A coffee with… Nabil Bukhari, CTPO, Extreme Networks

Extreme Networks Nabil Bukhari’s human-focused journey through the realms of technology and business is as rich and complex as the coffee he passionately brews.

Before his current role at Extreme, Bukhari spent significant leadership stints at tech firms Cisco and Seagate, culminating in a critical position at storage networking vendor Brocade.

Bukhari joined cloud-driven networking firm Extreme Networks seven years ago following the acquisition of Brocade.  Under his stewardship as chief technology and product officer, Bukhari has spearheaded the company’s rise into cloud-driven networking.

According to Bukhari, his approach to technology is grounded in the belief that technology should enhance the human condition.

Amidst the buzz of MWC24 in Barcelona, Bukhari shares how his diverse background in Technology, Fine Arts, and Business fuels his passion for making technology work for people.

Do you drink coffee? How do you take it?

Not only do I drink coffee, but the people around me would tell you I’m coffee-obsessed. I’m one of those crazy people who like to roast their own beans.

Coffee is more about an experience than just a beverage. I love every aspect of it, from roasting the beans to grinding them and then creating the perfect cup of coffee for that moment.

You expressed that you’re passionate about your work’s impact. Where did that passion come from?

People always ask me how I got involved in technology. I didn’t really. My passion is for humans. It’s all about creating a better experience and a better outcome for humanity.

I’m involved on the technology side, yes. But I studied Technology, Fine Arts, and Business. I have degrees in all of them. It was always about having a positive impact on the human condition.

In today’s world, technology seems to be the best, or at least the fastest way to accomplish that.

Impacting other humans is not about pontificating. It’s about having conversations and engaging more people in them. Then, collectively, we can find a better way of doing the same things or, hopefully, a better way of doing better things.

How do you integrate that into your work at Extreme Networks?

When we think about networks, we think about cold technology, like big names, three-letter words, etc. But the reality is that if you step away from all of that, connecting people is what we do.

Networking is at the core of everything we do as a society. The way we interact with each other, react to things, and absorb things — our whole society is centred and built around the concept of connectivity. Technology is what provides that connection.

All you have to do is look around and see what people do when they connect. When I look, I don’t see Wi-Fi; I see a kid talking to their grandparents over FaceTime.

When you go to a stadium and see the joy on a spectator’s face when their team is doing well, and they’re sharing it with friends on social media.

When you think about a healthcare system, people can talk to their doctor in the middle of a pandemic because they have Wi-Fi and connectivity. We built that Wi-Fi. We made that connection possible.

I like to look beyond the technology and more towards what we enable with it. That is powerful.

What excites you about the connectivity space?

It hasn’t traditionally been the industry that’s exciting and hot and sexy. But there are a lot of new developments right now.

When I consider the next 12 months, I think of Maslow’s pyramid of hierarchy.

First, enterprises are still trying to respond to the need for infinite connectivity. We’re connecting every device, every person, and every application.

Secondly, the connection you provide needs to be secure.

Thirdly, how can you provide that secure connection within your resources? Once you do that, you can focus on delivering a great customer experience.

Then, how can you enhance and create new experiences using technologies like AI? And, of course, it’s not sequential. You look at them all at the same time.

What’s the most challenging aspect involved in getting a product to market?

Creating a product is a bit like creating art. It should not only serve a purpose but should evoke an emotional response from the customer and improve their quality of life.

We must innovate with that in mind, not just for innovation’s sake. The most difficult part of product design is keeping that in mind — you must marry the right technology with the right emotional need.

Tell us about the product you’re most proud of

Creating a suite of solutions that put customer experience first — and that specifically rings true with the ExtremeCloud portfolio we’ve developed at Extreme.

The network is the connective tissue of everything we do at work, at home, at an event. It moves society. It must work. That’s why I take immense pride in creating a better way for enterprises to connect people and applications securely and simply, no matter where they are.

Also, during my time as CPO and CTO at Extreme, we’ve acquired technology from multiple companies and quickly integrated them into our portfolio to reduce complexity for our customers. This is a significant differentiator in our industry — as competitors make it very complicated to use their disjointed hardware and software solutions — creating multiple networks to manage.

What does it mean to be part of the C-suite?

For me, making it to the C-suite was about consistency: in leadership, in being courageous but also humble. Fail fast, learn objectively, and adapt and move forward.

From my perspective, leadership is about enabling your teams to do their best work and helping to guide them through those chaotic moments to create something that everyone can be proud of — and it must be built on a foundation of trust.

One mind plus another mind is exponential growth. Two minds together can create way more than the sum of their parts. So, the more minds we connect, the more exponential growth we can have, which relies on connectivity.