Cisco Israel country manager Gary Drutin yesterday unexpectedly announced he was leaving his position. The announcement came during a visit to Israel by Cisco Systems world chairman John P. Morgridge and VP EMEA Mediterranean Jordi Botifoll.
Morgridge yesterday inaugurated the Net@ (Neta) project, a joint $8 million social enterprise by Cisco, the Jewish Agency, Keren Hayesod-United Israel Appeal, and NGO Tapuah for nurturing technological achievement among children in outlying areas. Botifoll was also present, but Drutin did not attend the ceremony.
Sources inform “Globes” that Drutin was fired after Cisco (Nasdaq: CSCO) recently lost major tenders to Juniper Networks (Nasdaq: JNPR) and Nortel Networks (NYSE: NT). Through Netcom System, Juniper recently won a $30-50 million Israel Defense Forces (IDF) IP router tender, overcoming Cisco, which competed through Motorola Information Systems.
Cisco also lost an IDF Computer and Data Communications Network Center to Juniper, and an Israel Electric Corporation tender to Nortel. Nortel has slashed its data communications prices in recent years, and Cisco is having trouble meeting the competition.
Sources inform “Globes” that two senior executives in Cisco Israel are candidates to replace Drutin.
Drutin said in response that he had notified the company employees yesterday that he was going on a three-month vacation, and would not return to his job. He said that his leaving had been coordinated with Cisco several months ago, and was not related to the results of the tenders in which the company had competed.
Drutin added that he had not accompanied Morgridge to the ceremony, because he was “busy with personal matters.” He also said that he and Botifoll were currently selecting his replacement as country manager for Israel. He further stated that there were both internal and external candidates for the position.
Published by Globes [online] - www.globes.co.il - on December 2, 2003