Our customers are the heart and soul of everything we do at Cisco and each one of them has an interesting story to tell! Our new Q&A series allows us to shine a spotlight on some of our most passionate customer advocates in The Global Gateway community as we learn more about their stories and backgrounds.
You may be wondering: What is The Global Gateway? It’s a community for Cisco customers where they can build powerful connections, expand their professional and personal networks, and learn from top experts in their field. One of our goals with our advocacy community is to deepen our relationships with our customers and today, we have one of the friendliest faces in The Global Gateway joining us for a chat. I’m excited to welcome Daniel Hosking from NEC Australia.
Welcome, Daniel! Let’s kick things off by talking about what you wanted to be when you were 16 years old?
In my high school year 12 yearbook, there was a question asking “What is your ideal job?” and I answered, “Anything, as long as it is to do with computers!” After 25 years in the IT industry selling and designing network solutions for banks, prisons, hospitals and various government agencies, I can safely say: Mission accomplished!
Where did you start your career? And, what professional decision or opportunity helped lead you to your current role?
I started almost straight out of high school in a junior test center role at Cray Communications. I was very lucky, it was an amazing first job, staging network equipment for senior engineers to configure. This gave me access to devices to learn on that were otherwise very hard to come by. I had a great learning lab network made up of Cisco 2501s with back-to-back serial cables! After many years being extremely technical, I decided to broaden my horizons and complete a Master’s of Business at the University of Technology Sydney. NEC supported me on this journey and it led me to the role I hold today.
I think that’s awesome that you wanted to challenge yourself further, which led to you getting your Master’s degree in business! You mentioned that you currently work for NEC Australia. How has partnering with Cisco helped your work both in your segment and industry?
NEC Australia’s engagement with Cisco has multiple dimensions. NEC is a Gold Partner, reselling Cisco products and solutions. We also use many Cisco products internally, such as networking or telepresence equipment for our conference rooms. In addition, some of the solutions and platforms we take to market are also underpinned by Cisco technology. The combination of NEC and Cisco products and solutions has led to some amazing outcomes for our clients.
Throughout my 25-year career I have partnered with Cisco, selling, designing, deploying and supporting networking infrastructure. Sometimes life (and IT projects!) don’t always go to plan. Aside from leading-edge products, Cisco has always stood side-by-side with us to ensure a positive outcome for our clients. Often, people focus on Cisco’s technology and its associated benefits. I believe Cisco’s commitment and ability to support its partners and their clients is often overlooked as one of its key strengths as a partner.
I think that’s a great point about life not going to plan, and the breadth of your expertise is testament to that! What’s been your biggest challenge in your company this year, and how did you overcome it?
Assisting our clients, particularly our health sector clients with their response to COVID, while we were dealing with our own internal rapid transformation. We were also impeded by travel restrictions and supply chain issues with many in-flight projects for our clients. Luckily, I am privileged to work with an exceptionally talented and client-centric team who work extensive hours to ensure we are able to meet the needs of our clients, especially those in health and emergency services.
Let’s move on to The Global Gateway! How would you describe this customer advocacy community to those who haven’t heard of it before?
The Global Gateway is an extremely vibrant online community, full of support and energy. It is a great way to network with like-minded professionals, learn something new, and even have a bit of fun. The Global Gateway is a great way to read up-to-date information about the Cisco product portfolio, technology, and market trends in “bite size pieces” that are easy to consume.
You’re one of our community “Rockstars” and we really appreciate how active you are! What made you want to join The Global Gateway, and how has being part of this community impacted you both professionally and personally?
I originally joined at Melbourne Cisco Live in 2019, as many of the challenges were designed to get the most out of the event. However, the constant stream of challenges to participate in, knowledge articles to consume, and the bit of fun or friendly competition have kept me engaged for over two years now. It has definitely made a positive impact by providing opportunities to expand my personal network within Cisco and participate in some interesting panels. It even led to me inadvertently making a viral video in lockdown! It has just been an engaging and enjoyable experience all round.
We’re almost at the end of the interview, Daniel, and we’d love to finish with three things you can’t live without?
Family, music, and nachos!
Nachos is a GREAT choice! Thank you again for joining us, Daniel!
You are welcome!
Read more customer advocate interviews
You might enjoy this interview with our Global Gateway customer advocate, Adeola.
Join us in The Global Gateway
For our customers who have already joined us in The Global Gateway, say hello to Daniel if you haven’t met each other yet. And for those Cisco customers who haven’t yet joined The Global Gateway, consider doing so! You’ll be able to:
- Connect with peers in a gamified, online community
- Have an opportunity to meet with Cisco’s executives
- Share your feedback, questions, and best practices
- Get access to “insider” content and resources
- Grow your professional and personal brand
- Amplify your company’s success story with Cisco technology
Ready to get started? Head over to The Global Gateway and say hello!
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