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Shari Slate

Vice President, Chief Inclusion & Collaboration Officer

Human Resources

Cisco Vice President, Chief Inclusion & Collaboration Officer Shari Slate is responsible for building a strategy that enhances Cisco’s vision to be a world class, benchmark company for inclusion and collaboration, driving exponential value across Cisco, its partners and customers. She is promoting thought leadership across Cisco’s people strategy enabling employee engagement and inclusion outcomes to fuel innovation and market leadership. She is also directing the integration of new models of inclusion and collaboration designed to guide future workplace practices to realize the $19 billion opportunity of the Internet of Everything over the next decade.

In her previous role, Slate served as Chief Inclusion and Collaboration Strategist for Cisco’s Sales Organization. She was responsible for making inclusion relevant in the revenue generating arm of the business and incubating new strategies for fostering full spectrum participation to unleash the power and potential of people.

Slate joined Cisco in 2010. Prior to that, she was Chief Diversity Officer and Director of Global Community Affairs at Sun Microsystems.

Slate has been widely recognized for her visionary leadership and her transformational views on the true value of inclusion. Most recently, she was named a 2017 Diversity Leader by Profiles in Diversity Journal, and was selected by Savoy Magazine as one of the top influential women in corporate America for 2016. In 2014, the YWCA named her a “Tribute to Women in Industry” honoree. In 2013, she was named one of Diversity Woman Magazine’s “Stars Who Mean Business”. Previously, she was honored by the California Diversity Council as one of the “Most Influential Women in California” and a “Woman Worth Watching” by Diversity Journal Magazine. She received the National Coalition of 100 Black Women 2010 Corporate Leader Award and The Network Journal's "40 Under Forty" Achievement Award.

Articles

October 25, 2019

INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Celebrating Inclusive Leaders

At Cisco, we know true inclusion can’t happen without inclusive leaders. That’s one of the reasons we partner with HITEC to develop and support senior Hispanic business and technology executives and rising leaders.

December 13, 2018

INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Between where we stand today and where we go from here, there’s a bridge

At Cisco, we believe the true promise of inclusion and collaboration is to create a culture where all people are welcomed, valued, respected and heard. A culture where the full spectrum of diversity can fully participate in the business. A culture that empowers its people to accelerate social change and create thriving communities by supporting the causes they care about.

December 11, 2017

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INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Leap by Leap

When it comes to creating environments where everyone can thrive, our "best team” is one that’s 70,000 strong. We’re all in.

November 13, 2017

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INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Moments that Matter

Moments that Matter Right now – someone at Cisco is having a moment that matters. Taking a birthday off. Celebrating a promotion. Investing the day in developing new skills. Tending to a family crisis. Caring for a sick loved one. Welcoming a new child into the family. “Life isn’t a matter of milestones, but of […]

April 4, 2017

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INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

The Future of Fairness

If you’ve tuned into some of the latest headlines within our industry – from the push for pay equity to the call for higher levels of diversity – you may have noticed a common theme. Fairness. There’s a shift occurring in the dialogue – and action – around driving fairness. And Cisco is making the […]

March 6, 2017

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INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Changing the Diversity Equation – The Multiplier Effect Pledge Launches at Mobile World Congress

More than 40 service provider and tech leaders worked together at Cisco’s annual Connected Women Executive Roundtable to launch The Multiplier Effect Pledge.

December 12, 2016

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INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Power and Potential

Today I’m pleased to share our progress as documented in the Our Society section of Cisco’s 12th Annual Corporate Social Responsibility Report – Accelerating Global Problem Solving. This report...

September 28, 2016

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INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

Imagine what’s possible…

What’s the impact of inclusion? What does it mean to someone who’s been left out to be welcomed in? For a 10-year old with cancer, to be able to continue attending the school she loves while getting lifesaving treatment hundreds of miles away – it means everything.

July 11, 2016

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INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY

A deeper, broader dialogue for unity

In the past few years, we have borne witness to events of immense historic significance in the fight for fair and equal treatment under the law within the United States.  Undoubtedly, we all have mourned injustice and incomprehensible loss – from Ferguson to Falcon Heights to Baton Rouge – for Trayvon and Alton and Philando.  […]