Damon Cahill’s Post

It seems like Citrix is taking a page or two from the Broadcom "how to look after partners for dummies" book. This is an elitist and extremely short term look and smacks purely of EBITDA and shareholder value boosting. The irony being that the smaller silver partners are amongst the most skilled partners, they have the staff that really understand the products, and have not just factory farmed the Certification journey. the worrying thing for Citrix is that those partners valued the partnership with Citrix, as it was helping them grow, they were the most loyal of partners too, Queue a list of posts for Workspot, AVD etc, even a resurgent Omnissa? All in all, not a good look. Citrix is a very wounded company.

🎖Taking a moment to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of my team and my co-leaders at Cisco. We've recently achieved one of the most significant transformational milestones in the company's history. 👉Imagine transitioning an entire region's transportation fuel delivery infrastructure from fossil fuel to electric overnight. That's the scale of what my team, co-leaders, and a team of 18 colleagues achieved. We've developed a robust data architecture that seamlessly integrates diverse datasets across Cisco's complex systems to prep for analytics. Then using our latest advancements in predictive AI/ML analytics engines, we now deliver a prediction accuracy for $B's of subscription-based business that is empowering thousands of field-facing roles to engage customers more effectively and help customers extract value from their purchases. This new accuracy represents a 60%+ improvement over the existing best methods. 🚨Beyond delivering predictive AI, we are also starting to democratize access to advanced analytics through Generative AI solutions. I know firsthand the power of democratizing data, having spent 12+ years in the military, national security and intelligence communities. ⚖But it wasn't just about data. We faced the challenge of aligning diverse organizational functions, each with its own language and success metrics. Negotiating partnerships and navigating through different frameworks was a challenge. Yet, we successfully shifted legacy thinking and motions to launch our initiative into Customer Success and Renewals organizations while also executing through partnerships with our IT organization. 🎢 Given Cisco's growing recurring and subscription business (now at ~$24B), and achieving this level of scaled transformation is monumental in driving renewal rates higher, growing customer value and adoption. 📣If you're interested in hearing more about our journey, sharing your insights on transforming complex organizations through change, or you have an affinity for AI, I'd love to connect and exchange stories. 🤝Handshakes to my fellow leaders Brett Austin Dave Nesselrode Susan Tharp, our Cisco team, and colleagues that made it real!

On my last day with VMware I returned my beloved MACBook Pro and my iPhone. This chapter of my career is now closed. I joined VMware in 2012 as a founding member of the newly created Advisory Services team. When I asked my new manager what he wanted me to acheive in the first 6 months he replied that he was not sure but had hoped I would be able to tell him what needed to be acheived. That began my journey to help build and shape the Advisory Services deliverables and programs and deliver those to our customers both inhouse and external to help VMware and our customers be successful in their digital transformation by delivering and demonstrating the value of IT to our customers businesses and organisation. The culture of VMware and the freedom that I was granted allowed me to not only develop Advisory Services but develop myself and help those around me with their personal development, something that I found most satisfying seeing others develop and acheive things they may have thought at one time impossible. It is measure of the company and the environment that it created for it's employees that I joined in 2012 thinking it would be a 5 year project and then I would look for my next new challenge. Why then am only just leaving after nearly 12 years. The answer is simply. Firstly new challenges kept appearing continuously over those 12 years and secondly every time I looked around I could not find anything that looked more appealing. If the grass does not look greener on the other side of the fence then why jump. Don't get me wrong it was not all a bed of roses. There were times when I despaired at the company but thankfully they were few and far between and never lasted long, usually because I found a way around the problem or road block. People keep asking me what next and the truth is I don't know yet. I am evaluating and exploring my options before I dive headlong into the next chapter so watch this space. I wanted to say thank you to all the people I have worked with over the last 12 years, fellow emplyees, partners and customers, for making it enjoyable, fun and challenging and a great place to work. Unfortunately there are too many to mention but you all know who you are.

🕓 It was 4pm on a Friday almost 20 years ago... 🕓 My heart sank as my coworker's voice came over the phone: "I deleted the volume with our production virtual machines." We were still navigating the uncharted waters of VMware, having only set it up a few weeks prior. But amidst the chaos, a glimmer of hope emerged - I remembered something about snapshots on the new NetApp array we were experimenting with on a trial basis. Frantically flipping through the manual, I found the solution and within minutes, we had restored the volume. With bated breath, we re-registered the machines and powered them on. Miraculously, everything was back to normal. We decided to keep the incident under wraps, sparing management from unnecessary stress. That day, I became a true believer in the power of VMware and NetApp. Fast forward to today, I'm on the brink of embarking on a new journey as a TSS Specialist at NetApp - a homecoming of sorts for me. I'm filled with excitement for the opportunity to dive deep into the world of NetApp once again. I owe a debt of gratitude to my colleagues at Kyndryl for their support and the invaluable lessons learned. It was a privilege to be part of such a great team, and I'm eager to see what amazing things they'll accomplish in the future. Who knows, perhaps our paths will cross again as we tackle complex projects and forge alliances in the tech world. As I gear up for my new role, I'll be taking some time to recharge and prepare for the exciting challenges ahead. I can't wait to hit the ground running, immersing myself in all things NetApp and connecting with customers. If you have any questions or just want to say hello, please don't hesitate to reach out! #NetApp #VMware #TechJourney #TSSSpecialist #TechStories #ITAdventures #Kyndryl #Homecoming

On Monday, just one day shy of my 13th year at VMware, I received notice that my role, along with those of many of my colleagues in Ireland, had been made redundant. It wasn't a shock, really, I've been aware of it for 18 months; it's been quite the saga, to say the least! The letter came from Broadcom, the company that has acquired VMware, and the final line struck me: "We thank you for your contributions to VMWare and wish you all the best for the future." With my employment brand hat on, I whispered through gritted teeth, "That's not how we write it... it's VMware." The truth is, when you work in #employmentbranding, you, as an employee, have to genuinely believe in what you're selling - although what you're selling cannot be bought. It's a unique feeling, a moment, a collective and consistent belief that you and everyone around you belong and are valued. It's what we as employees experienced at VMware. At VMware, I had the privilege of sharing our people's stories with the world. I learned who they were, how they came to VMware, and how their roles, no matter the title, slotted into the bigger VMware story. I absolutely loved sharing these stories. Along with my amazing team, we packaged them up into all shapes, and sizes publishing them for the world to consume. It never felt like the work we did was trite, forced, or inauthentic - one thing was always clear: people LOVED working at VMware. I loved working at VMware. I will carry it all with me to my next chapter: every story, every moment, every high and low, and most importantly the friendships, the lifelong, unbreakable friendships....#VMwareLife for Life✌🏼😭❤️ *I’ve always been immensely proud of the work we did on the employment brand team, often sharing moments from campaigns and events on my personal Instagram. Last week, I downloaded my VMware Life Instagram highlight reel. Here it is, what a trip!

Calling all VMware customers.  Do you have the skills, platform, and support to navigate the uncertainties of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware with confidence? For many, the answer is unclear. But fear not, we’ve got you covered. Join us on April 10 as we embark on a journey into the wilderness with Nutanix experts, customer speakers and our special guest presenter Jessie Krebs. Jessie, a former U.S. Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) specialist and highly respected technical consultant will be providing valuable knowledge and skills needed to navigate the uncertain terrain ahead, whether you’re preparing to brave the elements or chart your organization's IT future.  Learn how to navigate uncertainty. Because when it comes to your options, standing still isn’t one of them: https://ntnx.com/3TooX9h Nutanix, Inc. is not affiliated with VMware by Broadcom or Broadcom

Calling all VMware customers.  Do you have the skills, platform, and support to navigate the uncertainties of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware with confidence? For many, the answer is unclear. But fear not, we’ve got you covered. Join us on April 10 as we embark on a journey into the wilderness with Nutanix experts, customer speakers and our special guest presenter Jessie Krebs. Jessie, a former U.S. Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) specialist and highly respected technical consultant will be providing valuable knowledge and skills needed to navigate the uncertain terrain ahead, whether you’re preparing to brave the elements or chart your organization's IT future.  Learn how to navigate uncertainty. Because when it comes to your options, standing still isn’t one of them: https://ntnx.com/3TooX9h Nutanix, Inc. is not affiliated with VMware by Broadcom or Broadcom

Calling all VMware customers.  Do you have the skills, platform, and support to navigate the uncertainties of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware with confidence? For many, the answer is unclear. But fear not, we’ve got you covered. Join us on April 10 as we embark on a journey into the wilderness with Nutanix experts, customer speakers and our special guest presenter Jessie Krebs. Jessie, a former U.S. Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) specialist and highly respected technical consultant will be providing valuable knowledge and skills needed to navigate the uncertain terrain ahead, whether you’re preparing to brave the elements or chart your organization's IT future.  Learn how to navigate uncertainty. Because when it comes to your options, standing still isn’t one of them: https://ntnx.com/3TooX9h Nutanix, Inc. is not affiliated with VMware by Broadcom or Broadcom

Calling all VMware customers.  Do you have the skills, platform, and support to navigate the uncertainties of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware with confidence? For many, the answer is unclear. But fear not, we’ve got you covered. Join us on April 10 as we embark on a journey into the wilderness with Nutanix experts, customer speakers and our special guest presenter Jessie Krebs. Jessie, a former U.S. Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) specialist and highly respected technical consultant will be providing valuable knowledge and skills needed to navigate the uncertain terrain ahead, whether you’re preparing to brave the elements or chart your organization's IT future.  Learn how to navigate uncertainty. Because when it comes to your options, standing still isn’t one of them: https://ntnx.com/3TooX9h Nutanix, Inc. is not affiliated with VMware by Broadcom or Broadcom

Calling all VMware customers.  Do you have the skills, platform, and support to navigate the uncertainties of Broadcom’s acquisition of VMware with confidence? For many, the answer is unclear. But fear not, we’ve got you covered. Join us on April 10 as we embark on a journey into the wilderness with Nutanix experts, customer speakers and our special guest presenter Jessie Krebs. Jessie, a former U.S. Air Force SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape) specialist and highly respected technical consultant will be providing valuable knowledge and skills needed to navigate the uncertain terrain ahead, whether you’re preparing to brave the elements or chart your organization's IT future.  Learn how to navigate uncertainty. Because when it comes to your options, standing still isn’t one of them: https://ntnx.com/3TooX9h Nutanix, Inc. is not affiliated with VMware by Broadcom or Broadcom