One of Only Two Quintuple CCIEs in the World

Just 3 percent of CCIEs have multiple certifications. A supportive work environment and a desire to broaden his knowledge helped Tom achieve his goal.

Tom Glennon is a sales engineer focused on service provider customers in Cisco's Midwest region who can proudly claim he has earned CCIE certification fives times over. "Tom's achievement is a shining example of the technical excellence of our SEs, as well as the technical expertise and maturity within the sales organization. He truly is a great asset to Cisco and his customers," says Joe Wojtal, VP of Technical Operations in Tom’s organization.

Tom received his first CCIE certification in 1997 in Routing and Switching, while he was still at Harnischfeger Industries, Inc. There, he met Jeffery Bojarski, a Cisco SE supporting their account, who became his motivator and study mentor as they worked towards this first certification. Tom achieved subsequent certifications in Dial-ISP in 2000, in WAN Switching in 2001, in Communications & Services in August 2002, and in Security in March 2003.

"Find a way to integrate the particular subject matter into your daily work routine. Break the preparation into manageable portions and incorporate it into some aspect of your customer design work."

To those who wonder how Tom finds time out of his demanding work schedule to prepare for the CCIE lab, he has this advice, "Find a way to integrate the particular subject matter into your daily work routine. Break the preparation into manageable portions and incorporate it into some aspect of the customer design work." Tom also notes that just the sheer effort involved in preparing for the lab forces one to develop a solid understanding of the fundamentals.

Another factor that is instrumental to Tom's success is the overwhelming support he receives from his management and peers. "The Cisco culture truly encourages continual learning, providing both the right resources and environment," says Tom. "I had access to the latest equipment and my manager and colleagues were extremely supportive." Healthy competition also exists among his peers, citing fellow SE, Miles McCredie, who is working on his fourth CCIE, as well as Michael Purcell in Inside Sales, also possessing five CCIEs. In fact, Tom and Michael are the only quintuple CCIEs in the world.

With his eye on his sixth CCIE (in Voice), the Cisco community wishes Tom continued success. To everyone pursing a CCIE certification, Cisco thanks you for your inspiration, leadership, and commitment to your team and your customers.