Michelle serves as Vice President of Americas Growth Marketing, Global Segments and Industries, and Global Partner Marketing at Cisco Systems, the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. She leads a team of marketers who integrate with sales to capture market share, accelerate growth, and strive to deliver an amazing customer experience. Michelle has been a leader at Cisco for close to 20 years. While leading with marketing innovation and cutting-edge technology, she believes strongly that keeping the human touch in marketing achieves customer loyalty. Leading and empowering her team to grow, take risks, and get out of their comfort zones is at the heart of how Michelle operates.

Interviewed by Nimish Vohra

// In a recent research study conducted by Grant Thornton, it was reported that only 29% of senior management positions in companies are occupied by women. What are your thoughts on the gender gap in the corporate world?

We have seen advancement in recent years, with females holding executive positions in technology companies and corporations. 

However, barriers such as gender bias can prevent women from being considered for senior leadership positions. At Cisco, we hold the core value of inclusivity and diversity in everything we do and are dedicated to protecting equality of all people inside and outside the workplace. 

// Have you faced any challenges as a woman in a senior leadership position? How did you overcome them?

I like to approach a challenge as an opportunity, but there are times when the challenges can overwhelm. To manage these challenges, I focus on the factors in my direct control, which usually anchor on three things:

• I continually invest in building my business acumen. The tech sector is very dynamic, and changes often. I focus on being relevant and credible when working up, down, and across the organization.
• I invest in building relationships; specifically, those that help me achieve my goals:
  an advocate to represent me when I am not in the room, and a sponsor who will get behind my success. I highly recommend keeping a group of mentors and advisors to tap into when facing challenges.
• I pay it forward. Leveraging the insight I have gained from my network, I pass my experience on to a group of men and women I mentor.

// What steps can organizations take to improve gender diversity across all levels at the workplace?

Companies can approach a culture of inclusivity in several ways. The first is to ensure equality is one of the core beliefs in the company, exemplified by senior leaders and upheld through all levels of management. 

Host virtual events which focus on women’s leadership and career advancement. To uphold inclusivity, male senior leaders should be encouraged and welcomed to these events, deepening their understanding of developing female talent.

Mentorship programs providing women opportunities to network with senior managers are also valuable initiatives that build organic opportunities within the organization. 

At Cisco, we host learning programs that encourage young women to pursue career pathways in STEM industries to help crush the gender barrier.

When equality becomes one of the pillars of your company culture, you create an environment where women are openly encouraged to envision their career pathways, supported by a network of mentors, coaches, and leaders.

// Is there anything you would like to bring to the attention of your male counterparts in the corporate world?

I recently read an article on Leanin.org that shared how males and females attribute success. Men tend to believe their own qualities and skills have brought them to where they are, while women credit external factors like ‘getting help from others’. 

This tendency results in women becoming undervalued, losing confidence and drive to put themselves forward for promotions and stretch assignments. 

Leaders need to ensure women are given acknowledgement for good work and provided opportunities for advancement.

// How has COVID-19 affected your work-life balance?

I used to travel very frequently and extensively. My husband and 10-year-old daughter became used to this lifestyle, and we worked our family balance around my travel schedule. Once the COVID-19 pandemic gained ground in the U.S., internal travel was suspended at all levels. I found myself at home with my family – like many others – with restrictions on activities and outings. At first, this was a huge adjustment for each of us! But all in all, I have really enjoyed the increase in our family time at home. I force myself to step away from my laptop in the evenings and use cooking as my creative outlet. 

// Has your company’s business strategy changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic? If yes, how?

In the last year, Cisco has focused on ways to support customers, enable partners, and protect our people in the right way. Our primary focus was not to sell; rather, it was to help customers uphold business continuity and support our communities and governments through our technologies. 

We coordinated with heads of state and government agencies to keep their economies, medical professionals, and schools productive while ensuring public safety. With help from our partner network, we brought video conferencing and networking solutions to communities that needed the communication infrastructure to survive.

One year on, our goals remain the same: to solve our customers’ issues and enable them to communicate securely through technology. 

// What are your thoughts on remote work processes in your organization? Will this trend continue even after the pandemic is over?

I truly believe remote work – to a certain portion of the population – is here to stay. We are not out of this pandemic yet in most of the world, and entire populations have adapted to a productive work-life balance by connecting remotely.  

Students have been forced to embrace remote learning, and remote and hybrid models are evolving to sustain longevity. The corporate world has had to shift a large portion of in-person events to virtual experiences, and we are now scaling best practices to show other companies how to engage customers with a personalized experience. 

While the world waits for widespread vaccination, we have embraced a way of doing business and living life in a remote setting.

// If you could share one piece of advice with other women in the corporate world, what would it be?

Authenticity is the key. Ensure that you are acting in a way that is true to yourself.