Michael Stevenson

Vice President, Global Education

Cisco Systems, Inc.

Michael Stevenson is Vice President for Cisco Global Education. The Global Education team is actively engaged in the work of transforming education systems to meet the needs of 21st century learners, educators, and organizations through an innovative and dynamic approach to thought leadership, country education engagements, and global programs. Michael is responsible for developing Cisco’s education strategy and leading implementation in countries around the world.

Michael has built his expertise in education technology through roles in government and the media. Until September 2006 he was Chief Information Officer and Director of Technology at the Department for Education and Skills in England, driving the use of ICT in schools, colleges and universities. Before that he was DFES Director of Strategy.

From 2000 to 2003, he founded and led the BBC’s Factual and Learning Directorate, responsible for factual programmes and content across television, radio and online and spearheading an innovative education strategy that created an online curriculum for children at school and at home.

After studying Classics at Oxford, he joined the BBC as a graduate trainee. As a programme maker he specialised in politics and religion, going on to found and edit the flagship political programme On the Record. He then went into management, initially as BBC Secretary for the years leading up to the successful 1996 Charter Renewal. In 1996 he became Deputy Director of Nations and Regions, leading BBC Scotland and BBC Wales through the period of political devolution.