Home Tuck Dartmouth Search Site Map Contact Us
Under the Hood at Cisco: Technology and Culture
CEO Speaker Series
January 13, 2004
Co-sponsored by Tuck's Center for Global Leadership and Center for Digital Strategies


John Morgridge, Cisco System's Chairman of the Board and former CEO, spent the day at Tuck on January 13, 2004. In addition to meeting with students and faculty, Morgridge delivered an address in Cook Auditorium in which he shared his views on the importance of a company's culture, the impact of digital technology on business today, and the role of both in helping Cisco grow through an incredibly turbulent time in its history and industry.

Press Release
PDF (62K)

Transcript
PDF (127K)

Photos

"Cisco Chief Lauds Engineers"

John Morgridge joined Cisco in 1988 as President and CEO. During his tenure as CEO, Morgridge grew the company from $5 million in sales to over $1 billion, and from 34 employees to over 2,260 employees. In 1990, he took Cisco public and in 1995 was appointed Chairman.

Twenty years ago, Cisco Systems did not exist. Today, the company has more than $18 billion in revenues with nearly 36,000 employees operating in 65 countries. Cisco is one of the best examples of a company using Internet technology to gain competitive advantage with over 90 percent of the company's orders and customer support being transacted via the Web.

In his role as Chairman, Morgridge dedicates his time to Cisco's education and government initiatives. He also teaches part-time at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business and speaks regularly on entrepreneurialism and management strategies at corporations and universities around the world. In 1996, Stanford's Graduate School of Business honored John with the Arbuckle Award. Morgridge holds a BBA from the University of Wisconsin and an MBA from Stanford University. He has received honorary degrees from the University of Wisconsin, Lesley College, Northern Illinois University, Richmond-The American International University in London, and Carleton University.

Leadership Forum (ALF) for Silicon Valley, the Nature Conservancy (TNC), Business Executives for National Security (BENS), the Tech Advisory Board for Milwaukee Public Schools, the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF), the Cisco Foundation and the Cisco Learning Institute. He is a board member of CARE and Interplast, and is also a member of the Stanford Business School Advisory Council.