Alumnus Mark Dodds looks back on his time at Clemson with great fondness. As an out-of-state student from Ohio, Dodds’ favorite Clemson memories were those made with some of the first people he met on campus – many who still happen to be some of his best friends today – whether that be playing basketball on the quad or dancing at parties with his then-girlfriend, now wife of 31 years.
A summa cum laude 1988 marketing graduate, he was actively engaged in student organizations and held many positions throughout his time at Clemson; he was the treasurer of Sigma Nu fraternity and Interfraternity Council, an active member of Central Spirit and Blue Key, a member on intramural football, basketball and softball teams, co-chair of a fundraising organization called Students Against MS, and a student employee of the Business School’s management department.
Dodds accredits part of his professional success to the strong foundations he developed while being involved in so many clubs and organizations during his time at Clemson. Upon graduation, he held marketing and sales leadership positions at IBM and SCANA Corporation before joining Cisco in 2000. At Cisco, Dodds has held several sales leadership roles across the technology company’s largest vertical markets, including Global Financial Services, Manufacturing, Retail, Oil & Gas and Health Care, and led global teams while based in the southeastern and northeastern United States as well as during a three-year assignment in the United Kingdom. He currently serves as Senior Vice President of Global Services and Software Sales at Cisco, where he and his team are responsible for accelerating Cisco’s strategic transformation to a recurring revenue business model.
One of the ways Dodds gives back to his alma mater is by staying involved with the marketing department. He has presented to various Clemson marketing classes over the years and has hosted “Gateways to World Markets” students at Cisco’s New York City office. The “Gateways to World Markets” course provides students with recognition and appreciation of the role marketing plays in today’s organizations. Students actively learn through presentations by, and interactions with, employees of many different roles throughout the organizations they meet with, one of which is Cisco. Dodds reflected on this experience as a great way for the company to share career insights with Clemson students.
“I love the experience I had at Clemson. I think the university creates a spirit of teamwork and positivity that you don’t see everywhere. I have this big 3-by-5-foot Tiger Paw flag in my office in New York City and a Clemson football helmet in my home office. People just know that I’m a Clemson Tiger. Most of my colleagues don’t advertise where they went to school, even if they went to a more impressive school, because it’s just not a big of part of who they are. Clemson creates a community and I’m really happy and proud to be part of it.”
Mark’s passion for the Clemson family and helping the next generation of Tigers is an example of what makes our alumni network so great. The marketing department appreciates your ongoing support, Mark!
