Cisco: Change Systems - Change the World

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / February 20, 2023 / Cisco Systems Inc.

Foto: Accesswire

Every February 20^th, the United Nations invites us to commemorate the World Day of Social Justice to focus on the plight of social injustice throughout the world and to press for improvements and solutions. As Cisco's new Chief Social Impact Officer, I'm honored to say that I work for a company that aligns with that intention every day. Social Justice is integral to Cisco's purpose: to Power an Inclusive Future for All.

As we commemorate the day, it's a good opportunity to pause and reflect on our Social Justice journey two and a half years into the five-year commitment we made in 2020.

In 2020, the outcry over the tragic murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and others created a growing awareness of systemic racial injustice, oppression, and inequality. This was an inflection point for many companies and a well-intentioned bias towards quick action ruled the day. It was extremely encouraging to see an unprecedented level of corporate commitment to diversity, equity, and justice initiatives, but action without a cohesive business strategy becomes reaction - and that will never be enough to drive lasting change.

Cisco took a different approach, working across our company to develop a core set of beliefs to guide us and an initial strategy for bolder action and greater impact. We transformed a longstanding advocacy for social justice into a five-year commitment, backed by US$300 million, the full accountability of our Executive Leadership Team, and the support of our Board of Directors.

Over the past 90 days, I've immersed myself in understanding every aspect of our social justice journey. Here are my key takeaways - and some initial thoughts on where we can go from here.

Good for the world - good for our business

Social Justice is woven into the fabric of many aspects of our business. Our strategies are built on our core belief that our social justice actions will drive business value - and that's what makes them so powerful. Many companies have ESG goals, but few push to imbed those goals within the business. Cisco has an Action Office (AO) equal in size to many of our key business functions to lead the strategy and execution of our Social Justice Actions. Our AO brings together people and expertise across every function and region to drive consistent execution, rigor, and accountability.