HBS Managing the Future of Work Cisco's alignment strategy: Coordinating workforce and operations
Jul 16, 2025
Join Francine Katsoudas, Cisco's EVP and Chief People Officer, who drives sustainability and governance, alongside Jeetu Patel, the President and Chief Product Officer focused on tech innovation. They delve into the crucial intersection of people and technology, especially during the pandemic. Discover how cross-functional collaboration fosters efficiency and creativity. The duo also discusses the growing influence of AI on workforce dynamics and the evolving role of leadership in nurturing agile cultures amidst rapid change.
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Integration Drives Innovation at Cisco
- People strategy and product development must be integrated for innovation and growth.
- Cisco leaders Francine Katsoudas and Jeetu Patel blur role boundaries to align culture and product goals.
Train Employees on AI Early
- Train employees on AI to reduce fear and boost creativity in the workplace.
- Cisco's 'Teaming with AI' program increased AI comfort from 62% to over 90%.
Boost Engineer Productivity with AI
- Equip engineers with AI tools to increase productivity and autonomy.
- Cisco aims for 50%+ code to be autonomously written using AI like OpenAI's Codex.