# Pankaj Patel

> Pankaj Patel is the co-founder and CEO of Nile, which delivers secure enterprise wired and wireless networking as a service. Formerly Cisco’s executive vice president and chief development officer, he has worked across computing, networking, startup investment and engineering leadership. His current work focuses on reducing the complexity of operating enterprise networks.

- **Role:** Co-founder & CEO at Nile
- **Organizations:** Nile, Cisco Systems, StrataCom, Digital Equipment Corporation, Redback Networks, JC2 Ventures, March Capital
- **Education:** Bachelor of Engineering, Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, MS in Electrical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- **Known for:** Led Cisco’s engineering, marketing and product management responsibilities across a $38 billion portfolio., Co-founded Nile in 2018 and led it through its public launch and 2023 Series C., Received a 2025 Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering.

## Career timeline

- **1975** — Came from India to Wisconsin for graduate study after completing his engineering bachelor’s degree.
- **1977** — Earned his MS in Electrical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- **After 1977** — Worked at Digital Equipment Corporation in Boston for a decade; later founded and sold a California chip-design-tools business and joined StrataCom.
- **1996** — Entered Cisco through its acquisition of StrataCom.
- **1999-2003** — Served as SVP of Engineering at Redback Networks.
- **2013-2016** — Served as Cisco EVP and Chief Development Officer.
- **2018** — Co-founded Nile with John Chambers, Suresh Katukam and Sri Hosakote.
- **2022** — Nile emerged from stealth and introduced its access service.
- **2023** — Nile announced a $175 million Series C, bringing total funding to $300 million.
- **2025** — Received a University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering Distinguished Achievement Award.
- **2026** — Continues as Nile co-founder and CEO; Srinivas Kavuri joined as CDO reporting to him in September.

## Achievements

- Led Cisco’s engineering, marketing and product management responsibilities across a $38 billion portfolio.
- Co-founded Nile in 2018 and led it through its public launch and 2023 Series C.
- Received a 2025 Distinguished Achievement Award from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Nile appointed Srinivas Kavuri Chief Development Officer, reporting to Patel and leading global engineering.
- **2026-06** — Nile announced Glean’s adoption of its autonomous network-as-a-service platform.
- **2026-05** — Nile announced recognition as a Visionary in the 2026 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN, its second consecutive year.

## Links

- Website: https://nilesecure.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pankajpspatel

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/pankaj-patel
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-11