Digital Resilience Is Business Resilience

In Part 1, we explore the real-world pressures shaping strategy in 2025 - from cybersecurity and AI hype, to data centre complexity and decision paralysis. You'll hear from:

• Rob Sims – Chief Technologist, CDW
• Joachim Mason – Managing Director, Partner Sales, Cisco UK & Ireland
• Scott Manson – Director of Cyber Security and Resilience
• Ged Fitton – Leader, Cloud Infrastructure & Software Group (CISG)

Together, they share unfiltered insights from the field, discussing how geopolitical shocks, shifting workforces, and AI-fuelled transformation are converging to reshape how organisations must think about resilience.

Key talking points include:

• Why tech complexity is paralysing decision-making—and how to overcome it
• The AI-ready data centre: hype vs. reality
• Cisco’s internal transformation and its focus on platform, silicon, and AI
• Why partnerships (not paper-based processes) are the key to delivering real outcomes
• Top tips to simplify complexity and drive digital progress

This is not a product pitch - it’s a deep dive into strategic alignment, practical advice, and what it really takes to thrive in the face of constant disruption.

In Part 2 of our Cisco 2025 special, we continue the conversation on digital resilience as business resilience, this time focusing on the hybrid cloud, modern data centres, and preparing for the future of AI-powered workloads.

You'll hear from:

• Rob Sims – Chief Technologist, CDW
• Joachim Mason – Managing Director, Partner Sales, Cisco UK & Ireland
• Scott Manson – Director of Cyber Security and Resilience
• Ged Fitton – Leader, Cloud Infrastructure & Software Group (CISG)

Topics covered:

• Why the term AI-Ready Data Centre matters – and what “ready” actually means
• The resurgence of hybrid cloud and why workload placement still matters in 2025
• Why virtual machines aren’t going anywhere yet - and how containers are changing the game
• Cisco’s approach to simplification through silicon, partnerships (NVIDIA, Nutanix, etc.), and validated designs
• How Cisco’s own silicon strategy gives customers choice, performance, and control
• The importance of observability and security in every data strategy
• Why “outcome-led” thinking is critical for building resilient infrastructure - especially when preparing for AI

In the final episode of our three-part Cisco 2025 series, we go straight to the heart of the conversation: digital resilience—why it’s no longer a technology discussion, but a critical business necessity.

You'll hear from:

• Rob Sims – Chief Technologist, CDW
• Joachim Mason – Managing Director, Partner Sales, Cisco UK & Ireland
• Scott Manson – Director of Cyber Security and Resilience
• Ged Fitton – Leader, Cloud Infrastructure & Software Group (CISG)

Discussion highlights:

• Digital downtime can now lead to life-threatening scenarios, societal disruption, and brand collapse
• Observability is no longer a luxury, but a core component of any resilient IT architecture
• Tech debt and outdated infrastructure are quietly sabotaging business resilience
• Cisco’s strategic acquisitions (like Splunk, ThousandEyes, AppDynamics, and Isovalent) are reshaping how security, operations, and data insight come together
• A true platform approach is needed to fight AI-powered adversaries and deliver machine-speed protection