Contributors

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Host

Bob Friday

Bob Friday is a prominent figure in technology as the Group VP, Chief AI Officer, and CTO Enterprise at Juniper Networks. Recognized as a Wi-Fi influencer and a key contributor to the HS2.0 industry standard, he holds over 15 patents. In 2014, Bob co-founded Mist Systems to enhance business-critical mobile experiences. Currently, he is leading the cloud AI strategy, aiming to optimize the client-to-cloud experience.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobfriday/
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Co-host

Bob Laliberte

theCUBE’s Bob Laliberte focuses on existing and emerging network technologies and application and network performance management solutions utilized by enterprises, cloud, and service providers. He is particularly interested in cloud-native and modern architectures that are driving the next wave of network and distributed cloud infrastructure investments. Bob shares straightforward and thought-provoking insights that have made him a popular resource for IT vendors and the media alike.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/boblaliberte90/
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Mike Spanbauer

As Security Marketing Director at Juniper Networks, Mike brings over 25 years of expertise in network and security advisory, consulting, and product strategy to stand at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation. His contributions have been pivotal in shaping the cybersecurity discourse while guiding enterprises through the complexities of securing digital assets in a hyper-connected world. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikespanbauer/

Guests

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Abhi Shamsundar

Abhi Shamsundar is a Director of Products at Juniper Networks, specializing in the AI-Driven Enterprise portfolio with a focus on Wired Assurance, switching, and WAN Assurance with SRXs. 
 
 He joined Juniper through its acquisition of Mist Systems, where he was instrumental in developing AI-driven solutions for network management. Abhi has demonstrated the deployment of Juniper's full stack capabilities, showcasing the ease of implementing AI-Native solutions in enterprise networks. 
 
 He has also contributed to discussions on integrating Juniper switches with Mist's AI-Native management platform, emphasizing the benefits of cloud-managed access layers. 
 
 Abhi has participated in industry events, such as Tech Field Day, where he presented on expanding cloud-native architectures for campus networks. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhiramms/

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Alistair Erskine, MD

Alistair Erskine, MD, is responsible for the digital transformation of Emory University’s academic medical center using a platform-based and experience-led portfolio that depends on deep partnership with supporting vendors. He oversees a team of over 1,000 who are enhancing the student, patient, faculty, care team, research, and staff experiences through cutting-edge technologies. Whether predictive, conversational, imaging, or generative AI, his team specializes in the application of these technologies into teaching, research, clinical, and administrative workflows. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/transformatics/

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Bob Laliberte

theCUBE’s Bob Laliberte focuses on existing and emerging network technologies, as well as application and network performance management solutions used by enterprises, cloud providers, and service providers. He studies and tracks cloud-native, modern architectures that are driving the next wave of network and distributed cloud infrastructure investments. Bob shares straightforward and thought-provoking insights that have made him a popular resource for IT vendors and the media alike. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/boblaliberte90/

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Dr. Gina Guillaume-Joseph

A distinguished technologist, published author, dedicated mentor, and STEM advocate, Dr. Gina Guillaume-Joseph currently serves as Camio’s CTO. Prior to her role at Camio, she was the CTO for Government at Workday where she aligned the company with the federal government’s technology transformation strategy. With extensive executive experience in both the federal and commercial sectors, her career spans 16 years of supporting the federal government through roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, L-3 Communications, The MITRE Corporation, and Capital One. In addition, Dr. Guillaume-Joseph’s academic contributions include roles as an adjunct professor and doctoral research advisor at The George Washington University.  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gina-guillaume-joseph-ab96962/

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Gary Sorrentino

With nearly 40 years of experience in information technology, Gary has held various leadership roles across the financial services industry. At J.P. Morgan, he was the Global Head of Client Cyber Awareness and Education and the Chief Technology Officer for AWM’s global technology infrastructure initiatives. While there, he played a key role in developing cybersecurity programs and managing global infrastructure support. Prior to J.P. Morgan, Gary served as Head of Global Infrastructure and Head of Technology Efficiencies at Citi Private Bank, where he was responsible for global infrastructure support and strategic technology initiatives. He has also held key information technology positions at both Credit Suisse and UBS.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/garysorrentino/

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Jennifer Minella

With over 20 years in the tech industry, JJ has been helping security-conscious organizations solve network security challenges in meaningful ways. Combining master-level network architecture skills with CISO and compliance experience, she continues this mission as Founder and Principal Advisor of Viszen Security. She’s a published author, internationally recognized speaker, analyst with IANS, and former board member and chairperson of (ISC)2. 

https://www.viszensecurity.com/

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Jennifer Saha

Jennifer is a former Governor’s Appointee in California by both republican and democratic Governors where she served at executive levels of government for a decade. She joined the Computing Technology Industry Association where she covered government procurement nationally. Founding Golden Bridge Strategies was a natural next step in her passion for connecting the industry to the government.

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John Bollen

John Bollen, a technology executive with over 25 years of experience, is the Industry Leader of Solutions at ServiceNow, focusing on enhancing guest and employee experiences through advanced digital platforms. Previously, he was Chief Information Officer at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, modernizing infrastructure and systems, and Senior VP and Chief Digital Officer at MGM Resorts International, driving operational efficiency and revenue growth via digital innovation. He also held a senior role at NBCUniversal, honing his digital strategy and technology operations skills. John has a bachelor's in communication from UC Santa Barbara and an MBA from the University of San Francisco, positioning him as a leader in tech and hospitality

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnbollen/

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Kedar Dhuru

Kedar Dhuru is a seasoned technology leader with extensive experience in product management in information and data security. Currently, he serves as the Senior Director of Product Management at Juniper Networks, where he oversees the development and management of cutting-edge security products. His role involves strategic planning, product life cycle management, and driving innovation to meet the evolving needs of the industry.  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdhuru/

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Kumar Putta Swamy

Kumar Putta Swamy is a Product Manager at Juniper Networks, where he oversees flagship AI-native networking solutions such as the Marvis AI Assistant and Mist Edge. In this capacity, he leads the integration of third-party data sources, contributes to core product architecture design, and drives enhancements that simplify enterprise network operations through AI-native automation and edge compute capabilities. 
 
Kumar holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Communication from Bapuji Institute of Engineering & Technology (BIET), Davangere (1999–2003), grounding his work in both hardware fundamentals and advanced software systems design. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kumar-putta-swamy/

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Mathias Kokot

At Juniper, Mathias Kokot is responsible for the Juniper Cloud, Foundation Technologies, and the strategic software/SaaS application portfolio. He also works closely with the strategy team on architecture, M&A, and venture investments. During his time at Juniper, Mathias has managed the Edge Services and Routing portfolio, as well as the TME group. He also led the broadband portfolio and the introduction of the Universal Edge products, just to name a few of his many successes.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mathiaskokot/

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Mitch Davis

As CIO, Mitch is committed to the mission of empowering Dartmouth’s community—faculty, students, and staff alike—to collectively tackle the world’s most pressing challenges. During his 14 years as SVP and CIO at Bowdoin College, he transformed the school into one of the most technically advanced liberal arts colleges in the world. Prior to that, Mitch held leadership roles at Stanford University and the University of Oregon School of Law. With over 20 years in higher education, he has promoted organizational change and emerging technology by consulting, speaking at seminars, and collaborating with venture capitalists and businesses to create next-generation solutions. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/davismitch/

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Mounir Hahad

Mounir Hahad, Head of Juniper Threat Labs at Juniper Networks, signifies a cybersecurity luminary with over 20 years of leadership expertise. An acclaimed author of "Preventing Ransomware" and a thought leader in cyber threats, Mounir has distinguished himself through groundbreaking work in the field. His achievements include spearheading award-winning security solutions and amplifying Juniper's Advanced Threat Prevention Cloud through innovative AI-driven detection techniques. Notably, Mounir's leadership has garnered industry accolades, with Juniper’s products ranking highest in various evaluations. His passion for assembling global teams that tackle complex security challenges is evident in his relentless pursuit of quality, innovation, and transparent accountability. Unquestionably, Mounir is an outstanding leader with a remarkable track record, solidifying his status as a recognized authority in cybersecurity.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mounirhahad/

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Nagarjun Srinivasan

Nagarjun "Nag" Srinivasan earned his bachelor's in electrical engineering from IIT Hyderabad (2016) and completed his master's in electrical and computer engineering at CMU (2018). His academic research interests during his education ranged from reinforcement learning to antenna modeling. In 2017, Nag met Bob at CMU while Bob was giving a talk about the new Mist BLE antenna, and that timely encounter led Nag to join the Mist Location team as an intern. He transitioned into full-time employment after graduating and stayed on to lead engineering for Mist Location. Today, Nag blends his technical background with his passion for music and innovation. He's an amateur musician, as music has always carried him through the toughest times in life. In 2023, Nag cofounded Lune Acoustics with his college roommate with the mission to get more people to find the joy in playing music.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nagarjun-srinivasan/

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Navraj Pannu

At Juniper, Navraj Pannu is working on AI models to predict and explain customers’ network experiences. Prior to Juniper, Navraj managed a team of data scientists at GoDaddy, working on deep learning models for auto completing, generating, and ranking domain names. He was also a tenured faculty member at Leiden University, the Netherlands, working on computational methods to determine the three-dimensional atomic structure of protein molecules crucial for drug design. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/navraj-pannu-746359177/

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Ram Velaga

Ram Velaga is Senior Vice President and General Manager of the Core Switching Group at Broadcom, responsible for the company’s extensive Ethernet switch portfolio serving broad markets including the service provider, data center and enterprise segments. Prior to joining Broadcom in 2012, he served in a variety of product management roles at Cisco Systems, including Vice President of Product Management for the Data Center Technology Group. Mr. Velaga earned an M.S. in Industrial Engineering from Penn State University and an M.B.A. from Cornell University. Mr. Velaga holds patents in communications and virtual infrastructure. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ram-v-124b79/

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Shan Palaniappan

Shanmugam Palaniappan is a seasoned technology executive with over 20 years of experience in engineering and software development. As the SVP of Engineering at Sagent, he leads the Infrastructure, Operations, and Enterprise Architecture teams. Before joining Sagent, Shanmugam held key leadership roles at several top technology companies. At Metrika, he was the VP of Engineering, overseeing blockchain analytics solutions. At DataRobot, he served as the CTO of the SaaS Platform and VP of Scale, Reliability, and Performance, advancing AI and machine learning technologies.

Known for his strategic vision and technical expertise, Shanmugam excels in leading high-performing teams and driving innovation in engineering and technology.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shan-palaniappan/

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Shirley Wu

Shirley Wu has extensive experience utilizing big data and open-source technologies to architect and implement machine learning solutions. She is the architect who designed and implemented the Marvis self-driving network solution and currently leads the Marvis data science team to expand Marvis intelligence to enterprise end-to-end network deployment.  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shirley-wu-ab32171/

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Sudheer Matta

Sudheer Matta is SVP of Products for Juniper’s AI Driven Enterprise Portfolio, responsible for product strategy and roadmap for Wi-Fi and Switching and Branch routing portfolio. In addition, he leads the WAN transformation efforts at Juniper and was instrumental in the recent Juniper acquisition of 128 Technology. He is also responsible for the Systems Engineering teams for Juniper’s AI Driven Enterprise portfolio. Prior to this, Sudheer was VP Products at Mist Systems, a disruptive startup that brought AI to the Wi-Fi market. 
 
Previously, Sudheer held various roles in Engineering, Product Management, and Sales at Cisco, Juniper, and other startups, including running the $2.2B wireless controller product management at Cisco. He has spent 10 years in the IEEE and Wi-Fi alliance and has 6 patents in the wireless domain. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sudheermatta/

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Sunalini Sankhavaram

Sunalini Sankhavaram, VP Product Management at AIDE & Cross Business Unit Offerings– has been in the networking industry for more than a decade, managing varied portfolios encompassing enterprise wireless networks, network management, enterprise MDM, security and network access technologies as well as indoor locationing solutions and analytics platforms and now driving forward with customer/user experience centric AI powered cloud native network operations and line of business services delivering the network for the next decade.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunalini/

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Tim Fell

Tim Fell, VP of Networking Technology & Services at TELUS, leads the evolution of next-gen broadband and autonomous networks. His focus on customer experience drives the deployment of cloud-based, secure, and automated network solutions, fostering innovation, satisfaction, and sustainability. Previously, he led the Future-Friendly Technology Services team, significantly impacting TELUS' Video, Home Networks, and SmartHome Security through strategic tech development and operations. A pioneer in cloud solutions and agile methodologies, Fell transformed TELUS' approach to technology and DevOps. Recognized for his commitment to team culture and diversity, with the Women in IT Awards - Ally of the Year 2023, he contributes to industry-wide initiatives and sits on the TELUS World of Science Edmonton's Board of Directors. His academic credentials include a BS in Electrical Engineering and an MBA, highlighting his tech leadership expertise.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-fell-872204a/

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Wayne Ortman

Overseeing network services for Emory University and Emory Healthcare, Wayne Ortman is responsible for ensuring a secure, reliable, and high-performance network that supports both academic campuses, 10 hospitals, and nearly 100 clinical locations. A skilled strategist and operational leader, Wayne brings a wealth of experience in network engineering, project management, and team development. He is passionate about leveraging technology to drive innovation and improve efficiency.  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/wayne-ortman-517aaa3/

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Yedu Siddalingappa

Yedu Siddalingappa is a seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience across diverse functional roles and global markets. At Juniper, Yedu brings deep expertise in AI-driven enterprise networking solutions, focusing on innovation, operational efficiency, and data-driven decision-making. He is responsible for the development and implementation of advanced analytics and AI solutions designed to simplify operations and drive intelligent automation across full stack enterprise networks. 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/yedu/

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