Meet The Latina Executives Inside Cisco

MARIA MARTINEZ
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Maria is responsible for the company’s operations and transformation, as well as building high-value experiences for its customers, partners, and employees. Martinez oversees Cisco’s Strategy Execution, Customer Success, Renewals, Customer & Partner Experience, Security & Trust, Supply Chain, IT, Services, and Transformation functions.

A transformational leader and engineer at heart, Maria brings more than 35 years of leadership experience from a variety of technology sectors including software, services, hardware and networking technology.

Martinez has received several distinctions for her leadership, most recently being named as a Technology Visionary on ALPFA’s (Association of Latino Professionals for America) list of 50 Most Powerful Latinas. She holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the University of Puerto Rico and a master's degree in computer engineering from Ohio State University.

Q: What has your experience in Cisco taught you about teams and individual growth?

A: I was drawn to Cisco because of its reputation for a tremendous culture and, even then, it has far exceeded my expectations. This is a company that is deliberate about how we care for one another and for the work at hand. We have a conscious approach to measuring, addressing, and talking about our culture. We are transparent about what we’re doing well and where there are gaps that need solving for. We also don’t shy away from the truth or hard conversations, because we know that courageous leadership drives the type of clarity we need to thrive, and win, together.

Our people strategy is the blueprint for how we navigate the evolving landscape of the workforce of the future and how we capture opportunity through our best asset – our people. We invest heavily in developing individuals, who become a part of powerful teams, who turn Cisco from the “Best Place to Work” to “The Place People Can Do Their Best Work.”

Q: Can you tell us more about your work with The Multiplier Effect and its mission?

A: The Multiplier Effect (TME) is a globally available sponsorship program built on the belief that we can change the equation for diversity in the workplace through meaningful sponsorships. Data tells us that, when leaders pledge to sponsor at least one person different from them, we can collectively have a multiplier effect on building a diverse pipeline of extraordinary talent – at every level, and across all industries.

At Cisco, our mission is to Power an Inclusive Future for all, meaning that we hold ourselves responsible for bridging the gaps of inequity and exclusion globally. I’m particularly passionate about building teams that are reflective of the world we live in, and creating opportunities for our future generation of leaders. We have seen incredible change happen, barriers removed, and underrepresented employees find support in remarkable ways. As the executive sponsor of TME, we have built sponsorship as a core attribute inside of our people strategy and are excited to understand the impact it will have.

LAURA QUINTANA
VICE PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER, CISCO NETWORKING ACADEMY

Laura Quintana leads Cisco Networking Academy, the world’s largest and longest-running corporate social responsibility education program. As Vice President and General Manager, she directs strategy, global field operations, and educational technology offerings to advance the Academy’s skills-to-jobs training in 180 countries. Under Laura’s leadership, 2.3 million students en-

rolled in FY20, and since 1997, 12.6 million students have participated in the program. Networking Academy has delivered groundbreaking initiatives in sought-after technology fields including cybersecurity, cloud, and networking. Her work at Networking Academy aligns to her personal mission – to bring opportunity to people everywhere, particularly the underserved. She cares passionately about diversity and making an impact on peoples' lives and communities. She is a sponsor of Cisco’s Conexion Latino Network, and Cristo Rey San Jose High School, member of the California Community College Chancellor's Office Economic and Workforce Development Advisory Committee, and serves on the board of SER Jobs for Progress National.

Q: As Latinos continue to be underrepresented in STEM fields and technology, what can organizations do to create more inclusive communities?

A: Now, more than ever, we must step up to support the Latino community with STEM and education opportunities. The pandemic created an inordinate impact on Latinos. Here in the U.S. white Americans experienced a nearly 11 point increase in unemployment while Latinos saw unemployment jump over 18 percent. The public and private sector must come together with collective resolve to create pathways for reskilling and opportunity. I am proud to work for a company that is investing to create a more inclusive future, advance our partnerships to reach more people, and to develop a skills-tojobs curriculum that leads to meaningful work and fulfilling futures. At Cisco Networking Academy, we’re focused on partnering with Hispanic-serving institutions as well as offering a full array of our courses in several languages. We meet learners where they are and align our offerings to what is needed now.

Q: How has your personal and professional journey prepared you for your current role?

A: My parents immigrated as adults to the U.S. from Mexico. My Mom never studied past middle school because she worked at an early age. She also did not speak English well nor did she learn to drive. So, I served as her interpreter and we took public transportation everywhere together – a fast track to empowerment! She would share her wisdom in often-repeated encouragement: “querer es poder” (where there is a will there is a way) and “nadie te puede quitar tu educación” (no one can take away your education). My Mom passed away 26 years ago, but the words are as fresh now as when she first said them. She encouraged me by emphasizing the value of education and the importance of working to achieve my goals. Thanks to her guidance, I was the first in my family to go to college and studied engineering at Stanford. This foundation and mentors throughout stages of my education and career prepared me for a position where I can pay it forward with scale to impact the lives of millions.

As I progressed and worked for various companies, I tended to seek out large challenges, which naturally led to positions of leadership. I also like to learn and I’m not afraid to challenge the status quo.

JAQUELINE GUICHELAAR
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT & GROUP CIO

Jacqueline Guichelaar is Chief Information Officer at Cisco. She is spearheading the creation of a digital architecture to accelerate Cisco’s digital enterprise transformation. She oversees a multi-billion dollar organization responsible for running and transforming the technology infrastructure, digital platforms, enterprise security, and business applications that enable Cisco’s global workforce to excel.

Jacqui brings a strong operational background focused on bringing data to the center of business decisions and transforming organizations to align to business strategy and customer needs. She also brings boundless energy, a sharp intellect, and a compelling communication style. She is an authentic, effective motivator who eagerly takes on large challenges, using them as opportunities to educate, lead, and develop others.

Jacqui is Co-Executive Sponsor of the Cisco – Cristo Rey Work Study program, and on the boards of Covenant House California, the Latino Donor Collaborative, and Cano Health. She is co-chair for the 2021 American Cancer Society Discovery Gala in San Francisco and in 2020 won a Gold Stevie Award in the Woman of the Year – Technology category.

Q: What do you believe are the major technological transformations affecting companies in the next 10 years?

A: The last year has shown that transformation isn’t a predictable, one-time event, and I’m sure that the speed of transformation in the next 10 years will continue to increase. It’s challenging but also presents incredible opportunity.

Many companies have been undergoing tremendous decentralization – both computing workloads and employees are moving out of corporate campuses. The trend was already underway before and has certainly been accelerated by the global pandemic. Even when things return to relative normal, though, not everyone will be going back to their office. The future of work is going to be hybrid. The technologies that enable that – allowing people to collaborate easily, effectively, and most of all securely no matter where they are will have a tremendous influence on how people work, how productive they are, and ultimately how companies do business.

Q: When a young girl, did you imagine yourself in a top leadership role? Was it a dream of yours?

A: No. I was born in Uruguay and immigrated with my family to Australia when I was quite young. We had very modest beginnings, and I never would have thought I would end up as a CIO, running one of the largest IT organizations in the world.

My career in IT began when I was 17 years old. I started out as a humble tape, print and mainframe operator on the night shift. I learned a tremendous amount about the ins and outs of various technologies by doing many of the roles. Technology has actually been a common theme in the industries that I’ve worked – I love tech for what it can do for the world.