John Chambers is Chairman and CEO of Cisco. He has helped grow the company from $70 million when he joined Cisco in January 1991, to $1.2 billion when he assumed the role of CEO, to its current run rate of about $36 billion. In November 2006, Chambers was named Chairman of the Board, in addition to his CEO role.
Cisco has received numerous awards for leadership in inclusion and diversity, including: Working Mother Magazine's 20 Best Companies for Multicultural Women (2009), the American Foundation for the Blind Helen Keller Achievement Award in Accessibility (2006), the National Association for Female Executives (NAFE) Top 50 Companies (2009), and the 2006 Respect Award by the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network.
Chambers believes that an inclusive workplace brings together a diverse community of people with different and unique perspectives and backgrounds. Inclusion and diversity is not only a business imperative, but it is an essential element of Cisco's culture. Chambers fostered the development of Cisco's Global Inclusion and Diversity Council which builds diversity awareness into recruiting practices, increases efforts to diversify executive positions, and holds all employees accountable with an inclusion and diversity goal in annual reviews. In addition, the Council drives leadership development programs focused on globally diverse, high-potential employees.
Chambers' commitment to inclusion and diversity is one area that is helping Cisco to achieve its inspirational goal of becoming the best company in the world and the best company for the world. The network as the platform is changing the way Cisco innovates, competes in the global marketplace, engages in corporate social responsibility and communicates and collaborates with customers, partners, employees and shareholders.
Prior to joining Cisco, Chambers spent eight years at Wang Laboratories (1982-1990) and six years with IBM (1976-1982).
