Humans of Meraki — From Intern to Leader of Meraki Engineering
When it comes to finding your career path, exposure is everything. That’s why internships are one of the core programs Cisco Meraki offers to people interested in exploring tech. Bret Hull, now Senior Vice President of Meraki Engineering, actually began his tech career as a Cisco intern long before he stepped into a leadership position. For this series of Humans of Meraki, we’re highlighting Bret’s journey to learn how his internship was the catalyst to his career.
You started at Cisco as an intern and now you’re Senior Vice President of Meraki Engineering. Can you tell us about your career journey?
I joined Cisco as an intern on the collaboration team in 2000, when I was a sophomore in college. My internship was a great experience and helped me learn about Cisco, software engineering, and the tech industry as a whole. Since my internship coincided with the first tech boom, it was a particularly exciting time because we were undergoing tremendous growth. After my internship, I returned to college to finish my degree and then went on to pursue my PhD in computer science at MIT — that’s where I met the founders of Meraki and my journey really began.
I joined Meraki as a software engineer in 2010. Two years later, Meraki was acquired by Cisco and I became the leader of the engineering team for over 10 years before transitioning to my current role as Senior Vice President of Meraki Engineering.
Which aspects of your internship made you feel excited to pursue a career at Cisco?
My internship at Cisco was the catalyst that led me down my career path. I experienced Cisco’s culture of innovation and realized how impactful I could be at a company that touches the lives of many people. Getting to see technology being developed firsthand and envisioning its impact was really exciting to me. I was also able to experience Cisco’s supportive and caring culture and witness how Cisco invests in their employees’ career growth, which impressed me then and still does today.
How would you describe the Cisco Meraki company culture?
Now, as a full-time member of Cisco Meraki, I’m amazed by how Merakians live out our company values. One of those values, “care deeply,” is exemplified by how much Merakians care about each other, our products, and our collective work. Merakians are both selfless and passionate — they want to deliver excellence together. This value influenced my leadership style as well. Early in my career, before I was a senior engineering leader, I thought that a role like mine would be focused around solving the hardest technical problems. In reality, the most important aspect of my job is to care for the people on my team because they are the engine of innovation.
What advice do you have for interns who are starting their journey?
For starters, I recommend learning about everything that Cisco does and getting to know each department. It’s helpful to have a holistic understanding of the work we do and expose yourself to many different aspects of the company — you never know what might excite you the most. Second, take advantage of opportunities for cross-pollination and working with other teams beyond your own. Not only will this help you learn more and expand your skill set, it will be critical in helping you build your personal network. Finally, don’t be afraid to ask questions. People are excited to share about their work and help others.
Why are internships so valuable?
There’s no better way to understand what you like (or don’t like), than by living it. It can be easy to think that you can simulate everything in your head, but spending time actually trying the thing that interests you is extremely valuable. Internships at Meraki aren’t a “simulation” of the experience of working here, rather, we give interns real projects, ones that can have a huge impact on our company and customers. And, who knows, it may open the door to your entire career, like it did for me!
Interested in career opportunities with Cisco Meraki? Check out our careers site.
