Francine Katsoudas

For me, it’s all about people. People are the backbone of what we love, what we do, what gets us out of bed in the morning, and what stirs our passions. People are at the core of Cisco’s purpose to Power an Inclusive Future For All. From bridging the digital divide and taking a stand on social justice issues to ensuring the future of work is inclusive and caring for the health of our planet – Cisco has a role to play in positively impacting everyone, everywhere. At Cisco we’ve aligned the right people to make this happen in our People, Policy & Purpose organization. By bringing together our people leaders, our policy leaders, and our corporate social responsibility leaders, we’ve created an ecosystem perfectly situated to execute on our purpose and ensure that the work we do is in service to our people, the business, and the world. Transformation and innovation are in our DNA, and we’re working to make sure the workforce of the future is focused on empowering employees to leverage their strengths and be their best selves. That’s part of why Cisco was named the #1 World’s Best Workplace two years running. And there’s more to come. People are also at the core of the causes I champion. As a board member of ADP, I work to empower businesses to better support their employees through fair and efficient workplaces, and as chair of the Global Citizen board, I campaign for the end of extreme poverty. I’m an advocate for children, homeless youth, and the Latino community. And as a woman leader, I want to lift up other women into leadership, and push for equal pay, equal opportunities, and the right for our voices to be heard. Above all, it’s the people closest to me that matter the most. My family is my rock. From my two kids and husband to my three siblings and their families, there’s 17 of us in total. We’re the worst in airports (especially with our parents), but when I get to combine my love for travel and photography with my love of family, I’m in my happy place.