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Tomorrow, more than 3,000 global leaders from business, government, academia, and civil society will convene at the 2017 World Economic Forum (WEF) Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland. Cisco will be in attendance, collaborating with other global problem solvers in strategic discussions about the political, economic, social, and technological transformations reshaping the world.

This year marks Cisco’s 15th as a WEF Strategic Partner, putting us in a group of 100 companies committed to improving the state of the world. WEF gives us the opportunity to build and strengthen the relationships that help us address some of the planet’s greatest challenges. This year’s theme is Responsive and Responsible leadership; the idea that global leaders can come together to promote inclusive development and equitable growth for all, as well as a more sustainable planet.

As Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins wrote in his recent WEF blog, “combining technological advances with innovative thinking can yield a wealth of possibilities, drive growth and value for companies, cities, and countries, and address a number of sustainability issues that affect millions around the world.”

Innovation is at the heart of Cisco’s commitment to accelerating global problem solving. We believe impact multiplies and innovative solutions arise when passionate people and transformative technology come together, which is at the core of WEF’s theme this year. Cisco’s commitment to building skills through the Cisco Networking Academy, investing in our nonprofit partners’ early-stage IT-based solutions, and applying circular economy principles to our business are a strong step in the right direction toward this goal.

On Tuesday, January 17, Chuck will participate in a live-streamed panel on The Future of Innovation at 8:45 am GMT (12:45 a.m. PST). He will join four other tech executives and industry leaders to discuss the major drivers transforming innovation globally and how they can prepare for the digital transformation.

A few other highlights of Cisco’s Davos engagement include:

  • John Chambers, Cisco’s Executive Chairman, will attend an informational gathering of world economic leaders and meet with WEF’s technology pioneers.
  • Cisco’s SVP of Corporate Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility, Tae Yoo, will take part in the “Partnerships for Digital Development Special Broadband Commission.”.
  • Chris Dedicoat, Cisco’s EVP of Worldwide Sales and Operations, will serve as the “firestarter” for a panel session on “Accelerating the Circular Economy” and attend the Telecommunications Governors Meeting.
  • Kelly Kramer, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Cisco, will be a participant at the “Wall Street Journal – CFO Network Breakfast”

By combining Cisco’s leadership in embracing digital transformation with Corporate Affairs’ focus on accelerating global problem solving, we are empowering a new generation with the tools and knowledge they need to innovate and change the world.

Collaborating at the highest levels of government and business to improve our planet is what the World Economic Forum is all about. We look forward to participating and reporting from Davos this week.

Please watch our video with Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins and SVP of Corporate Affairs Tae Yoo on the power of digitization to solve our world’s greatest challenges:

And please follow Cisco CSR on Twitter and use #WEF to join the conversation, or, follow the live stream on csr.cisco.com.



Authors

Kathy Mulvany

VP Corporate Affairs

Corporate Affairs