Cisco Systems has officially confirmed it has accepted Mokati Ramphele`s resignation - amid much speculation about the GM of Cisco sub-Saharan Africa`s sudden departure at the end of last week.
It has also reaffirmed its commitment to SA`s black economic empowerment (BEE) drive.
In a brief statement, the company said Mark de Simone, VP of Cisco Middle East and Africa, had accepted Ramphele`s resignation. He held the position for less than a year.
While the statement did not elaborate on reasons for the resignation, a Cisco spokesman said on Friday that Ramphele`s departure was prompted by management style differences. Industry sources speculated that Ramphele did not fit into Cisco`s corporate culture and overstepped management policies driven from the US and European headquarters.
Ramphele`s appointment, in June last year, was hailed as a coup for the multinational`s local BEE strategy, as he was the first South African to take the reins of Cisco`s South African operations. The company said, at the time, that the appointment illustrated "the group`s commitment to operational leadership and skills transfer for black economic empowerment".
"We remain committed to supporting the information and communications technology industry transformation charter and accelerating skill transfer for BEE," Cisco said in the statement.
Ramphele`s differences with management have been an issue in the past, with reports that he was "frog-marched", following a disciplinary hearing, off the premises of State-owned arivia.kom in 2002, where he was the newly-appointed COO and director. However, Ramphele`s departure from Cisco was said to have been "amicable".
De Simone, who will assume interim operational responsibility for the South African office with immediate effect, says Cisco has launched a search for a new local country GM.
Related stories:
Cisco mum on Ramphele`s resignation
Cisco`s local GM in sudden departure
Share