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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

August 9, 2016

INNOVATION

Innovation never stops, but entries for the 2016 Innovation Grand Challenge do

Alert to all startups, entrepreneurs and developers with digital breakthroughs to disrupt the world! Cisco’s innovation bullet train is about to leave the station. Last call to hop on board this high-speed express line is less than three weeks away — Aug. 31! Don’t miss the train destined for…

July 28, 2016

GOVERNMENT

#TransformationThursday: Innovation at its Finest

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 physic…

July 27, 2016

INNOVATION

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

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 ser…

July 22, 2016

INNOVATION

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

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. Like last year’…

July 8, 2016

INNOVATION

Building Blocks for your own Innovation Disruption (Part 1)

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…

July 6, 2016

INNOVATION

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

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  an…

June 9, 2016

INNOVATION

Igniting a Companywide Startup Culture of Entrepreneurs

Before you can disrupt markets and competitors with breakout innovations, you must first disrupt yourself. This new paradigm does not discriminate. It applies now to all organizations of any size, their cultures and employees alike – no matter how successful in the past. Overwhelming research* shows…

Cisco Challenges Digital Entrepreneurs Worldwide

I’m in Vienna this week at the Pioneers Festival, which describes itself as “the epicenter of innovation.” Surrounded by 2,500 technology pioneers, including 500 of some of the world’s most promising early-stage startups, I definitely feel the seismic disruption all around me. I can’t think of a bet…

May 17, 2016

INNOVATION

Disrupt or Die: Only the Innovative Will Survive

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 i…