Brian Tippens

I believe technology is at its best when it helps people and communities become more resilient, more connected, and better prepared for the future. As Senior Vice President and Chief Social Impact & Sustainability Officer at Cisco, I lead our work across sustainability, social impact, inclusion, accessibility, and crisis response. Together, these efforts help advance Cisco’s Purpose to Power an Inclusive Future for All while strengthening trust, resilience, and long-term growth. At Cisco, we bring together our technology, people, and partnerships to help address some of the world’s most important challenges, including digital access, workforce readiness, community resilience, and environmental sustainability. I believe the organizations that will lead in the future are the ones that can innovate responsibly, respond decisively in moments of challenge, and create opportunity more broadly. Before joining Cisco, I served as Chief Sustainability Officer at Hewlett Packard Enterprise and President of the HPE Foundation. Earlier in my career, I held leadership roles spanning sustainability, inclusion, legal, sales, and business operations. My career started in law, but I found myself increasingly drawn to work focused on people, opportunity, and long-term impact, experiences that continue to shape my approach to leadership today. I’m passionate about leadership, workforce activation, social impact, sustainability, and helping organizations build trust in a rapidly changing world. I’m also a believer in listening first, staying grounded in real community needs, and focusing on work that creates lasting impact — not just good intentions.