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Laura Quintana

VP & General Manager

Cisco Networking Academy

Laura Quintana joined Cisco in 1999 and is currently Vice President and General Manager of Networking Academy, Cisco’s largest and longest-running purpose-driven IT skills-to-jobs program. She leads a global organization and has grown the Networking Academy to reach more than 3 million students annually (17.5 million since inception) in 190 countries with an annual in-kind contribution valued at $377 million USD. Laura and her team drive partnerships with governments, academic institutions, and nonprofits to prepare students to participate in today’s digital workforce and to connect them to career opportunities. She and her team are further expanding Networking Academy’s reach with SkillsforAll.com, a mobile first, self-paced, and gamified experience available direct to learner and via academies. Through Laura’s leadership, Networking Academy has become a critical part of country digital readiness, working with ministries of education around the world to further national digital agendas and develop the human capital necessary to support country transformation. Prior to her current role, Laura successfully completed Cisco’s multi-year commitment to the Jordan Healthcare Initiative. She strategically collaborated with the Government of Jordan and was instrumental in driving telemedicine, clinical collaboration, and teleradiology projects that enabled quality healthcare services and benefited over 175,000 patients. Previously, Laura held a variety of director-level roles within Cisco’s services organization. Before joining Cisco, Laura served in leadership positions for eleven years with Hewlett-Packard within Product Management and Operations, including a three-year assignment in Grenoble, France. Laura holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University. She is a co-executive sponsor of Conexión, Cisco’s Latinx employee resource organization, and Cisco’s partnership with the Cristo Rey Work Study Program. She serves as a member of the SER Jobs for Progress National, Inc. Board of Directors, San Jose State University Technology Program Industry Advisory Board, and Love Never Fails Advisory Board. She was recognized by the Hispanic IT Executive Council (HITEC) as one of the top 100 most influential and notable Hispanic Professionals in the Information Technology Industry (2016-2017, 2017-2018, and 2021-2022). She was recognized by Latino Leaders Magazine as one of the 100 most influential Latinas in 2021. She is fluent in Spanish and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and their three children.

Articles

Cisco Networking Academy recognizes top partners and instructors

Cisco Networking Academy presented awards to acknowledge outstanding contributions in educating technology professionals of the future. 

Opening a window of opportunity to bring more women into the tech workforce

The pandemic has shown that it can deepen inequities — and create opportunities. Women are disproportionately affected by many of the cultural, economic, and technological shifts that the pandemic is accelerating. But even as many women navigate their new roles as full-time caregivers, ad hoc teachers, and bread winners, digitization is providing a unique opportunity for women to rise.

Empowering and reskilling our workforce for an inclusive future

Cisco Networking Academy is the world’s largest and longest-running corporate social responsibility program, training 12.6 million people in digital skills over 23 years in 180 countries. During this past year, 2.3 million students participated in Cisco Networking Academy, bringing our total since inception in 1997 to 12.6 million students.

New Cisco Networking Academy CCNA curriculum accelerates path to job readiness for students around the globe

To help meet the need for skilled IT talent and ensure a more inclusive future for all people, I’m excited to announce that Cisco Networking Academy has advanced its Cisco Certificated Network Associate (CCNA) curriculum to prepare job seekers, from anywhere and from any background, with the skills they need for a successful career in the ever-changing IT field. The new curriculum will be integrated into most of Networking Academy’s 12,000+ academies around the world to prepare students to earn the new CCNA certification, which is available on February 24, 2020.

The Cybersecurity Talent Shortfall: How the Cisco Networking Academy is Meeting the Demand

According to the FBI’s annual Internet Crime Report, in the United States alone, cybercrime cost organizations $2.7 billion in 2018. These costs not only include service disruption, but loss of productivity, reputation damage, and other business impacts. There are many cybersecurity education programs available, but are they effectively preparing students to join the workforce?

Implementing a Successful Public-Private Partnership: Leveraging Technology and Innovation

This is the final article in a five-part series on how a company or organization can develop, implement, and sustain successful public-private partnerships (PPP) that achieve large-scale impact.

Implementing a Successful Public-Private Partnership: Ensuring Long-Term Sustainability

This is the fourth article in a five-part series on how a company or organization can develop, implement, and sustain successful public-private partnerships (PPP) that achieve large-scale impact.

Implementing a Successful Public-Private Partnership: How to Execute

This is the third article in a five-part series on how a company or organization can develop, implement, and sustain successful public-private partnerships (PPP) that achieve large-scale impact.

Implementing a Successful Public-Private Partnership: How to Engage

This is the second article in a five-part series on how a company or organization can develop, implement, and sustain successful public-private partnerships (PPP) that achieve large-scale impact.

Implementing a Successful Public-Private Partnership: Who to Work With

This is the first article in a five-part series on how a company or organization can develop, implement, and sustain successful public-private partnerships (PPP) that achieve large-scale impact.

Cisco Networking Academy to Partner in Cuba

Today, we are pleased to announce that Cisco will begin a new relationship with the Universidad de las Ciencias Informaticas (UCI) of Cuba, with the intention of bringing the Cisco Networking Academy program to UCI students.