Knowledge@Wharton Strategic Management Research Article

Graeme Wood is director of acquisition integration at Cisco, the leading worldwide supplier of networking equipment and network management for the Internet, headquartered in San Jose, Calif. Since joining the company in 1998, Wood has held marketing and business development roles, and in his current position he has overseen the integration of 30 Cisco acquisitions -- the most notable of which is Scientific Atlanta, the Lawrenceville, Ga.-based global provider of set-top boxes, end-to-end video distribution networks and video systems integration. The $7 billion deal, completed earlier this year, allows Cisco to offer an end-to-end data, voice, video and mobility solution for carrier networks and the digital home. During a recent visit to campus, Wood spoke with Wharton management professor Saikat Chaudhuri about how acquiring a global company like Scientific Atlanta fits into Cisco's overall acquisition strategy, and the lessons learned about integrating on a large scale.