Bryan Bedford will lead Cisco's new retail, hospitality, sports, media and entertainment division

Cisco named Bryan Bedford According to Stadium Tech Report, he has been named global industry director for retail, hospitality, sports, media and entertainment, the new name for the organization previously known as the company's “sports and entertainment division.” As Global Industry Director for Retail, Hospitality, Sports, Media and Entertainment, Bedford and his team will drive innovation, capabilities and new offerings, driving Cisco's programmatic scaling efforts across all consumer verticals.

“We’re actually doubling down [on stadium support]in the new organization, Bedford told Stadium Tech Report. While the reorganization is still “evolving,” Bedford said he is already adding resources in this area to his athletic practice. More details on what Bedford calls “version 2.0” of the group will be available later this spring.

Bryan Bedford has been transforming consumer, content and consumer industries around the world for over 25 years. Throughout his career in IT, services, sports, media and retail technology, Bedford has introduced and scaled industry-changing technologies and services in high-growth companies, including areas focused on mobile, content and customer experience. Bedford is also very active as an industry speaker and communicator on Twitter (@Bryan_Bedford), discussing technology, media, retail, sports and the future of customer experience as often as possible.

Before joining the team at Cisco, Bedford served as Vice President of Sales & Business Development at XOS Digital and, prior to that, as Director of Sales & Business Development. Both positions focused on customer experiences and services in the sports and media industries. Led by Bedford “Partnerships with major manufacturers, technology companies and industry leaders, including collaboration with nearly every major professional and collegiate sports program across North America. Bedford's time at XOS Digital included record revenue growth, expanding the sales/marketing team, introducing new products/solutions and pursuing additional profitability.

Prior to joining XOS Digital, Bedford worked for seven years in various roles (sales, coaching, marketing) for three teams: TCU (Texas Christian University), Southern Nazarene University and the Oklahoma RedHawks Baseball Club. Bedford also serves as CEO and managing director of The Bedford Agency, a college athletics recruiting firm. Bedford earned his master's degree from the University of Central Oklahoma and his bachelor of science degree from Southern Nazarene University in Bethany. Bedford lives in Oklahoma City, OK, is married to his wife Desiree and has two daughters, Tessa and Sadie.

“Cisco has a long history in the sports and entertainment industries, and those successes have brought us to this point,” he said. “The [the reorganization] gives us the opportunity to look into the business areas and see what kind of innovation we can offer to take things to the next level. It’s a pretty cool opportunity.”