Multiplier Effect

In honor of International Women in Engineering, we spotlight two extraordinary women at Cisco, Priya Aiyer, and Christelle Mombo-Zigah. Here, they share their career journeys, experiences and insights from their participation in Cisco’s Exemplar Diverse Female Mentee program.

I find myself looking not towards the past, but towards the future and how important equality, inclusivity, and equity are in the context of—The future of tech. The future of leadership. The future of emerging talent.

Cisco's Multiplier Effect advocates for sponsorship as a powerful tool that leaders can use to accelerate the careers of diverse talent.

Imagine a world that's diverse, equitable, and inclusive. A world where differences of all kinds are valued and celebrated. That’s my wish this holiday season. And Cisco is working to make this wish come true.

Having a mentor can prove to be a fantastic experience, providing a source of support, feedback, advice and inspiration. Maite shares a discussion on mentorship with friends and colleagues, providing guidance on seeking a mentor and making the most out of this unique relationship.

I’ve always thought I had a strong support network, until I saw what that looked like for others. I wondered how my peers were able to navigate these corporate streets, arriving on time and unscathed. They were climbing the proverbial ladder and progressing in ways I wasn’t; even the ones I outperformed - by far. I learned it was because they had active sponsorship.

When we are committed to full-spectrum diversity and inclusion, we get diversity of thought, experience, ideas, and best practices. This is the differentiator that will that will result in stronger teams, more innovative companies, and better results for our partners, customers and communities.

Cisco introduced The Multiplier Effect, which asks leaders to pledge to sponsor at least one extraordinary diverse person in their organization and challenge their peers to do the same.

Last week I was fortunate to attend the Simmons Leadership Conference in Boston. In its 39th year, Simmons is considered the premiere professional development event for women. Each year...