Cisco is delighted to support International Women’s Day 2008.
Our vision is to change the way we work, live, play, and learn.

What do we do?

Cisco provides the technology backbone of the Internet. We want to help shape its future to empower individuals - wherever they are, whatever they’re doing. The internet is not simply a network of computers; it is a network of people without boundaries or distances. Using this network effectively will intensify and expand the reach of our individual efforts and passions. When people connect and collaborate, ideas and opportunities can thrive.

We are more powerful together than we ever could be apart.

A diverse workforce drives a successful business

Cisco recognises that inclusion and diversity of people and perspectives is a business imperative. Attracting, developing and retaining the best employee’s gives Cisco access to new ideas, drives innovation and promotes better decision-making, creating a workforce that mirrors our customers and allowing us to retain a competitive advantage.

Read an interview here with Noni Allwood, senior director at Cisco. She views her role as being a catalyst for change - focusing on ways to create a more gender diverse work force by supporting employees around the world in areas from mentoring to work-life integration and flexibility.

How we work

We believe that there is a positive correlation between flexibility in the workplace and employee productivity. Flexibility focuses on results rather than physical presence in an office - allowing work schedules to adjust to maximise productivity, achieve business goals, and enable a successful mix of work and home life. Cisco's tools and culture enable great flexibility in when, where, and how people work. Cisco is committed to providing resources and tools to help all employees drive innovation, change and personal growth.

Women’s Talent @ Cisco
We dedicate programs and resources to help women develop their skills as managers and executives. In educational and social settings worldwide, Cisco actively leads and participates in activities to increase women's interests in careers within the IT industry.

Our Gender Diversity Council, comprised of senior executive members representing every Cisco business function, identifies and seeks to diminish the barriers that inhibit a culture of inclusion, such as a shortage of role models and mentors. The Council oversees hiring, development and advancement, retention, and culture initiatives throughout the company.

Promoting Women in Technology Worldwide
Cisco continuously works on short and long-term strategies to increase the number of women in science and technology; encouraging girls and young women to develop skills in math, computing, and technology from an early age.

• Through our Women’s Action Network (more than 3000 employees based in 24 countries) we cultivate mentoring and career development opportunities for women.
• Cisco's Girls/Women in Technology Initiative aims to introduce more female students to technology and inspire excitement in associated careers.
• Cisco's Networking Academy Gender Initiative provides greater access to IT training for women globally. Cisco is partnering with several United Nations programs, as well as nongovernmental organisations, to achieve at least 30 percent female enrollment in more than 200 Cisco Networking Academy sites in the least-developed countries of the world.
• Cisco is working with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Institute of International Education (IIE) to provide $300,000 in scholarships for women in Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia, and Sri Lanka.

You can find out more about Cisco's work in encouraging and enabling women to work in the technology industry here and about related global initiatives here.

Women at Cisco

Read here about a few of the women who have been successful at Cisco:

Susan Bostrom
Executive Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer, Global Policy and Government Affairs

With over 20 years of marketing experience, Sue Bostrom is responsible for developing and communicating Cisco's vision and strategy, cultivating new opportunities in new and existing markets. Executive sponsor of the Women's Initiative at Cisco from 2001 to 2004, she believes that workforce diversity increases a business' competitive advantage.

Rebecca J. Jacoby
Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Rebecca's strong commitment to operational excellence, innovative approach to business problems, and aptitude for partnering cross-functionally are reshaping and elevating the role of IT at Cisco. Her extensive understanding of business operations helps her advance Cisco's business through the use of Cisco technology.

Stanimira Koleva
Director, SMB Europe

Stanimira leads Cisco’s strategy for growth in the small medium business market segment in Europe, built upon best practices, innovative solutions offerings and a channel-centric go-to-market approach. Stanimera has a multi-faceted background rich in technology, business and sales experience spanning more than 16 years across.

Laura Rossini
Business Development Manager, Latin America

Laura has focused her career in the development and execution of leading Edge technologies. Laura has a track record of building talented and high performing teams and organizations as well as of achieving consistent results in multiple leadership roles. Going forward Laura will focus on the development of Infrastructure in new markets and the creation of go to market strategies for these opportunities.

Sabrina Lin, PhD
Senior Director, Asia Pacific Strategy and Operations

Sabrina is responsible for driving Asia Pacific strategy and operational excellence across the region. A native of Hong Kong, Sabrina has worked in the technology industry for 20-years in a range of roles from co-founding two Silicon Valley start-ups to working for Hewlett Packard and holding university research and teaching roles.

It's an exciting time to work at Cisco
Here at Cisco, we believe the most important change to the network experience is upon us. We see a future where the network is the platform. A network that is no longer used just for transactions, but for real-time collaboration to deliver the experience anytime and anywhere. We will not only change the way the world works, lives, plays and learns – we will change life experiences.

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