About the Authors

Ron Ricci is Vice President, Corporate Positioning at Cisco Systems, Inc. Reporting to CEO John Chambers, Ricci is responsible for the strategic positioning of the Cisco brand and for helping to maintain Cisco’s thought leadership in the Internet economy. An expert in positioning technology companies for market leadership, Ricci’s responsibilities include managing Cisco’s executive communications function and the Cisco Thought Leadership Network. Prior to coming to Cisco, he was a brand positioning consultant and principal at Citigate Cunningham, working with companies such as IBM, Motorola, Hewlett Packard, and Adobe on their strategic market positions.

Ricci serves as a member of the Child Abuse Prevention Center Board of Directors, a non-profit agency that works to prevent child abuse in the Bay Area. He earned his Master’s Degree in journalism from the University of North Carolina and a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics from Fairfield University in Connecticut.

John Volkmann is Vice President of Strategic Communications at AMD. His responsibilities include developing worldwide positioning strategies for the company and its key strategic initiatives, including executive thought-leadership campaigns.

Prior to joining AMD, Volkmann worked at Citigate Cunningham as Managing Director of the Positioning Group. In this role, he led the company’s positioning efforts for industry leaders including Accel Partners, AMD, ADP, Adobe Systems, @Home Network, Brocade Communications, PeopleSoft, Real Networks, Kodak, Motorola, and Sprint. Volkmann has also worked in a brand management capacity with the E&J Gallo Winery on products including Andre and Tott’s Sparkling Wine and E&J Brandy.

Volkmann has an MBA from the Amos Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin.