Francine Katsoudas — Chief People Officer and Senior Vice President at Cisco

Ms. Francine Katsoudas, also known as Fran, serves as Chief People Officer and Senior Vice President of Cisco Systems, Inc. Ms. Katsoudas plays a major role in Cisco Systems's overall performance, leading organizational strategy, promoting operational effectiveness and elevating team performance through innovative leadership. She leads Cisco's business-driven People Strategy and People Deal, both of which support and align to Cisco's overall business strategy and are essential to driving the Company's transformational journey. She also is evolving Cisco's approach to strategic workforce planning with programs highlighting the skills and capabilities that employees need to be innovative in today's technology driven environment. Ms. Katsoudas fosters a culture of full spectrum participation, emphasizing inclusion and collaboration to drive exponential business value. A 20-year veteran of Cisco, she has extensive experience leading organizational transformations, driving large scale growth, talent acquisition, leadership development and succession planning. She served as the Chief Human Resources Officer of Cisco Systems, Inc. She was the HR leader and Business Partner to the Engineering leadership team helping oversee its workforce of more than 25,000 people. She has also held leadership positions in the Service Provider, HR Operations, Customer Service, Acquisition Integration and Services groups. Prior to Cisco, Ms. Katsoudas worked in both the financial and professional services industries with a focus on customer service and operations. Ms. Katsoudas was named a 2014 TWIN Honoree by the YWCA Silicon Valley Tribute to Women Selection Committee.