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Alex Goryachev

Senior Director, Innovation Strategy & Programs

Corporate Strategic Innovation Group

Alex Goryachev is an entrepreneurial go-getter. He takes risks, thinks ahead, and loves making way for new innovations. Over the past 20 years, he’s made it his business to turn disruptive concepts into emerging business models.

For him, it’s all about a passion to create a strategy and then drive it home to “get things done.” And as Cisco’s Senior Director of Innovation Strategy and Programs, he has plenty of opportunities to put this passion to the test.

He sparks internal innovation by providing employees at all levels the chance to share their big ideas, many of which make their way into the company’s innovation engine. Alex also carries the torch for co-innovation across Cisco’s ecosystem.

He’s especially excited about Cisco's Innovation Centers, which can be found in major cities around the world. Led by Alex, these hubs bring together customers, partners, startups, accelerators, governments, research communities, and universities in a lab setting. Their goal is to discover, develop, and implement game-changing, outcome-based solutions.

He also heads up the Cisco Innovation Grand Challenges. These polished events help creative thinkers bring their technology ideas to life. And then there’s the Cisco Technology Radar, the company’s engine for identifying emerging technology transitions.

Alex began his Cisco journey in 2004 with a singular focus: Innovation. He defined and operationalized several high-profile Cisco initiatives, including the company’s Country Transformation plan for Cisco in emerging markets. He also held senior roles in Development, Marketing, Finance, and Channels, providing him a 360 view of how a great company ticks.

Prior to Cisco, Alex was a successful consultant with extended assignments at Napster, Liquid Audio, IBM Global Services, and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals.

Articles

November 9, 2016

INNOVATION

Innovation Grand Challenge Winners Showcase Diversity of Digital Solutions for Industry and Government

4 min read

Amid more than 50,000 global innovators at this week’s Web Summit in Lisbon, three emerged victorious in our third annual Innovation Grand Challenge.

October 25, 2016

INNOVATION

Six Digital Disruptors Emerge as Finalists in Global Innovation Grand Challenge 2016

3 min read

Six superstar startups rose to the top of the Innovation Grand Challenge_Ski Solution competition launched last May.

October 11, 2016

INNOVATION

Building Blocks to Create Your Own Successful Internal Innovation Programs

4 min read

Since I started this blog series about corporate innovation and intrapreneurship, readers often ask which of my nine building blocks is most essential to mobilize an innovation disruption across an entire company. Which is the cornerstone?  Which carries the most weight? Which is most disruptive? Which impacts cultural transformation? Which turns employees into entrepreneurs? My […]

September 29, 2016

INNOVATION

Building Blocks for Your Own Innovation Disruption (Part 3)

5 min read

Are you ready? It’s time to complete the foundation and launch your own innovation disruption—companywide. This is the last of my three-part series. I lay out the final three building blocks needed to shake up bureaucracies and turn them into startup-like cultures. To transform employees into entrepreneurs. To fire up innovation. And to jumpstart disruptive, […]

August 25, 2016

INNOVATION

Pokémon Go: 5 Innovation Lessons from this Augmented Reality Check

4 min read

Whether Pokémon Go is a fad or new franchise, the social phenomenon shows how to spot, adapt, and lead market transitions.

August 18, 2016

INNOVATION

Interview w/ Alex Goryachev, the Mastermind behind Cisco’s Grandest Innovation Challenge

9 min read

NOTE: The  conversation below on how to ignite innovation first appeared on the web site of TeskaLabs, a Europe-based security startup selected to join the IDEALondon program, powered by Cisco, DJ Thomson and University College of London. A big thanks to Cindy Dam, TeskaLab’s marketing and community manager, for permission to re-post her Q&A blog. […]

August 11, 2016

INNOVATION

Building Blocks for an Innovation Disruption (Part 2)

6 min read

Thomas Edison once said, “Genius is one percent inspiration and 99 percent perspiration.” Yet even today, when there’s never been a better time to innovate, many still believe that all you need is the next brilliant idea to disrupt markets. Wrong. In today’s digital world, innovation takes as much perspiration, preparation and process as ever. […]

July 28, 2016

GOVERNMENT

#TransformationThursday: Innovation at its Finest

3 min read

Co-authored with Dani Schrakamp The Glass Half-Full: We as a human race have so much to be proud of and excited for – look at us, we’ve learned to fly, gone to the moon, overcome horrific tragedy and invented a little something called the Internet, which connects us all regardless of where we physically reside. […]

July 27, 2016

INNOVATION

”Innovation Grand Challenge: Where Are They Now” – Eigen Innovations

3 min read

To be competitive, to thrive—maybe even survive, disruptive change is required. And this need for change is seemingly non-stop across business, industry, and entire countries. But how do we keep up? At Cisco, we believe the answer is digital transformation. It’s the pathway for improving citizen services, increasing efficiencies—you name it.

July 22, 2016

INNOVATION

“Innovation Grand Challenge: Where Are They Now” – CyberFlow Analytics

4 min read

The Cisco Innovation Grand Challenge is an exciting way for us to uncover new opportunities and game-changing trends. It’s also a great way for entrepreneurs and startups to further their ideas. And the good news is we’re still accepting submissions to the challenge until August 31.

July 8, 2016

INNOVATION

Building Blocks for your own Innovation Disruption (Part 1)

6 min read

Cisco’s first company-wide innovation challenge, which disrupted all job functions and geographies, attracted widespread interest outside the company. Inquiries from innovation pros, articles in Network World, podcasts with the Human Capital Institute and Innovation Leader, and invitations to share best practices all ask:

July 6, 2016

INNOVATION

Innovation Grand Challenge: Where Are They Now? – Green City Solutions

6 min read

The next generation of entrepreneurs, startups, leaders and developers are the innovators behind the emerging technologies making history in our digital era. To inspire and engage with them, Cisco launched the Innovation Grand Challenge, focused on finding fresh and exciting market opportunities and game-changing trends.

June 9, 2016

INNOVATION

Igniting a Companywide Startup Culture of Entrepreneurs

6 min read

Learn how Cisco's Innovate Everywhere Challenge engaged employees in all functions to team up and co-innovate around their own most passionate ideas.

Cisco Challenges Digital Entrepreneurs Worldwide

4 min read

The Innovation Grand Challenge is calling on all innovators, entrepreneurs, developers, researchers and students to submit disruptive ideas for digital transformation in industry and government.

May 17, 2016

INNOVATION

Disrupt or Die: Only the Innovative Will Survive

3 min read

Andy Grove, the late co-founder of Intel who pioneered the semiconductor industry, often said, “Only the paranoid will survive.” Looking over your shoulder and worrying about oncoming competitors will always be a healthy practice to stay relevant and ahead of the pack. To remain an industry leader in today’s digital era, however, I would add, […]

May 5, 2016

INNOVATION

There Has Never Been a Better Time for Innovation

3 min read

We are living in a time of technological renaissance, where innovation flourishes like never before. Read about the key drivers accelerating and unleashing 21st century creativity.

February 25, 2016

INNOVATION

Co-Innovation Juices Overflowed at Cisco Live! Berlin

3 min read

During Cisco Live! in Berlin last week, 43,320 oranges were squeezed to fuel the creative juices of customers, partners and developers who converged to co-innovate around the Internet of Things. That’s a lot of orange juice! And what a smashing success! With more than 12,000 attendees and hundreds of thousands who joined online, this was […]

February 15, 2016

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

IoT in Action: Innovation in Sydney Gains Traction

2 min read

What do idyllic beaches, a breathtaking harbor, iconic opera house, efficient agriculture, smart transportation – and the Internet of Things – all have in common? Answer: Sydney, Australia. Now, one of the world’s most vibrant communities and tourist locations is rapidly becoming another kind of global hub – a showcase to incubate and bring IoT […]

January 12, 2016

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Cisco Innovation Centre Toronto Creates Big Bang in Digitization Universe

3 min read

Technology innovations fueling the mass digitization of countries, cities and companies are reignited today with the highly anticipated opening of Cisco Innovation Centre Toronto – the first in North America and ninth worldwide. Yes, the opening created a Big Bang in our expanding universe of Innovation Centers made possible by the Internet of Things (IoT). […]

December 8, 2015

INNOVATION

Innovation Grand Challenge Winners Present Glimpse into the Future

3 min read

During three days in Dubai – what many call the Silicon Oasis — I joined a new and changing world of thinkers and doers. We experienced first-hand the smartest advances in 21st century technology and glimpsed into the future of what’s possible with the Internet of Things (IoT). That future is breathtaking in scope, imagination […]

November 23, 2015

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Countdown to Winner’s Circle at IoTWF Starts for 2015 Innovation Grand Challenge

3 min read

So now the countdown begins to name the winners of our second annual Cisco Innovation Grand Challenge at IoTWF. Today we unveil the six finalists selected by Cisco judges after a highly complex evaluation process, which started six months ago with 3,000 entries from more than 100 countries. I am calling these next-generation innovators, the Super […]

October 16, 2015

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

New Berlin Innovation Center Accelerates ‘Network Multiplier’

2 min read

At yesterday’s inauguration of Cisco’s ninth Innovation Center in the world, Berlin’s smartest new facility was abuzz with startup-like excitement for the possibilities of what the new digital world can deliver. I mingled with Cisco colleagues, customers, partners, app developers, entrepreneurs, thought leaders and the media in our latest showcase working lab, embedded with more […]

October 5, 2015

INNOVATION

IoT Disruptors: Announcing Innovation Grand Challenge Semi-Finalists

2 min read

I am thrilled to be the first to announce our 15 semi-finalists in Cisco’s second annual Innovation Grand Challenge. Culled from more than 3,000 entries in over 100 countries since June, I can sum up the semi-finalists’ innovations in one word: Disruptors. I want to congratulate all the semi-finalists for making it this far. It […]

September 22, 2015

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

IoT Innovation: Accelerating Rapidly and Exponentially

2 min read

Co-Innovation. Hyper-Collaboration. Sharing Economy. Whatever you call it, it’s clear to me that the global community of innovators around the Internet of Things (IoT) keeps accelerating — rapidly and exponentially. I have personally experienced this disruptive growth in just the past three months, especially in how co-innovators are focusing more and more on solutions for […]

September 3, 2015

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Tomorrow’s IoT Women Rock Stars

3 min read

Whoever said, “Youth is wasted on the young,” didn’t meet the next generation of innovators. This year’s winners of the IoT World Forum Young Women’s Innovation Grand Challenge demonstrated amazing technical and industry know-how – plus a whole lot of heartfelt social awareness – far beyond their years. They’re not wasting any time at all! […]