Tara Fortier

Tara Fortier is a senior manager in IT Talent Services. She leads a diverse team responsible for University relations, talent development and employee engagement.

Previously, Tara held several positions as a Chief of Staff within IT as well as managing the strategic business relationship between Cisco IT and Oracle. In that role, Tara led the implementation of the first unlimited license agreement between Cisco and Oracle, working collaboratively to further the IT and business relationships between the two companies.

Prior to joining Cisco, Tara ran the technology arm of the Vendor Management Office at Symantec, and was a key member the team that supported Symantec’s $13.5B acquisition of VERITAS software. Tara successfully drove the standardization of technology purchase contracts at Symantec. Working with business partners, she developed a corporate playbook that established a consistent licensing methodology and standardized discounts. She also implemented best practices for contract negotiations and vendor management at the company.

Tara holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Sociology from California State University East Bay.

Tara resides in San Jose, California, United States