My Best Friend at Cisco
THANK YOU MONICA FOR BEING OUR BEST FRIEND AT CISCO!
Monica Cojocneanu
Monica Cojocneanu leads Cisco’s Worldwide Certification Program and strategy that is widely recognized as leading the industry. More than 80 percent of Cisco products and services are sold through channel partners—systems integrators, value-added resellers, distributors, and others whose innovative solutions based on Cisco products and services extend the reach of Cisco’s sales and services organizations around the world. The Cisco certification program strategy is to increase profitable growth for partners and build partner capability to accelerate marketplace adoption of solutions based on Cisco advanced and emerging technologies.
Monica is a 10 year Cisco veteran, previously worked in the Customer Advocacy where she was responsible for defining the first generation of Cisco Advanced Services.
Before coming to Cisco, Monica spent 20 years with other high-tech organizations in different channel leadership roles.
Monica holds a DBA (Doctor in Business Administration) from UOP, MBA form the same University, and a MA in Literature from Iasi University in Romania
I have had the pleasure of working with Monica Cojocneanu on various efforts such as the CCIE Flyer CCIE Amnesty Program, the CCIE hostage standoff release of CCIE numbers for a pair of CCIEs in UAE, and the identification of partners who mistreat their CCIEs. We share a passion for CCIEs. She has been so helpful in some of my efforts to help the CCIEs that are in my network that I have been referring to her as, “My Best Friend at Cisco” for over a year now. I know a lot of people at Cisco and this is not a slight against any of you, but for helping the CCIEs where the rubber meets the road, Monica is my hero.
I was looking at the stats recently for articles and interviews that have drawn the most traffic. I was pleased to discover that Monica’s interview is the most read interview of all to-date. I was pleased to learn this and wanted to let everyone know in the Valentine’s Day issue of the CCIE Flyer this influential lady has a special place in the Flyer as well as in the hearts of CCIEs she has helped. Monica leads Cisco’s Worldwide Certification Program, so her vantage point to Channel Partner and CCIE certifications is quite unique. I have often spoken with her only to find her in the office when others might have already gone home. When we speak of CCIE issues and successes she is always energized and passionate about the topics.
Why?
Monica (my best friend at Cisco) loves what she does. Really she can get so carried away that we often get lost in our conversations and one of us has to call time out because we could go on for hours. Knowing her has been a great experience for me and in this issue of the CCIE Flyer which has so many influential women in it I wanted to thank her.
I have become friends with Monica and we finally had a chance to meet this past week when I was in San Jose for the West Coast Talent Summit at Cisco HQ. We both had such busy agendas with various demands on us that we had to reschedule our meeting twice before we finally agreed to simply pull away from what we were doing for 15 – 20 minutes to say hello. After a warm hug we sat down and took up a conversation that we always seem to have ongoing, as if we never paused for breath. This is a great feeling to have with anyone anywhere, but with Monica it is specialer (sp). We had other items to attend to that pulled us away to soon, but the meeting was great.
So I am dedicating the February Issue of the CCIE Flyer to my best friend at Cisco (Monica) who has helped so very many channel partners and Cisco Certified professionals out there. In the background she is one of those unsung heroes. So for all of us I am sending out this thank you.
THANK YOU MONICA FOR BEING OUR BEST FRIEND AT CISCO!