Robert Kovach is the director of the Center for Collaborative Leadership at Cisco, where he also serves as the talent officer for European and emerging markets. He is internationally recognized for helping companies achieve their growth objectives by developing leadership talent. Before joining Cisco, he was managing director of the London office of RHR International; director of human resources for Central and Eastern Europe and Russia for PepsiAmericas, based in Warsaw; and a director of the Executive MBA Program and a member of the executive education faculty for both Ashridge Business School in England and the Central European University in Budapest. He has provided expert commentary for many publications, including the Financial Times and The Times of London, and has written numerous articles and book chapters. He received his PhD in industrial and organizational psychology from Wayne State University.