Patrick Pless

Patrick leads a technical product management team within Cisco's Customer Experience organization, focused on the strategy and evolution of next-generation Test and Validation services and platforms. His work centers on scaling agentic, AI-driven automation to modernize validation and enable outcome-based testing across complex networks. With over 26 years at Cisco, Patrick brings deep expertise across test and validation, product innovation, service delivery, and sales enablement. He is focused on transforming how networks are validated by shifting from manual testing to intelligent, automation-first approaches, where agentic AI systems autonomously execute, adapt, and optimize validation workflows to improve quality, accelerate delivery, and reduce customer risk. Based in North Carolina's Research Triangle Park, Patrick spends his free time exploring global food cultures and seeking out high-adrenaline experiences around the world.