Silka Patel

Silka is a strategic marketing expert with 10+ years’ experience of working within a global blue chip organisation - Cisco. Her current role is to successfully deliver and reflect market industry trends in Digital Technology to help future-proof the UK’s CIO business needs and requirements.

In previous roles in Cisco, Silka drove business results in Global Thought Leadership for both the Service Provider and Enterprise sectors using internal and external communication across traditional and digital media.

She has also worked in the Emerging markets theatre where she was responsible for adapting and driving new concepts by strategically influencing key stakeholders and delivering regional marketing campaigns.

Silka moved from London to Glasgow in 2008 and is the Founder of Scotland Women in Technology group (SWiT), where she actively drives to attract, inspire, empower and retain women and young people into the sector by developing a community and network to help grow women’s contribution in IT business. She also leads the Women’s Group in Cisco Scotland with several initiatives and programs to develop the progression and collaboration of the Women’s community.

She also holds a Non-Executive Director position at Glasgow Women’s Library for the last 3 years, advising the board on marketing and digitalisation aspects for future growth.

Silka is married and has two boys aged 5 and 1 and enjoys running, Pilates and cooking in her spare time.