Energy. Networking. Exclusives. Announcements. Idea Sharing. Inspiration. Excitement. Momentum.

These are just a few of the words that come to mind when I think about Cisco's premier partner event of the year. Cisco Partner Summit 2018 is just one week away and I am looking forward to joining the Cisco Partner Ecosystem in Vegas to discuss "Leading Together" in our dynamic, ever-changing industry.

Leading Together is the theme of Cisco Partner Summit this year, and I know we can fuel infinite possibilities by leading together with our partners. Partners are our competitive advantage, and a critical part of Cisco's strategy to deliver customer outcomes. The Leading Together slogan is especially fitting here in the Americas, where 90% of our business is done through the Cisco Partner Ecosystem. In this time of change, we have to lean in with our partners to capture the tremendous opportunity in front of us. Jeff Sharritts and Rick Snyder, two of our Americas Sales leaders, sat down with CRN last week to talk about how we are doing just that. They will be going into much more detail when they share the stage together in the Americas Geo session on Tuesday, November 13 from 12:30 p.m. -1:30 p.m..

In my conversations with partners throughout the year, I hear directly from our partner community about what's working, what's not and what is top of mind.  The most consistent thing I hear is that not only do customers have new technology requirements, they want to consume technology differently.

It's no secret that Cisco is working to deliver customer value faster. We have always been driven by customer satisfaction, but we know we must become "customer obsessed." Cisco and our Partners are laser focused on the customer experience -the value we deliver at every point of the lifecycle. More information will be shared about lifecycle adoption practice and how we are enabling our partners to build these key competencies that are critical with subscription-based models.

We are excited to have Oliver Tuszik as the new global channel leader, hosting his first Partner Summit. He brings a lot of energy to the role, as well as a strong understanding of the business opportunity. His prior experience leading a partner company will prove invaluable, and I can't wait to hear his plans for the entire Cisco Partner Ecosystem.

Don't miss a minute of#CiscoPS18. If you cannot attend in person, follow the conversation on Twitter with#CiscoPS18. Be sure to register for Virtual Partner Summit, mark your calendar and tune into the livestream!