei and ZTE Corporation. The current CEO at Cisco, John Chambers worked at IBM as a technology salesperson. Seven years later, he joined Wang laboratories as an assistant to a top executive mandated with US operations. He later joined Cisco in 1991 just as the company became a public limited entity. He rose to ranks and became a senior vice president charged with world operations and later on as the second in command as executive vice president. In 1995, he became top executive at Cisco and through him, the firm made significant accomplishment (Cisco, 2014).
Ren Zhengfei, was born in 1944 and went for higher learning at college in 1963 which was a rare opportunity in China. With a humble beginning, he started work as a construction engineer, faced with a challenge of applying French-made machinery, he joined the army undertaking the project and later became an engineering soldier. His optimal performance made him socially mobile to various ranks as a soldier, technician, and engineer and bureau head. His great performance earned him recognition at the National Science Convention in 1978 and National People’s Congress in 1982 which was a rare admiration in China then. In 1987, he founded Huawei and has been the CEO to date (Baidu Baike1, 2014). On the contrary, ZTE Corporation was established in 1985 by Hou Weigui who worked at Technology Department of No. 691 Spaceflight as head of a workshop and head of the Plant owned by the PLA (Baidu Baike2, 2014).
For each CEO, can you predict any future corporation initiatives as a result of his or her demonstrated track record?
Trends at Cisco indicate that John Chambers is likely to broaden his grip in the market beyond North America to other parts of the world, particularly, emerging markets in Asia, Africa and South America.
At Huawei, Ren Zhengfei probably serving until retirement as the top executive and may continually employ his military style strategy of leadership and management. Lastly, ZTE Corporation under Hou Weigui’s stewardship will most likely rely on his technical advancement for ZTE’s growth until his retirement.
For each company please identify the senior executives today and in 2000. How many members of the team have changed? What percentage is this? How have profit and revenues changed in this same time period?
The top executive management team at Cisco as per 2000 filed report (SEC, 2014), the following personalities form management team: President and CEO John T. Chambers, Senior Vice President and CFO Larry R. Carter, Executive Vice President Gary J. Daichendt, Senior Vice President Charles H. Giancarlo, Senior Vice President Richard J. Justice, Senior Vice President Carl Redfield, Senior Vice President James Richardson, and Senior Vice President and CSO Michelangelo Volpi.
Senior executives to the board of management include Chairman and CEO John T. Chambers, Executive Vice President and CFO Frank Calderoni, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, and Chief Compliance Officer Mark Chandler, Senior Vice President and CMO Blaire Christie, President of Europe, Africa, Middle East and Russia Chris Dedicoat, Executive Vice President, Industry Solution and Chief Globalization Officer Wim Elfrink, CIO and Senior Vice President Rebecca Jacoby, President of Development and Sales Robert Lloyd, President and COO Gary Moore, Senior Vice President and Cisco Services Edzard Overbeek, Executive Vice President and CDO Pankaj Patel, Executive Vice President Randy Pond, Senior Vice President Chuck Robbins, and Chief Technology & Strategy Officer Padmasree Warrior (Cisco, 2014). Since 2000, 12.5% of other senior executives have transited or left while John Chambers, the CEO remains in the executive team.
Huawei
In the same time frame (2000), Huawei executive team had hired 11 people namely: Ren Zhengfei, Sun Yafang, Liang Hua, Xu Zhijun, Hu Houkun, Ji Ping, Fei Min, Lu Ke, Hong Tianfeng, Xu Wenwei, and Guo Ping. At this point in time, Huawei executive team had a team of 10 people: Ren Zhengfei, Sun Yafang, Ding Yun, Yu Chengdong, Guo Ping, Peng Zhiping, Xu Wenwei, Li Jie, Meng Wanzhou, and Ren Ping. Employ transition rate at Huawei was 64%, however, the core leaders Ren Zhengfei and Sun Yafang did not move. Revenue growth increased by 1500%, leading to a total of USD 39.5 billion by the end of 2000 fiscal year (Huawei, 2014).
ZTE Corporation
Comparing ZTE in the same year (2000), the executive team of the company had 7 members. After three years, the company was publicly listed. The seven top executives were Zhang Shaofeng, Hou Weigui, Zhu Kerang, Shi Lirong, He Shiyou, Yin Yimin, and Chen Geng. To date, the senior management team had increased by 18 members namely; Hou Weigui, Zhang Jianheng, Xie Weiliang, Shi Lirong, He Shiyou, Wei Zaisheng, Tian Wenguo, Qiu Weizhao, Fan Qingfeng, Chen Jie, Zhao Xianming, Zeng Xuezhong, Xu Huijun, Ye Weimin, Zhu Jinyun, Zhang Renjun, Chen Jianhou, and Cheng Lixin. While only three of the team members remained in the company, the transition rate was as high as 157%. The radical number of the company experienced fasted growth. From 2000 the end of 2012-2013 the fiscal year, revenue grew by 650% to USD 12 billion (ZTE Corporation, 2014).
If a change in CEO has occurred, please examine the date of the change. Can you suggest why the change occurred?
Cisco: Transition rate for the CEO remained stagnant to date with Mr. John T. Chambers as the head of executive since 1995 (Cisco, 2014).
Huawei: Mr. Ren Zhengfei who is the founder of Huawei established the company since 1987 and did not transition at all (Huawei, 2014).
ZTE: Mr. Hou Weigui founder of ZTE established the corporation in 1985 but did not transition (Huawei, 2014).
Please identify two important things that each company is doing differently now as compared with 2000.
Cisco uniquely pays attention to sustainability of its supply chain.
Cisco is also digitizing its products and services to increase demand and performance over internet platforms (Cisco, 2014)
Huawei
Huawei concentrates on improving workplace security rights and employee welfare system to increase employee motivation.
ZTE Corporation
ZTE focuses on safety management of digital security through safe, VPN, and preventive systems.
Another comparative advantage is the guarantee for consumers of functioning network, safety, reliability and extensiveness (ZTE Corporation, 2014).
So what?
The underlying message above is that company top executives have accrued experience in their industries leading to their top achievement. Their global outlook and vision drives their corporations in the world market.
Importance of the Assignment
This assignment has improved my research skills, ability to use web sources and helped collect, collate and analyze data on large corporations and their senior executives. Besides, their achievements offer motivation to me, and I now appreciate how followers are influenced by their strengths, weaknesses and successes.
References
Baike1. Ren Zhengfei. Retrieved on August 5, 2014 from http://baike.baidu.com/view/23495.htm?fr=aladdin
Baike2. Hou Weigui. Retrieved on August 5, 2014 from http://baike.baidu.com/view/58409.htm
Baike3. Huawei. Retrieved on August 5, 2014 from http://baike.baidu.com/view/355733.htm?from_id=298705&type=syn&fromtitle=%E5% 8D%8E%E4%B8%BA&fr=aladdin
Cisco. (2014). Official website. Retrieved on August 5, 2014 from http://newsroom.cisco.com/exec-bios
Huawei. (2014). Official website. Retrieved on August 5, 2014 from www.huawei.com
SEC. (2014). 10-k form of Cisco, filed in Sept. 2000. Retrieved on August 5, 2014 from http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/858877/000109581100003692/f65797e10-k.txt
ZTE. (2014). Official website. Retrieved on August 5, 2014 from www.zte.com.cn
