Avatar

Bryan Bedford

Global Lead: CX Partner GTM & IoT Sports Partner GTM

Global Partner Organization

For over 20 years, Bryan Bedford has been transforming consumer, content and technology industries around the world. Throughout his career in the IT, services, sports, media, and retail technology, Bedford has launched & scaled industry-changing technologies and services in high growth businesses’ including mobile, content and customer experience focused areas. Bedford is also very active as an industry speaker and communicator on Twitter (@Bryan_Bedford) discussing tech, media, retail, sports, the future of customer experience as often as he can.

In his current position with Cisco Systems, a blue-chip technology firm, Bedford leads a team within Cisco’s Global Partner Organization that is focused on driving our Customer Experience (CX) portfolio and Cisco's IoT Sports & Entertainment practice through our partners and channel. In doing so this team leads partners into richer and more effective execution in the areas of CX across all of Cisco including Intent-Based Networking, Data Center and IoT just to name a few. Bedford joined Cisco in 2011 and has served as the Global Industry lead for Sports, Retail & Media for the first 7 years at Cisco including time serving as a member of the executive steering boards for Sports, Retail and Media industries inside Cisco.

Before joining the team at Cisco, Bedford served as XOS Digital's Vice President of Sales & Business Development and before that Director of Sales & Business Development both roles focused on Customer Experience & Services within the Sports & Media industries. Under Bedford’s direction XOS Digital, a leading software, analysis and services company focused on the Sports & Entertainment market, Bedford spearheaded all facets of external business development for the firm including forging strategic “go-to-market” partnerships with major manufactures, technology companies and industry leaders including working with nearly every major professional and college sports program throughout North America. Bedford’s time at XOS Digital included record revenue growth, expansion of the sales/marketing force, net new product/solution launches and drive towards additional profitability.

Prior to joining XOS Digital, Bedford was groomed in the sports world and spent time working for three sports teams in various roles (Sales, Coaching, Marketing) over a 7-year period including time on staff at TCU (Texas Christian University) , Southern Nazarene University, and for the Oklahoma RedHawks Baseball Club.

Bedford also serves as CEO & Managing Director of The Bedford Agency, a College Sports Recruiting Company. Bedford earned his Master’s Degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and his Bachelor of Science degree from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany. Bedford resides in Oklahoma City, OK and is married to his wife Desiree’ and has two daughters Tessa (15) and Sadie (10).

Articles

June 5, 2018

PARTNER

The Impact of Cisco’s Partner Ecosystem in the Sports and Entertainment Industry

Recently one of Cisco’s Sports and Entertainment customers, Little Ceasars Arena in Detroit, Michigan, was awarded Sports Business Journals, Facility of the Year Award. An incredible accomplishment for the arena, beating out other Cisco customers Notre Dame Stadium, SunTrust Park/The Battery Atlanta…

April 30, 2018

PARTNER

Partner Practice Building in Retail

I often get asked by partners how we work in industries.  Those conversations start with partners asking us about our sales offers (think of these as the industry message and use case that driving the architectures), then they want to know about trends, and then finally, the question is how we work…

April 4, 2018

PARTNER

Industrializing the Cisco Media Partner Ecosystem

For several years we have been tracking the progress we have made in the Media and Broadcast industry. The rapid move to IP, the cloud based workflows and the business model challenges that surround our end customers. It’s a wild ride, with lots of change. As a guy from Oklahoma City, I like the Wil…

March 20, 2018

PARTNER

Retail Industry, the NOW opportunity for our Partners!

Every quarter I conduct a partner facing enablement webinar for our partners entitled Industry Digital Transformation for Retail and each time I am struck with the opportunity we have right NOW in retail!  Just recently completed another one of these sessions so  I thought I would share a few of the…

March 13, 2018

PARTNER

Sports & Entertainment Sales Plays and the impact for our Channel Partners

Recently, I conducted a partner facing webinar entitled Industry Digital Transformation with a focus on Sports & Entertainment. This webinar was part of a series that our Partner Digital Transformation & Industries Team at Cisco has been hosting for the past year as we look to create enablem…

January 11, 2018

PARTNER

NRF 2018: The Power of the Cisco Partner Ecosystem Inside the Toy Box!

I loved Toys when I was a kid!  Who didn’t?  I remember researching the latest and greatest on my wish list.   I remember specifically one year when I wanted a new basketball goal and I was set to get the very best one…or at least recommend the best one to my family for purchase.   I did…

December 6, 2017

PARTNER

Coaching our Channel to Success in the Sports, Retail & Hospitality Industries!

College Football is the Best! I love College Football. I once was a College Football coach. I watch with passion College Football each week, and my wife probably says I breathe College Football. And now, with the college football bowl season upon us it reminds me of the preparation, planning, recrui…

September 14, 2017

SP360: SERVICE PROVIDER

IBC 2017: On Making Deposits into the Broadcast/Media Ecosystem

It’s the last holiday weekend of the summer as I write this, on a perfect afternoon, filled with no prior engagements, or camp pickups/drop-offs. Excellent conditions for blogging. As I consider how to characterize the “state of the state,” as it relates to the technology partner “ecosystem” of the…

Cisco and its Partners Deliver Digital Fan Experiences of the Future, Today!

I’ve been working in the Sports and Entertainment Industry for over 20 years, and by far, digital transformation has been one of the greatest technology disruptor across industries in the past five years, making it more critical for organizations to transform their business models to remain competit…