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Francine Katsoudas

Executive Vice President

Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer

As Executive Vice President and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer at Cisco, Francine Katsoudas brings together people and technology to drive positive impact for the company and global communities. Her work advances Cisco's Purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All, and her leadership on critical policy and social issues has forged strategic public-private partnerships addressing some of the world's most pressing concerns. In her role at Cisco, Fran leads a global team spanning People & Communities, Sustainability, Social Impact & Inclusion, Government Affairs & Policy, Workplace Resources, and Cisco's Digital Impact Office - all on a mission to put Cisco's Purpose into practice while driving growth for Cisco's business, people, and communities. During her 30 years at the company, Fran has led large-scale organizational transformations, cultivated new generations of leaders, and stewarded Cisco's renowned employee-first conscious culture. Fran has supported underrepresented groups since her youth, and today focuses her advocacy on women's leadership, homeless youth, and narrowing the digital divide. Fran is also Cisco's executive country sponsor for Mexico, Poland, South Africa, and India. She has been recognized on the CNBC Changemakers, Forbes and Know Your Value 50 Over 50 list, honoring female leaders and entrepreneurs who are breaking new ground. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for ADP and is the Chair for Global Citizen. A graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, Fran lives in the Bay Area with her husband and two children.

Articles

June 20, 2024

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM

The LA28 Games – Together

3 min read

Cisco’s LA28 partnership will push the boundaries of possibility through the lens of sport while embodying our company purpose to power a more inclusive future.

June 7, 2024

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM

AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium Expands to G7 Countries

3 min read

The AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium seeks to ensure that workers around the globe are equipped with the necessary skills to thrive in an AI-driven future. We are collaborating with G7 governments on an Inclusive Global Action Plan for AI to to benefit women, underrepresented communities, and developing countries. 

May 29, 2024

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM

A Year of Opportunity: Our Role in Empowering Global Progress

3 min read

Cisco’s Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer outlines Cisco’s work to champion inclusive futures, promote positive engagement in democratic processes, and advocate for tech policies that will power global progress.

December 6, 2023

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM

The Power of Purpose

3 min read

When we combine our business, technology, and a network of partners together with our purpose, we create a powerful force for lasting change. We have some incredible examples from this year in our Power of Purpose report, including the announcement that we achieved our goal of positively impacting 1 billion lives, and did so over a year early.

October 19, 2023

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM

Closing the Cybersecurity Skills Gap and Opening Opportunities

3 min read

Every day, we see powerful examples of how cybersecurity needs to be at the forefront of national security and business operations. Our goal is to strengthen our businesses, governments, and organizations by bridging the cyber skills gap — thereby creating opportunities that lead to a more diverse and inclusive global economy, for all.

March 17, 2023

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM

Standing With Ukraine—One Year Later

3 min read

It's been more than a year since the war in Ukraine began. While we reflect on the atrocities of the past year, we also reflect on the power of courage and resistance. Cisco continues to #StandWithUkraine in the fight for freedom, with hope for peace.

August 23, 2022

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM

Announcing the Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge 2022 Winners

4 min read

Announcing the winners of the sixth annual Cisco Global Problem Solver Challenge, an online competition for early-stage tech entrepreneurs solving the world’s most challenging problems. This year’s competition generated nearly 1,200 submissions from teams in 99 countries.

August 1, 2022

HIGH TECH POLICY

Jeff Campbell to Serve as Cisco’s Chief Government Strategy Officer

2 min read

Today, I am excited to announce that Senior Vice President Jeff Campbell has been promoted to Chief Government Strategy Officer of Cisco. Jeff succeeds Michael Timmeny, who previously held the role and opened Cisco’s Washington, D.C. office in 1998. Michael will now serve as an Executive Advisor for Cisco. As Chief Government Strategy Officer, Jeff […]

March 23, 2022

EXECUTIVE PLATFORM

Supporting Ukraine – Within a Conscious Culture

7 min read

Cisco is committed to supporting Ukraine and impacted communities by showing up with intention and action, allowing the lessons learned from our purpose and Conscious Culture guide our response.