Chuck Robbins
{{Short description|American businessman}}
{{Infobox person
|name = Chuck Robbins
|image = Charles H. Robbins.jpg
|birth_date = {{birth based on age as of date|49|2015|7|30}}{{cite web |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2015/07/30/qa-chuck-robbins-ceo-of-cisco-systems/ |title=Q&A: Chuck Robbins, CEO of Cisco Systems |date=30 July 2015 |access-date=14 July 2018}}
|birth_place = Grayson, Georgia, U.S.
|death_date =
|death_place =
|education = University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BMath)
|occupation = Businessman
|title = Chairman and CEO, Cisco Systems
|children = 4
}}
Charles H. Robbins (born 1965 or 1966) is an American businessman. He is the chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems.
Early life
Robbins was born in Grayson, Georgia, and educated at Rocky Mount High School in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.{{cite news|last1=Brown|first1=Bob|title=New Cisco CEO: Meet the real Chuck Robbins|url=http://www.networkworld.com/article/2918164/router/new-cisco-ceo-meet-the-real-chuck-robbins.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506041142/http://www.networkworld.com/article/2918164/router/new-cisco-ceo-meet-the-real-chuck-robbins.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 6, 2015|access-date=20 August 2015|work=Network World|date=4 May 2015}} In 1987, he earned a Bachelor of Mathematics degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Career
Robbins began his career as an application developer for North Carolina National Bank (now part of Bank of America). He joined Wellfleet Communications followed by a brief tenure at Ascend Communications before joining Cisco in 1997.
Robbins filled various posts at Cisco, including senior vice president of the Americas and senior vice president of Worldwide Field Operations, a role in which he led Cisco's Worldwide Sales and Partner Organizations and built out Cisco's partnership program.{{cite news |title=The Path Forward: America’s Digital Infrastructure with Chuck Robbins, Chair & CEO, Cisco |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/washington-post-live/2021/06/16/path-forward-americas-digital-infrastructure-with-chuck-robbins-chair-ceo-cisco/ |access-date=15 March 2024 |date=16 June 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://moneyinc.com/chuck-robbins-10-things-didnt-know-ciscos-ceo/|title=Chuck Robbins: 10 Things You Didn't Know about Cisco's CEO|last=Berman|first=Nat |date=2016|website=MoneyInc.com|publisher=Money Inc.| access-date=27 June 2019}}
In May 2015, Cisco announced that CEO and chairman John Chambers would step down as CEO in July 2015 while remaining as chairman. Robbins, then a senior vice president, was named as his successor.{{cite news|title=Cisco's Chambers to step down as CEO, to be executive chairman| url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/ciscos-chambers-step-down-ceo-125209673.html|date=4 May 2015|access-date=20 August 2015|agency=Reuters}} Mentored by Chambers, Robbins was unanimously voted in as the company's new chief executive, becoming CEO of Cisco Systems in July 2015.{{cite book |last=Frangos |first=Cassandra |date=2018 |title=Crack the C-Suite Code: How Successful Leaders Make It to the Top |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=AeJCDwAAQBAJ&q=Robbins |publisher=Wharton Digital Press |pages=9–17 |isbn=9781613630853 }}{{cite news| last=Weinberger | first=Matt |title=Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins tells us how he led the $200 billion company to growth when everybody expected it to get crushed in the cloud wars| url=https://www.businessinsider.com/cisco-ceo-chuck-robbins-interview-leadership-intent-based-networking-2019-1|publisher=Business insider| date=19 January 2019|access-date=27 June 2019}}
As CEO, Robbins became noted for accelerating the pace of Cisco's modern growth,{{cite web|last=Poletti|first=Therese|title=Cisco is Chuck Robbins's company now, for better or worse|url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/cisco-is-chuck-robbinss-company-now-for-better-or-worse-2017-09-18| publisher=Market Watch| date=September 18, 2017|access-date=June 28, 2019}} while disrupting outdated working modes,{{cite web|last=Frangos|first=Cassanda|title=Making Leadership Last: How Long-Tenure CEOs Stand Their Ground|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/cassandrafrangos/2018/12/03/making-leadership-last-how-long-tenure-ceos-stand-their-ground/#bfa4a4c132e9| work=Forbes |date=December 3, 2018|access-date=June 28, 2019}} promoting employee trust based in transparency of policy and process,{{cite web|title=Chuck Robbins: How Cisco Brings Radical Transparency Into the Workplace |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtembEobVks|website=YouTube.com| publisher=LinkedIn |date=April 10, 2019|access-date=June 28, 2019}} and humanitarian policies and workplace diversity.{{cite web|last=Robbins|first=Chuck|title=10% of the world lives on $2 a day. It's time for businesses to step up|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/23/perspectives/cisco-ceo-chuck-robbins-homelessness-poverty/index.html|website=cnn.com| publisher=CNN |date=January 24, 2019|access-date=June 28, 2019}}{{cite web|last=Shontell| first=Alyson|title=Cisco CEO reveals what happened at the 'interactive' Trump Tower tech meeting with Silicon Valley power players|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/cisco-chuck-robbins-trump-tower-tech-meeting-2017-1|website=BusinessInsider.com| publisher=Business Insider |date=January 18, 2017|access-date=June 28, 2019}}{{cite web|last=Jenkins|first=Aric| title=Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins on Why Corporate Social Responsibility Is Becoming Obsolete|url=http://fortune.com/2018/10/15/cisco-ceo-chuck-robbins-csr/| publisher=Fortune |date=October 15, 2018|access-date=June 28, 2019}}
Robbins has advocated for corporate social responsibility.{{Cite web |last=Moorhead |first=Patrick |title=Cisco's CSR Program Under CEO Chuck Robbins Is Flourishing |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickmoorhead/2016/03/09/ciscos-csr-program-under-ceo-chuck-robbins-is-flourishing/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Forbes |language=en}} However, in 2018, he said that talk of corporate social responsibility is becoming obsolete and just expected of "corporate icons."{{Cite web |last=Jenkins |first=Aric |title=Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins on Why Corporate Social Responsibility Is Becoming Obsolete |url=https://fortune.com/2018/10/15/cisco-ceo-chuck-robbins-csr/ |access-date=2025-01-16 |website=Fortune |language=en}}
In 2018, as the GDPR came into effect, Robbins called for more regulation and for the tech industry to help educate regulators. In February 2019, Robbins promoted the need for comprehensive global privacy legislation, asserting privacy as “a fundamental human right."{{cite web|last=Bort| first=Julie|title=Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins calls for a federal privacy law, throwing a spear at internet companies who sell advertising|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/cisco-ceo-chuck-robbins-calls-for-federal-privacy-law-2019-2|website=BusinessInsider.com| publisher=2019 Insider Inc. |date=February 7, 2019|access-date=June 28, 2019}}
In 2019, Robbins advocated against a 15% increase on tariffs for Chinese goods.{{cite web|last=Gmelich| first=Krista|title=Cisco CEO Warns Higher Tariffs Will Force Companies to Cut R&D|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-01-17/cisco-ceo-warns-higher-tariffs-will-force-companies-to-cut-r-d|website=Bloomberg.com| publisher=Bloomberg LP |date=January 17, 2019 |access-date=June 28, 2019}}{{cite web|last1=Quick| first1=Becky|last2=Kernan| first2=Andrew |title=Watch CNBC's full interview with Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins |url=https://www.cnbc.com/video/2019/02/08/watch-cnbcs-full-interview-with-cisco-ceo-chuck-robbins.html|website=CNBC.com| publisher=Squawk Box (CNBC) |date=February 8, 2019|access-date=June 28, 2019}}
In 2023, Robbins's total compensation at Cisco was $31.8 million, up 37% from the previous year and representing a CEO-to-median worker pay ratio of 267-to-1.{{Cite web |date=2024-06-07 |title=Equilar 100: CEO Pay at the Largest Companies by Revenue |url=https://www.equilar.com/reports/111-table-equilar-new-york-times-top-100-highest-paid-ceos-2024.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240815195403/https://www.equilar.com/reports/111-table-equilar-new-york-times-top-100-highest-paid-ceos-2024.html |archive-date=2024-08-15 |access-date=2024-08-31 |website=Equilar |language=en}}
Boards and affiliations
Robbins serves the World Economic Forum as the chair for the IT Governors Steering Committee and as a member of the International Business Council.{{cite web|title=Charles H. Robbins|url=https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/chuck-robbins/|website=WeForum.org| publisher=World Economic Forum |access-date=June 28, 2019}} He is a member of the Ford Foundation board of trustees.{{cite web|title=Charles H. Robbins
|url=https://www.fordfoundation.org/about/people/chuck-robbins/|website=FordFoundation.org| publisher=Ford Foundation |access-date=June 28, 2019}} He is a director for BlackRock and for The Business Roundtable where he chairs the Immigration Committee.{{cite news |last1=Fuchs |first1=Hailey |title=Cisco CEO named Business Roundtable chair |url=https://www.politico.com/newsletters/politico-influence/2023/09/14/cisco-ceo-named-business-roundtable-chair-00116104 |access-date=15 March 2024 |date=14 September 2023}}{{cite news |last1=Krouse |first1=Joann S. Lublin and Sarah |title=Cisco’s CEO to Join BlackRock’s Board |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/ciscos-ceo-to-join-blackrocks-board-1491426181 |access-date=15 March 2024 |work=WSJ |date=5 April 2017}}
In 2018, Robbins authored a statement on behalf of Business Roundtable that applauded bipartisan lawmakers working to reform immigration policies, while urging the White House “Administration to end immediately the policy of separating accompanied minors from their parents,” decrying the practice as “cruel and contrary to American values.”{{cite news | last=Murray | first=Alan | title='This Is a Fundamental Issue:' Why Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins Challenged Trump on Border Separations |url=http://fortune.com/2018/06/20/family-border-separation-cisco-ceo-chuck-robbins-trump/ | publisher=Fortune |date=June 20, 2019| access-date=June 27, 2019}}{{cite web | last=Robbins | first=Chuck | title=Business Roundtable Statement on Immigration |url=https://www.businessroundtable.org/business-roundtable-statement-on-immigration |date=June 19, 2019 | access-date=June 27, 2019}}
Robbins spoke at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in 2016, 2017,{{cite web| url=https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-annual-meeting-2017/sessions/strategic-update-the-future-of-innovation |title=World Economic Forum Annual Meeting |website=WeForum.org| publisher=World Economic Forum |access-date=June 27, 2019}} and 2018, and at the 2019 WEF annual general meeting.{{cite web| last=Bloomberg | first=Jason |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/jasonbloomberg/2018/01/23/reskilling-top-of-mind-at-world-economic-forum-in-davos/#1c01213f2c0d |title='Reskilling' Top Of Mind At World Economic Forum In Davos| work=Forbes | date=January 23, 2018 |access-date=June 27, 2019}}{{cite web|url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2019-01-23/cisco-ceo-robbins-sees-high-degree-of-optimism-among-ceos-video |title=Cisco CEO Robbins Sees 'High Degree of Optimism' Among CEOs |website=Bloomberg.com| publisher=Bloomberg | date=January 23, 2019 |access-date=June 27, 2019}} As well as the 2024 annual meeting.
He has been a board member of the MS Society of Northern California, a member of the Advisory Board of Georgia Tech, and a member of the International Council for the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University. He is also a member of the 2019 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.{{cite web | title= American Academy of Arts and Sciences 2019 FELLOWS AND INTERNATIONAL HONORARY MEMBERS WITH THEIR AFFILIATIONS AT THE TIME OF ELECTION | url= https://members.amacad.org/content/members/newfellows.aspx?s=a | access-date= June 28, 2019 | archive-date= April 10, 2019 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20190410034914/https://members.amacad.org/content/members/newFellows.aspx?s=a | url-status= dead }}
Robbins also serves as honorary counsel to Destination: Home, a non-profit organization devoted to ending homelessness in Santa Clara County, where Cisco's headquarters is located.{{cite web |last=Dickey |first=Megan Rose |date=March 26, 2018 |title=Cisco commits $50 million to end homelessness in Silicon Valley |url=https://techcrunch.com/2018/03/26/cisco-commits-50-million-to-address-homelessness-in-silicon-valley/ |access-date=June 28, 2019 |website=Techcrunch.com |publisher=Tech Crunch}}
Personal life
Robbins is a fan of North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball, participates in social media, and is noted for his humor. He is married with four children and lives in Los Gatos, California.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://newsroom.cisco.com/video-content?type=webcontent&articleId=1976588 "Behind the scenes at Cisco with CEO Chuck Robbins and his team" (video)] Cisco; April 2, 2019. Accessed June 28, 2109.
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Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
Category:American chief executives of manufacturing companies
Category:American technology chief executives
Category:People from Los Gatos, California