Erika Franco

Erika Franco Acevedo is a Senior Solutions Architect at Cisco, specializing in Industrial IoT, manufacturing, and Industry 4.0. With over 15 years of experience in networking and 7 years focused on industrial automation, Erika helps global manufacturers design secure, scalable, and resilient network architectures that drive digital transformation.

She is a key contributor to Cisco Validated Designs, including the Cisco and Rockwell Automation Converged Plantwide Ethernet (CPwE) architecture, and collaborates with industry leaders like Rockwell Automation and Schneider Electric. A certified PROFINET engineer and former representative in the ODVA Conformance Interest Group, Erika brings deep insight into the intersection of IT and OT networks. Known for her ability to simplify complex technical concepts and bridge the gap between teams, Erika is also an advocate for women in engineering and believes that balance, curiosity, and human connection are essential to innovation.