Mike Volpi, the executive in charge of Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO)'s Routing and Service Provider Technology Group, is leaving the company today.

Cisco said today that Volpi "has not yet decided what his next steps will be." Volpi, often thought of as the eventual successor to John Chambers, has held a variety of senior executive roles during his 12-year tenure at Cisco. At one point he was the company's chief technology officer.

But most will remember Volpi as one of the main drivers of Cisco's acquisition spree that began in the early 1990s. Since Volpi came on board, Cisco has bought more than 70 companies, the most notable launching Cisco into markets such as switching, content networks, and consumer home networking.

At industry events and in interviews, the media (that's us!) found Volpi to be one of the few high-ranking execs that didn't sound as if he were reading from a script. We've highlighted some of his notable quotables here.

"He is leaving at a time when the service provider program at Cisco is strong and the seasoned management team that he has built is prepared to lead the company and the industry in the same way that he has," writes a Cisco spokesman in a statement sent to the media.

Senior executives Pankaj Patel and Tony Bates will jointly lead the now renamed Service Provider Technology Group (SPTG). These gents will report to Charles Giancarlo, Cisco's Chief Development Officer.

"Cisco is proud to have had Mike as a leader and he will always be considered part of the extended Cisco family," Cisco's spokesperson writes.

Volpi wasn't available for comment.

What do you think of this development? Let us know by taking our new poll here: Volpi Verdict.

— Phil Harvey, Managing Editor, Light Reading