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Since 2003 the Cisco Leadership Fellows program has exemplified how Cisco people and technology come together to make a difference and help create prosperity in the community. The Leadership Fellows program supports Cisco employees in local and global community organizations, where they work to provide strategic guidance, promote best practices, and build capacities that help these organizations have a greater impact. For their part, Leadership Fellows learn to adapt, negotiate, collaborate, and consult in new ways, which serves them well in advancing social goals and their careers at Cisco. Leadership Fellows generally work on community projects that complement Cisco’s social and business plans for the particular region or country. Following are profiles of some Cisco Leadership Fellows.
Ed CarneyEd Carney, vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Government Systems business unit, has engaged with the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina to promote scientific research and education in the area, and to encourage development of electronic and information technologies. The organization is building an advanced educational network and a sustainable business model for North Carolina to support all research and education needs at the kindergarten through community college levels. Carney also helped the state legislature secure funding to complete the core network infrastructure. The state network rollout is running ahead of plan, with more than 75 districts online, and an additional allocation has been approved by the state government based on results already achieved.
Valerie VorresA manager of Regulatory Affairs in Cisco’s Global Export Trade organization, Valerie Vorres works with Teachers Without Borders (TWB), an NGO dedicated to improving education in areas such as Africa, India, and the Middle East through teacher professional development and learning centers. Vorres’ responsibilities are to develop strategy for TWB and attract a long-term income stream. A partner in Cisco’s initiative for transforming education in the 21st century, TWB uses web 2.0 technology and educational software (open courseware) to reach and connect teachers worldwide, and to deliver leadership training that results in a Certificate of Teaching Mastery.
Si WhiteSi White, director of finance for Cisco’s Global Tax and Customs group, began working with Grameen Foundation, a prominent microfinance organization, to help develop its strategic plan and improve productivity through the use of technology. When the chief financial officer resigned a month into the fellowship, White assumed the CFO responsibilities on an interim basis, taking on a broad leadership role and helping to develop new leaders for the organization. His much-expanded duties give White an opportunity to have a major impact in fulfilling Grameen Foundation’s mission: “To enable the poor, especially the poorest, to create a world without poverty.”
Sima YazdaniAn IT manager in Cisco’s Customer Engagement group, Sima Yazdani helped Teachers Without Borders define and execute a strategic roadmap for its educational toolset. The toolset leverages web 2.0 technology and offers an integrated platform for social networking, collaborative content management, open courseware, and learning services. Content and functionality can be localized, adapted, and deployed to many local or virtual learning and community centers with diverse cultures and languages around the world. (For example, the toolset is used for the Mediterranean Youth Technology Club portal.) Yazdani led a significant transformation at TWB in the areas of strategic planning, innovative resource development, and process-based IT operating models and release metrics. She was also able to hone her leadership skills and experience what it is like to run a small company. See a video about Cisco's Leadership Fellows program worldwide. US: http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac48/leadership_vod_us.html See a video about the work of some Leadership Fellows |
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