CEO Cisco Systems
CEO of Cisco since 2015. Also chairs the Business Roundtable since 2024. Has taken moderate positions on political issues, defending DEI while engaging with Trump administration.
At the World Economic Forum in Davos on January 22, 2025 - just two days after Trump's inauguration and executive orders against DEI - Chuck Robbins publicly defended Cisco's DEI programs, stating 'You cannot argue with the fact that a diverse workforce is better. There's too much business value.' He acknowledged some programs 'got a little out of hand' but defended the core principles.
On January 20, 2025, Chuck Robbins posted congratulations to Trump on X, stating Cisco 'looks forward to working with your administration to securely connect America, build world class innovations, & advance a pro-growth tax system.' As Business Roundtable chair, Robbins advised business peers that dealing with Trump requires 'Engagement, pure and simple.'
On August 14, 2024, Robbins announced Cisco would lay off 7% of workforce (approximately 5,600 employees), the second major layoff of the year. This occurred while Cisco reported $10.3 billion annual profit. Robbins' 2023 compensation was $31.8 million (up 37%), representing a 267-to-1 CEO-to-median worker pay ratio. Days earlier, Robbins told CNBC he didn't see Cisco 'using AI as an excuse to reduce headcount,' but then announced 'shifting hundreds of millions of dollars into AI.' Law firms investigated potential WARN Act violations for inadequate notice.
On February 15, 2024, Robbins announced Cisco would lay off approximately 4,250 employees (5% of workforce) despite posting record quarterly revenue of $13.6 billion. Robbins cited 'greater degree of caution and scrutiny' in deals and 'high level of uncertainty' in macro environment. Cisco expected to incur $800 million in severance costs. Critics noted the disconnect between record revenue and workforce reduction.
Following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot, Chuck Robbins announced Cisco would halt some employee political donations while the company assessed future political giving. This was part of a wave of corporate responses to the insurrection.
In 2018, Chuck Robbins, who chairs the Business Roundtable's immigration committee, publicly criticized Trump's family separation policy at the border. He stated it was 'a moral issue for our country' and 'doesn't represent the values of the entire company.'
In 2016, Chuck Robbins personally donated $8,100 to Democratic candidates, including California Attorney General Kamala Harris and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. He described himself as a 'centrist Republican' but said Hillary Clinton was a 'great candidate' and declined to support Trump.