Driving Cultural Transformation and Diversity in a Tech Giant

📚 The chief people policy and purpose officer at Cisco discusses the role of her organization in creating an inclusive future.

💼 The organization at Cisco focuses on people, real estate, government affairs, country digital acceleration, and sustainability to architect an inclusive future.

🌍 The speaker shares her journey at Cisco, from accidentally landing the wrong job to witnessing the company's growth and surviving the dot-com bubble.

🔑 Cisco invested in five big technology areas in the early 2000s, which made the company stronger despite tough times.

💪 Leaders at Cisco became stronger by making tough decisions, including laying off employees.

🌐 Creating a strong culture at Cisco involves a focus on customers, transparency, and adapting to changing circumstances.

The company decided to prioritize their people and acknowledge that their innovation comes from their employees.

The role of Chief People Officer is important and can have a significant impact on the company's culture and success.

Having women in leadership roles is important for inspiring and empowering other women to pursue similar positions.

👥 Cisco has focused on improving their recruiting processes and increasing diversity at all levels of the organization.

📊 Using data, Cisco has developed courses to support women in their career progression, enhancing their retention and promotion velocity.

💼 Cisco encourages employees to explore different career paths and offers resources like stretch assignments and job swaps.

👩‍💼 Many women leaders at Cisco have had executive coaches and value the impact of coaching on their career development.

👥 Working with a coach at Cisco is a valuable investment in personal growth and leadership development.

🌍 A good leader understands the strengths and needs of their diverse team and tailors their leadership approach accordingly.

🤖 AI technology, such as noise removal and customer support automation, is being integrated into Cisco's operations.

💼 The impact of AI on roles and companies varies, but it provides opportunities for more complex work.

🌍 The company prioritizes digital access and technology support for schools globally.

🔒 Security and regulations regarding AI are major concerns for the company.

🌱 Personal success for the Chief People Officer involves creating inclusive spaces for all and expanding the focus beyond gender.

👨‍💼 The speaker discusses the importance of community and impact within a company.

🌍 The speaker highlights the potential of the African continent in terms of young people and digital access.

🌱 The speaker emphasizes the need to focus on addressing challenges such as climate change and hardship.