Cisco taps former Microsoft, Broadcom exec to grow networking hardware portfolio

Cisco today said it has hired industry veteran Martin Lund to run its Common Hardware Group. Lund, whose past experience includes executive roles at Microsoft and Broadcom, will be an executive vice president at Cisco and report directly to CEO Chuck Robbins.

The Common Hardware Group at Cisco is responsible for delivering the silicon, optics, and hardware platforms for Cisco’s switching, routing, and wireless products. The group also is involved in ASIC design, system/board design, circuit board layout, hardware automation, validation and testing, signal integrity, and power design, according to Cisco. 

“I am very pleased to announce that Martin Lund, an industry veteran with decades of experience driving innovation and business growth in the networking and semiconductor industries, is joining Cisco,” Robbins wrote in a blog about executive changes.

As the SVP and GM of Broadcom’s network switching business, Martin helped acquire Dune Networks in 2009 and most recently was corporate vice president of Microsoft’s Azure for Operators, where he was responsible for delivering Azure-based solutions for public and private 5G, packet core, voice, and AI operations, Robbins stated.

Martin was also CEO of Metaswitch Networks, a cloud-native communications software company, before its acquisition by Microsoft. “In addition to his 12 years at Broadcom, where he was instrumental in building the Network Switching brand and growing the business to more than $1 billion, Martin has also held leadership positions at companies such as Cadence Design Systems and Intel,” Robbins stated.

Prior to Lund’s hiring, Eyal Dagan ran the Common Hardware Group, and he has now been promoted to executive vice president, strategic projects, according to Robbins. Dagan was the CEO and founder of Dune Networks and has also worked with Broadcom; he has been senior vice president of Cisco engineering for the past eight years, according to his LinkedIn profile. 

Robbins said that Dagan will work with his team on critical projects that require “deep technical expertise to ensure our innovation and leadership in the technology industry remains strong.”