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Chris Gow

Senior Director, EU Public Policy

Government Affairs

Chris leads the EU Public Policy team at Cisco, with a focus on all things cybersecurity and data protection. Chris heads the Brussels Office for Cisco’s Government Affairs team, responsible for engagements with the EU institutions. He joined the Government Affairs team in Europe, Middle East, Africa in 2008. Chris has held multiple industry leadership roles. He is currently a Member of the Board of the European Internet Forum (EIF) and of DIGITALEUROPE. Prior to Cisco, he was responsible for campaign strategies and digital economy policy work at DIGITALEUROPE. He has been in Brussels since 2003, initially as an Assistant to a Member of the European Parliament, working on internal market and legal affairs issues. He studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Oxford University.

Articles

January 26, 2026

HIGH TECH POLICY

Modernising Data Rules for Europe’s AI Future

3 min read

The Cisco 2026 Data and Privacy Benchmark shows the urgent need to move towards agile data governance to meet the realities of AI and enable businesses to keep pace with rapid technological change.

January 14, 2026

HIGH TECH POLICY

Top Three Priorities in 2026 for Europe’s Digital Competitiveness

4 min read

This blog explores how policymakers can simplify regulation, balance digital sovereignty, and invest in AI-ready infrastructure to ensure Europe remains a digital leader in the global innovation race.

September 11, 2025

HIGH TECH POLICY

EU Data Act: Streamlined Data Laws Can Help Boost Europe’s AI and Digital Leadership

2 min read

The EU Data Act introduces new requirements for data sharing. Cisco is ready for these changes, but recommends targeted regulatory simplification for Europe to fully seize the opportunities of data-driven innovation and AI.

May 7, 2025

HIGH TECH POLICY

Cisco Study Reveals Alarming Deficiencies in European Cybersecurity Readiness

3 min read

AI is reshaping the world, introducing cyber risks of a magnitude never before encountered. Cisco’s report highlights the critical gaps in Europe's security readiness in the AI era.

June 19, 2024

HIGH TECH POLICY

European Cyber Resilience: How the EU Can Patch the Weak Spots in its Collective Armour

3 min read

This blog delves into two crucial issues for EU policymakers to enhance Europe's cyber resilience: unsupported connected devices within critical infrastructure networks and the handling of discovered vulnerabilities by government agencies.

June 11, 2024

HIGH TECH POLICY

Rebooting Europe’s Sustainable Growth and Connectivity with Cisco’s Policy Roadmap

2 min read

Cisco’s vision for Europe's digital strategy sets out 10 tech policies focusing on sustainable growth, leveraging AI and securing cyberspace, skills, partnerships for innovation, and importantly, connectivity for all.

December 5, 2023

HIGH TECH POLICY

Data Power: What the EU Data Act Means for You

4 min read

This blog analyses the 2023 EU Data Act, focusing on access, sharing, and use of data, as well as cloud switching, and what it means for a company like Cisco and our customers.

April 25, 2023

HIGH TECH POLICY

Cisco’s Vision to Rapidly Detect Cyber Threats and Automate Response

2 min read

The threat landscape requires to rethink security to enable rapid detection of cyber threats and to automate response. Cisco’s XDR gives critical infrastructure operators and public administrations the capability to detect, investigate and prioritise threats and incidents, and the tools to quickly remediate them.