Leading the Future Program

Emma Carpenter serves as SVP of Recurring Revenue Acceleration. She leads a global team focused on increasing renewal rates, reducing attrition, and driving growth. Together, they drive over $14 billion in software and services revenue for Cisco. Emma is known for her transformational and empathetic leadership style, which enables her teams to achieve business results through innovation and cross-functional collaboration with partners and our sales, customer success, and product teams.

Billy Hackenson is Vice President of Marketing Strategy, Planning, Operations and AI Initiatives at Cisco. He leads a global team driving AI-enabled marketing strategy, analytics, business operations, and talent development to accelerate growth and customer impact. Previously, Billy held roles at Gong, Twilio and Box helping scale modern, data-driven go-to-market organizations.  Before working in technology, Billy held agency roles at Lippincott and consulting roles at Deloitte.

Tanya Trott is a versatile and experienced senior technology executive with a proven history of delivering strategic value. As the Chief Technology Officer at Transurban, she is responsible for all enterprises and roadside technology, including cybersecurity and cloud platforms. With specialties in technology simplification and cost reduction, Tanya has a strong track record of improving productivity and leading teams to deliver excellent service and successful programs of work across major corporations like National Australia Bank, Orica, and Cisco.

Carrie Palin serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Cisco, where she leads global marketing, including demand generation, brand strategy, digital experience, and field marketing. A member of the Executive Leadership Team, she has been instrumental in maintaining Cisco’s status as Interbrand’s top global B2B brand for five consecutive years and spearheading the comprehensive transformation of Cisco.com.

With extensive experience in the technology sector, Palin previously served as CMO at Splunk and SendGrid, and as the inaugural CMO at Box. Her background also includes leadership roles at IBM and a 16-year tenure at Dell, where she focused on global go-to-market strategies across the data center portfolio.

Beyond her corporate responsibilities, Palin is a dedicated advocate for women in technology. She serves as an executive sponsor for Cisco’s North America Women in Science and Engineering (WiSE) chapter and sits on the board of the Texas Conference for Women. Her leadership and industry impact have earned her recognition on the Forbes World’s Most Influential CMOs list for 2023 and 2024.

Originally from Austin, Texas, Carrie holds a B.S. from Texas Christian University and serves on the Board of Directors of NetApp and DemandScience. She and her husband Jesse are the proud parents of two children.

Jessica McFadden is the Managing Director – East at Cisco ANZ, leading Cisco’s business operations across New South Wales, New Zealand, and the Pacific Islands. With over 28 years of experience in the technology industry in Australia and New Zealand, including 19 years at Cisco, Jessica brings extensive expertise to her role.

Before assuming her current position, Jessica served as Cisco New Zealand’s Country Director, where she was responsible for overseeing Cisco’s business throughout New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. She led a team of Account Managers and Specialist Engineers, managing a diverse portfolio of customers, service providers, and distributors. Under her leadership in 2025, Cisco New Zealand received the Top Small Country Award on a Cisco Global Stage, highlighting her impactful leadership.

Jessica is recognized as a strategic operator with a laser focus on customer needs. She leads with empathy, authenticity, and compassion, consistently demonstrating the highest personal integrity. Over the years, she has accumulated a wealth of knowledge and expertise, successfully leading largescale technology transformations with customers and partners across Australia and New Zealand.

After many years living in both Australia and New Zealand, Jessica is now relocating back to Sydney, Australia, to take on her new role as Managing Director – East.

Katrina Edgar is a Service Delivery Leader within Cisco CX, specializing in delivering high-impact solutions for Enterprise and Government customers. With extensive experience in complex delivery frameworks, stakeholder engagement, and strategy implementation, she brings a pragmatic focus to driving measurable results.

As a co-lead for the Women of Cisco Inclusive Community in ANZ, Katrina is dedicated to building high-performing, inclusive teams and championing equity. She views diverse perspectives as the primary catalyst for innovation and is deeply committed to cultivating environments where emerging talent can thrive.

At Cisco Live Melbourne 2026, Katrina facilitates the Women of Cisco Live panel. By bridging technical strategy with the human element of leadership, she creates a space for robust dialogue, celebrates collective success, and inspires the industry to drive meaningful, lasting change.