With nearly 14 years at the company in a variety of roles, James Richardson brings a unique understanding of Cisco
Systems and its business to the role of Chief Marketing Officer. In the role since August 2001, Richardson's primary
responsibilities include developing and communicating Cisco's strategy and vision as he leads the company's
technology and segment marketing, corporate marketing, advertising, branding, marketing communications and
public relations efforts.
Richardson has an established track record of producing results, and his successes reflect his ability to build,
operate, and maintain high-performance organizations. Prior to his role as Chief Marketing Officer, Richardson was
senior vice president of the Enterprise Line of Business, at which time he led Cisco's vision, strategy, and
development of an enterprise network architecture - Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data).
During his tenure, the Enterprise Line of Business grew to represent 50% of Cisco's revenue and profit.
Previously, Richardson was president of Cisco's operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), where he
served from 1996 through 1999. In EMEA, he drove customer satisfaction and maximized operational efficiency,
ensuring that the visions, goals, and initiatives of Cisco's operations there were fully aligned with those of the
corporation. Under his leadership, revenue generated in the region rose nearly four-fold. From 1995 to 1996,
Richardson was vice president of North American Operations. In this role, he led the company's largest sales force
during a period in which revenues tripled, and his team rolled out many of the operational programs that are now
mainstays of the Cisco field culture on a global basis.
Richardson was also vice president of Intercontinental Operations from 1992 to 1994, and his career at Cisco began
in May 1990 with the founding of Cisco's Canadian operations.
Prior to joining Cisco, Richardson held a number of line and staff positions at Unisys.
Richardson received his bachelor of commerce degree in marketing and finance from Queens University in Kingston,
Ontario.
A proponent of a balanced lifestyle, Richardson enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters. True to his
Canadian roots, he also enjoys playing hockey in addition to skiing and sailing.
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