Embracing sustainability and reducing their environmental footprint has been a longstanding priority at Cisco. For almost two decades, Cisco has set transparent, publicly declared objectives as benchmarks, diligently tracking their progress and holding ourselves accountable. Additionally, we’ve developed comprehensive programs to empower customers to achieve their sustainability goals.

We understand that sustainability is a collaborative effort, and success requires leveraging their extensive partner network. Collaboration is essential, and it’s through working with their partners that they foster innovation and gain support across the value chain. To this end, Cisco has developed several sustainability-focused programs that enable partners to offer customers end-to-end solutions designed with sustainability in mind, while also enhancing deal profitability.

Net zero by 2040

Cisco has embarked on an ambitious journey towards sustainability, aiming to achieve net-zero status by the year 2040. This goal has not been mere words but supported by continuous improvement and innovation across their entire business landscape. Our primary focus has been on delivering tangible, data-validated advancements that lead us closer to the realization of all their sustainability goals, ultimately culminating in their net-zero goal.

These efforts have not gone unnoticed. The approval of their net-zero goal by Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) stands as a testament to the robustness of their plan, the allocation of resources, and the soundness of their strategic approach. This validation confirms their determination to truly meet these targets, helping to forge a path towards a more sustainable future.

As for their partners, whether you are just starting this journey or already investing, there are four key Cisco programs to consider, through which they work together to meet their sustainability objectives.

Earn Your Cisco Environmental Sustainability Specialization

Launched in 2022, the Environmental Sustainability Specialization (ESS) equips partners with Cisco-specific sustainability knowledge. It covers key sustainability terms, the technology behind their Sustainable Solutions, Cisco’s commitment to a circular economy, and supporting programs. Only one person in the company needs to complete this training and exam. For others in the partner organization, they have additional efforts to educate partner sellers on these topics. If you’re not the one going through formal training, we’ll summarize the partner programs you should leverage in this blog.

Leverage the Cisco Takeback & Reuse Program Plus Incentive

Cisco’s Takeback and Reuse program is integral to CEO Chuck Robbins’ commitment to reclaim 100% of customer gear at no cost while providing partners with discount incentives. This program is an important step towards a circular economy, ensuring the responsible end-of-life management of returned equipment, with a remarkable 99.9% material recycling or reuse success rate.

Partners benefit from this initiative through a stackable discount of up to 7% on Refresh deals, applied to new equipment when replacing older gear. To learn more, visit their Takeback and Reuse Program page. Please note that this incentive is exclusively available to partners with ESS certification and program enrollment, so ensure your company is specialized to take advantage of it.

Strategically Position Cisco Refresh

With Takeback products, they seize the opportunity to remanufacture gear based on their life stage, making them available through the Cisco Refresh program. This refurbished gear supports the circular economy, meeting rigorous quality and performance standards, and is readily available with no lead times. It’s cost-effective and environmentally friendly, and has a lower carbon impact than purchasing newly manufactured products. Explore available products on the Cisco Refresh list – the more they take back, the more they can offer!

Utilize Cisco Green Pay

Cisco Green Pay, through Cisco Capital, offers a flexible payment plan for solutions designed with sustainability in mind, covering hardware, software, and services with a set contract term. At term’s end, Cisco reclaims the hardware to support the circular economy, helping support a more sustainable lifecycle. Cisco’s ownership guarantees gear return, providing a consistent refresh cycle and benefits akin to the Takeback program. All of this is offered to the customer, requiring minimal effort from partners. Plus, customers receive a 5% discount when opting for Green Pay.

Let’s Get Started Helping the Planet Together!

Ready to begin? First, become specialized under the ESS and enroll in the Takeback Program. Inform your Cisco team of your interest. They have partner sustainability specialists to assist you in integrating sustainability into your sales approach and boosting your confidence in discussing your customers’ sustainability goals. Prepare for these conversations by researching your customers’ public sustainability goals on their websites.

Although we’ve made progress in reaching their sustainability goals, they recognize that much more work needs to be done to ensure that people and ecosystems can thrive together on a livable planet. There’s no time like the present to get started.

For further information, visit their Environmental Sustainability Products and Solutions webpage or consult your Cisco team for specialist guidance.

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With two former SVPs of Cisco's collaboration unit out on personal leave in the last few months, the tech giant recently named a third leader, Javed Khan, of the firm's critical business segment, which includes the Webex platform.

Cisco Systems, which has recently experienced turnover within its all-important collaboration segment, has named five-year Cisco executive Javed Khan as the business segment's latest leader.

Cisco's Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Collaboration business Amy Chang decided to take time off to spend time with her family, according to a Cisco spokesperson in March. Chang joined Cisco and the firm's executive leadership team when her business intelligence company, Accompany, was acquired by Cisco in 2018 to bolster Cisco's popular Webex platform. Cisco said at the time of her departure that Chang wasn't leaving permanently and that the firm looked forward to her return.

In the meantime, Sri Srinivasan, vice president and general manager of Cisco's Team Collaboration Group, stepped in for Chang in March and expanded his role to lead Cisco's Collaboration business as senior vice president. However, Srinivasan, unlike Chang, did not become a member of Cisco's executive leadership team.

But by June, Cisco confirmed to CRN that Srinivasan had also left on personal leave. In his place came interim collaboration leader Khan, Cisco's then-vice president and general manager of Webex since 2015, who has since been promoted to senior vice president and general manager of Webex and the new head of the collaboration business unit.

[Related: The 10 Biggest Cisco News Stories Of 2020 (So Far)]

Cisco told CRN on Thursday that Srinivasan has taken on a new role focusing on the firm's work with nonprofit organizations and partners, specifically in Africa and India. He will be the first member of a new group for the company -- the Cisco Community Leadership fellow engagement -- and will help address essential needs for communities overseas, including food and sanitation.

“Our Cisco Collaboration team has built the most trusted platform for remote work, which has become a lifeline for businesses, governments, educators, and frontline workers to stay connected and productive - securely. We’re pleased to announce that Khan has been promoted to senior vice president of Cisco Collaboration and will lead the business going forward.," said a Cisco spokesperson in a statement. “[Khan's] deep experience in enterprise and collaboration are a tremendous asset as they continue to innovate and drive momentum in their business. They thank [Srinivasan] for his leadership and look forward to seeing him continue to make a positive impact on the world working alongside Cisco’s nonprofit partners.”

Cisco confirmed that Chang is still out on leave but will also be returning to a new role within the company.

The San Jose, Calif.-based tech giant in March announced it would be combining its security and applications groups, which includes the collaboration business. In June, Cisco announced the group's leader: former Box executive Jeetu Patel. Both Khan and Srinivasan in his new role will report to Patel when he starts his new role with the company in August, Cisco said.

Cisco's collaboration unit, which includes its Webex videoconferencing solution and rival product to the Zoom platform, has helped anchor the firm since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that squelched IT spending across the globe.

Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins in May said that the company was running its Webex platform at three times capacity that it had before the pandemic in February to manage the dramatic increase in user growth. The platform had well over 500 million meeting participants generating 25 billion meeting minutes in April, more than triple the volume the platform saw in February, according to the company.

On the other hand, Cisco, unlike some of its competitors such as Zoom, may not have the cloud infrastructure that other cloud-based solutions have in place to scale as quickly as they would have liked, according to one Cisco partner that asked to speak anonymously.

"I'm sure Cisco engineers are being hammered by senior leadership to scale up because Cisco is not a cloud platform core provider," the Cisco partner said.

The executive added that the value of Cisco Webex is being diminished because the collaboration tool still doesn't interoperate seamlessly with other tools that customers have within their environments, like Microsoft Teams.

"I think Cisco and others need to embrace interoperability to help end users cross the chasms," the partner said.

Cisco counts 95 percent of the world's Fortune 500 businesses as collaboration customers today.

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 28, 2023 / Cisco Systems Inc.

By Stacy Betts

As a Cisco channel leader, I recognize the importance of understanding their partners' sustainability endeavors in the Americas, as collaborative efforts and mutual support are imperative in addressing the significant sustainability challenges they confront. In this regard, I had the privilege of conducting interviews with several Cisco partners to discuss their challenges, uncover opportunities, and explore how Cisco can offer support.

Throughout these discussions, a common theme emerged: the need to bring their partners together for collaborative engagement, knowledge sharing, and in-depth conversations on building sustainable business models and offerings. The aim is to ensure not only the success of their partners but also the achievement of their mutual customers' sustainability goals.

Prioritizing sustainability is also a business imperative

A key revelation from these conversations is the recognition that prioritizing sustainability is not just an ethical choice; it's also a vital business imperative. While there may be situations where the choices between speed and convenience conflict with what is morally right, aligning their efforts with the objective of creating an inclusive and environmentally responsible future is not only ethically sound but also central to Cisco's overarching mission.

To help us share insights for the better good, the Americas partner sustainability community now convenes on a quarterly basis with a dedicated leadership team committed to helping customers realize their sustainability objectives. These gatherings provide valuable insights from Cisco leaders on the broader sustainability strategy. They also serve as a platform for introducing the latest Cisco programs and tools centered on sustainability, hosting industry and ecosystem partners to share their go-to-market strategies and offerings, discussing sustainability funding, and encouraging partners to share their own experiences and lessons learned.

Inclusive engagements

Sustainability is a concept that calls for inclusivity. It acknowledges that no single individual or group can bring about the needed changes on their own. What they require is a concerted effort that actively engages individuals empowered by organizations to create a culture of sustainability.

At Cisco, they strongly encourage everyone to engage with their local communities in ways that hold personal significance. This can take various forms, such as participating in beach cleanups, contributing to habitat restoration, supporting wildfire prevention, or engaging in organic waste and edible food recovery initiatives, among others. These efforts must address both the current sustainability challenges their planet faces today and inspire and educate future generations to carry this work forward.

Partnering for purpose

In addition, leadership plays a crucial role in driving these sustainability efforts. Leaders must lead by example, inspire others to join the cause, and ensure that everyone participates. It is a collective endeavor, and leaders must be at the forefront of the solution, making tangible commitments, both in financial terms and in the way their businesses operate, to become more sustainable entities.

At Cisco, their objective is to facilitate collaboration, create scalable solutions, and enable the sharing of best practices with partners globally. The "Partnering for Purpose" initiative aligns perfectly with Cisco's vision of an inclusive future. I'm thrilled to announce that in fiscal year 2024, Cisco will introduce sustainability offerings across their services portfolio in four key areas: Sustainable Data Centers, Smart Buildings and Workspaces, Internet of the Future, and Industry Solutions and Ecosystems.

Reducing their carbon footprint necessitates a shift in mindset, challenging us to think differently about how they design technologies, support their employees, and help their customers address challenges. For instance, through Cisco Refresh, they remanufacture and certify used network routers, switches, phones, and collaboration products, extending the value of their customers' budgets while reducing the environmental impact associated with old technology. This is a win-win solution for all parties involved.

A Commitment to Sustainability

My aspiration is for all of us to lead happy, healthy lives and enjoy their planet in a way that ensures future generations can do the same. As a leader, I encourage others to integrate sustainable practices into every facet of their lives and endeavors. Building a culture of sustainability requires the commitment of all individuals to make choices today that will protect us from bearing the consequences of poor decisions tomorrow. Whether it's protecting their oceans, nurturing emerging leaders, or running their businesses in a manner that safeguards the future, sustainability is a shared endeavor that benefits us all.

To learn more about what commitments Cisco has made to ensure a better tomorrow, read our 2022 Cisco Purpose Report.

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Cisco first unveiled Cius, a Google Android-based tablet intended as a unified communications endpoint, last summer at Cisco Live. Since then, details on Cius' pricing, release and various features have slowly emerged and in late March Cisco made Cius available through Cisco Master and Advanced Unified Communications partners. In early May, AT&T confirmed it will offer Cius on its HSPA+ wireless network starting this fall, though it did not mention a price.

Cius is manufactured for Cisco by touch-screen device vendor OpenPeak, according to Federal Communications Commission documents filed in March. It weighs 1.5 pounds, includes a front-mounted 720p HD camera, a 7-inch VGA touch-target display, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and other features. It's supported by Cisco's UC Manager and supports Cisco collaboration products such as Quad, WebEx and Presence. It initially will run version 2.2 of Google Android, also known as Froyo.

The AppHQ aspect of Cius is described by Cisco as a "highly secure, cloud-based user storefront," where developers are able to create and test applications to use with the tablet. Applications developed in AppHQ are ensured of Cisco validation testing, according to the vendor.

Cisco is also offering access to a Cisco-hosted private application store within AppHQ, which business customers can customize by themselves with corporate logos for organizing applications specific to them. The platform's AppHQ Manager function lets IT managers assign security policy over who has access to the app marketplace.

The business and consumer applications available in AppHQ will be selected by Cisco. But IT managers also can access the roughly 200,000 applications in Google's Android Marketplace.

"Basic access to Cisco AppHQ is included with every Cisco Cius device," according to Cisco, which did not immediately provide further details.

Cisco was scheduled to discuss AppHQ and other details on Cius availability at media events in New York and other locations Wednesday. It confirmed that Cius is scheduled for global availability on July 31, 2011 -- the last day of Cisco's fiscal year -- with an estimated street price of less than $750.

Cisco is also offering a promotion called "Triple V" that according to the company would bring the price of Cius to less than $700. That price is in line with a previous statement by Cisco to CRN and other outlets that $700 or less would be the target range for volume purchases of the tablet. Cisco last year had described the Cius as coming in at less than $1,000.

Following Cius' debut a year ago, Cisco VARs saw the potential for Cius as a breakthrough UC device for enterprises, but in accurate months have been frustrated with what's perceived as a lack of details.

Barry O'Sulllivan, senior vice president, Communications and Collaboration Group at Cisco, said Cius will bolster Cisco's leadership in providing mobile UC endpoints.

"Our customers' positive response to Cius reflects how technology can change not only when and how they work, but also the way IT will deliver collaborative services to employees, and do so in a way that meets the needs of end users and developers and IT managers," O'Sullivan said in a statement.

Rapid use of Generative AI, the emergence of a new blended workforce of humans and digital workers, and increasing employee fear of being obsolete (FOBO), together prove what Intel co-founder Gordon Moore (and the author of Moore’s Law) said, at any given point in time, “change has never been this fast and will never be this slow ever again.”

Resiliency, agility, and adopting a “test and learn approach” will mark the winning strategies for 2024.

As I have done in in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023, here is my countdown of what you should include on your HR roadmap for 2024.

1. Generative AI Will Be Your New Work Buddy

In 2024, Generative AI will shake up how they think about what work they do and what they delegate to their new “work buddy.” This will be the year of specialized AI powered assistants working side by side with humans. Teachers will get a copilot for homework grading, such as Class Companion. Architects will get an AI assistant for design, SketchPro, and online learners studying at Kahn Academy will be able to access Kahnmigo to aid in brainstorming helping them to become better writers and learners while decreasing a teacher’s administrative workload.

Walmart launched one of the largest AI powered work buddies, called My Assistant, an AI powered app to help Walmart’s 50,000 corporate employees be more productive in summarizing long documents, creating new content, and taking over routine tasks that humans did in the past. Microsoft’s Co-Pilot, soon to launch, will integrate generative AI into Microsoft 365, allowing workers to perform at a much higher level. Jared Spataro, Microsoft Corporate Vice President, believes Microsoft Co-Pilot will transform meetings from a point in time and place to a knowledge object. This means employees working with Microsoft Co-Pilot will not only be able to create a summary of the meeting, but also use Co-Pilot to query the group’s sentiment on the meeting topic, the dissenting opinions, who the key dissenters were, and the agreed-to next steps. While these AI powered work buddies can boost efficiency and performance, it will be up to humans to have a strategy to capitalize on their potential.

2. Generative AI Will Impact How Managers Lead

Generative AI has evolved to one of the fastest adopted technologies, with nearly 200 million users of ChatGPT since it launched on November 30, 2022. Business and HR leaders are struggling with how to keep pace with rapid adoption in the workplace. The impact on managers is not simply in training employees on how to use Generative AI, but also in helping managers lead teams of humans and digital workers. Morgan Stanley estimates Generative AI technologies will likely affect a quarter of all occupations that exist today, and this will rise to 44% within three years. To address this, companies and education providers need to provide training on how to use Generative AI. Within the next three years, this will translate into a $16 billion market for re-skilling workers displaced by Generative AI.

As Generative AI becomes increasingly adept at problem solving, it will be up to managers to get better at problem finding. Managers will be working side-by-side with their human and digital teams to foster a culture of continuous learning while leaning into their uniquely human skills, such as relationship building, communications, and collaboration. One thing is certain: Generative AI will drive organizational change, impact workflows, automate some jobs, and create new ones. But it will always be humans augmented by machines that will create innovation.

3. The Fear of Obsolescence Will Force Companies to Increase Spending in Career Development & Mobility

While employers see the promise of increased productivity using Generative AI, a accurate survey by EY reports that 75% of employees are concerned AI will make certain jobs obsolete, and two-thirds say they fear AI will replace their job. This fear of being obsolete is causing employees to seek out training in using Generative AI and acquiring new skills to better deal with their fears. PwC announced a $1 billion investment in training its workers on AI with courses on syllabus such as the ethics of AI, responsible use of AI, and how to create AI prompts to generate the best results. Their goal is to engage 75,000 U.S. PwC employees to both enroll and complete these courses.

In addition to training employees on how to use Generative AI, there is an explosion of new internal talent marketplaces as companies continue to find it difficult to successfully recruit external talent. Internal talent marketplaces have become the de facto way companies connect employees with internal career opportunities and resources to grow in their careers. For example, Grow at Key is KeyBank’s AI powered employee-led, and manager supported talent platform to support internal talent mobility. Launched with the vision that every employee can be the CEO of her own career, Grow at Key provides a range of resources, from matching employees to new job roles to accessing mentoring, coaching, and stretch assignments. To date, there has been a 60% increase in employees engaging in training programs and one in three KeyBank employees have enrolled in an Investing in My Development session to prepare them for understanding how to better manage their careers.

4. Hybrid Work Environments Are Good for Business

Companies need to stop debating the merits of hybrid work and realize this is the new way of working for many knowledge workers as they enter 2024. An ADP survey of 32,000 workers reports that 64% of workers would consider quitting if asked to return to the office full time. Recent research shows companies that allow choice and a remote first/hybrid work environment have revenue growth four times faster than their peers who are more stringent about office attendance. This research conducted by Boston Consulting Group and Scoop Technologies Inc. among 554 public companies employing 26.7 million people, found that “fully flexible” firms — which are either completely remote or allow employees to choose when they come to an office — increased sales 21% between 2020 and 2022, on an industry-adjusted basis. The better growth rates for more remote-friendly companies reflects their ability to hire faster and from a wider geographic area, along with higher rates of employee retention.

As hybrid work becomes the norm, leaders must have a plan to combat proximity bias, or the phenomenon of favoring in-person workers for career development, mentoring, and stretch assignments at the expense of those who work remotely. Hybrid work environments “work” when leaders ensure they are equitable for all and grant autonomy for individual leaders to determine when and where work happens, rather than follow a CEO mandate. Leaders must remember presence in the office does not equate to performance, so they need to shift from “managing by walking around,” to “managing by connecting across geographies.”

5. The Workforce Is a Blend of Full-time Employees, Part-Timers, Contingent Workers, and Digital Workers

Remember when the blended workforce was simply a distinction between full-time workers and part-time workers. Today’s work now gets accomplished by a blend of full-time workers, part-timers, teams of contractors, contingent workers, and digital workers, the later designed to augment some tasks of human labor. In fact, Statista reports a growth in all sectors except full-time workers, with part-timers (growing from 20 million in 1990 to 26 million in 2022) and contingent workers forecast to be half of the US workforce by 2027.

This blended workforce is not a new concept; it’s been around for decades. What’s different now is that a greater percentage of key jobs are performed by contingent workers. Overall, they are starting to see upwards of 30% to 50% of a global organization’s total workforce composed of contingent workers. MIT Sloan Management Review reported that the Novartis workforce includes 110,000 full time employees plus 50,000 contractors and temporary workers. Cisco has 83,000 full time employees and 50,000 plus contingent workers of various types. This new workforce ecosystem requires a new set of management practices, and leadership approaches, especially as 81% of companies in a accurate HBR Analytical Services survey report that contingent workers are important to their organization, but only 38% say that their organization is effective at managing them.

Leaders will need to acknowledge they will have more types of contributors—human and digital, full time, part time and contingent—that must seamlessly work together. What is needed is a total workforce strategy where HR plays a central role in coordinating all the cross-functional disciplines that hire internal and external workers.

6. The Four Day Work Week is Desired by Both Front-line and Knowledge Workers

Many of the assumptions they have about how they work, when they work, the needs of their workers, the demographics of the workforce, and where they work have been changed forever. One of the major changes, as they move into 2024, is their assumptions about a five-day work week. All workers, including both frontline and knowledge workers, want flexibility in when they work. Research conducted among 1,301 workers found 41% of both front-line workers and knowledge workers want flexibility in when they work, and 56% of front-line workers and 69% of knowledge workers want the ability to opt for a 4-day work week with no pay reduction.

As I wrote in my Forbes column, the UK four-day work week pilot was conducted among 61 companies and found 56% intend to continue trying the four-day week citing benefits of increased productivity and decreased employee attrition. These UK companies adopted the 80-100-100 model of flexible working: a drop in hours to 80% of their standard work week, while retaining 100% pay and 100% productivity.

Experiments on a shortened work week are also occurring in the US. For example, several Chick-Fil-A stores are allowing front-line workers the opportunity to work 13 hour shifts for three consecutive days with full pay. The results so far have been increased retention while maintaining customer service efficiencies.

However, it’s important to remember the three- or four-day work week is not a one size fits all solution. Companies should adopt a “test and learn approach,” focusing on the type and magnitude of changes required to allow for a shortened work week, the level of employee and manager training needed, and the type of well-being support required for new ways of working.

7. Cognitive Skills Will Increase in Importance as Generative AI Gains Traction

The World Economic Forum estimates that 44% of a workers’ core skills are expected to change in the next five years. While there are endless lists of the most important skills for the future, World Economic Forum identifies five core skills that will increase in importance in the next five years. This are shown in Figure 1 as:

Cognitive skills are growing in importance, reflecting the increased demand for creative and analytical thinking in the age of AI. This combined with technological literacy, the third fastest growing skill along with the skills of resilience, flexibility, curiosity, and lifelong learning are evidence that leaders will continue to emphasize a culture of lifelong learning. As Generative AI gains traction, one skill I see that is foundational to all of them is the ability to be digitally curious, meaning seeking out and using new and emerging digital technologies to enhance one’s cognitive skills. I think about the past few years where some of the new technologies I have used include Mural, an online visual collaborative tool, StreamYard, a live streaming studio, and ChatGPT 4.0 and Pictory, to create a new video entitled, Flexible Work for All. This is the start of building my digital curiosity muscle, trying out these platforms and seeing what they might mean for enhancing my work.

8. Holistic Financial Well-being Is The Must Have Benefit for 2024

Financial well-being among workers is eroding. LendingClub reports 61% of American workers live paycheck to paycheck and lack a core set of financial literacy skills, and over half of workers earning $100,000 are living paycheck to paycheck.

Unifi, a leader in aviation services with more than 23,000 employees, became aware of this two years ago and created a new offering for frontline workers to access their earned wages on-demand. Since then, this has grown beyond early access to wages to a holistic financial well-being offering with almost 20% frontline workforce enrolled and taking advantage of free services including anonymous financial coaching and customizable saving plans. Dr. Archana Arcot, Chief People Officer at Unifi, believes that, “the major driver of this program is to relieve an employee’s financial stress and make financial wellness part of their everyday life.”

MetLife reports nearly half of workers surveyed cited financial concerns as the cause of poorer mental health. To address this, Unifi adopted a Goal Based Savings program which resulted in the company moving to the top 1% with a total amount saved of $10,000+ YTD, as reported by Payactiv. By offering holistic financial well-being programs, companies like Unifi can not only enhance their employee experience but build financial wellness into their employer value proposition and be better able to attract talent in a tight labor market.

9. The Sexy C-Suite Job For 2024 Is Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer

While they have seen a myriad of new C-suite job roles in the past decade—from Chief Medical Officer to Chief Ethics Officer—the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer is coming at a time when organizations are looking for guidance with how to create guidelines and policies for safe and ethical use of generative AI in the workplace. LinkedIn reports 44% globally and 57% in the U.S. say their organizations don’t have policy guidelines or training for how to use these new tools at work.

Organizations are starting to appoint a new C-suite player to lead this effort. Research from Foundry, an IDG company, finds 11% of mid-size to large organizations already have an individual with the role of Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer and another 21% of organizations are actively seeking such a person for this role. This role is growing in importance as business leaders develop an AI strategy, create governance practices, and engage cross functional leaders in safe, ethical, and responsible use of generative AI.

A new Wavestone survey of Data and AI leaders found 61.7% report the responsibility for Generative AI is currently part of the Chief Data Officer (CDO) remit. But a growing number of organizations are creating a new role, the Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer (CAIO) to oversee AI developments for their organization. “This will be very much a focus during 2024,” says Randy Bean, Innovation Fellow at Wavestone.

10. An Organization’s Sustainability Record Will Attract and Retain Talent

As the talent marketplace continues to be competitive, climate change and sustainability has become one of the defining challenges for current and future generations. A growing number of publicly traded companies, such as Alphabet, Apple, Cisco, and PayPal, have created sustainability annual reports with Alphabet committing its entire $5.57B Sustainability Bond to support environmentally and socially responsible projects such as clean energy, clean transportation, and circular economy design.

A company’s sustainability record is proving to make a difference in talent acquisition and retention. Research by IBM Institute for Business Value, found 70% of workers and those in the job market, are drawn to environmentally sustainable employers. And almost half of these workers said they would take a lower salary to work for environmentally and socially responsible organizations. Gartner predicts employers will respond by promoting climate change protections, such as offering employees shelter during natural disasters, as part of employee benefit offerings.

In addition, a growing number of universities are building ambitious goals to integrate sustainability into their curriculum, campus operations, and endowment. The University of Toronto, placing first out of 1,400 universities in environmental and social impact, is making headway to de-carbonize its campus by 2050, developing new energy efficient student centers, and committing to climate responsible construction.

The Global Business School Network, a network of 150 global business schools in 50 countries, has several new initiatives for universities to share sustainability “next practices.” While companies and universities are each addressing sustainability, I see the need for greater collaboration among them, as both employees and students weigh the environmental impact of their employer and university. Sustainability is both a business and educational issue requiring joint corporate and university solutions.

What’s important to you as you reflect on your 2024 HR Playbook?

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The time has come. Our final genre list of 2023 has arrived. Concluding the year, after trips into the worlds of punk, K-pop, rock, indie folk, country and pop, they are looking at what the rap universe had to offer us. I’ll be the first to admit that this was not a terribly strong year for the genre, as the titanic, critically acclaimed releases—Maps, Sundial and VOIR DIRE—stood head-and-shoulders above the more mainstream offerings the industry tossed their way. But what a strong showing it was for the under-the-radar gems, especially from MIKE, Kipp Stone, McKinley Dixon and TEMPS. And with a record as bombastic and unforgettable as Sexyy Red’s Hood Hottest Princess, it’s easy to see rap’s highs more than its lows. So, let’s take a look at the top performers. Without further ado, here are their picks for the 25 best hip-hop albums of 2023, ranked alphabetically. —Matt Mitchell, Music Editor

Armand Hammer: We Buy Diabetic Test Strips

billy woods & Kenny Segal: Maps

Cisco Swank: More Better

Danny Brown: Quaranta

Earl Sweatshirt & The Alchemist: VOIR DIRE

El Michels Affair & Black Thought: Glorious Game

Ice Spice: Like…? EP

Jaboukie: All Who Can’t Hear Must Feel

Jim Legxacy: homeless n**** pop music

jonatan leandoer96: Sugar World

JPEGMAFIA & Danny Brown: SCARING THE HOES

KAYTRAMINÉ: KAYTRAMINÉ

Ken Carson: A Great Chaos

Killer Mike: Michael

Kipp Stone: 66689 Blvd Prequel

Larry June & The Alchemist: The Great Escape

McKinley Dixon: Beloved! Paradise! Jazz!?

Mick Jenkins: The Patience

MIKE: Burning Desire

Mykki Blanco: Postcards From Italia EP

Noname: Sundial

Open Mike Eagle: another triumph of ghetto engineering

Sexyy Red: Hood Hottest Princess

TEMPS: Party Gator Purgatory

Veeze: Ganger

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / November 28, 2023 / Cisco Systems Inc.

By Stacy Betts

As a Cisco channel leader, I recognize the importance of understanding their partners' sustainability endeavors in the Americas, as collaborative efforts and mutual support are imperative in addressing the significant sustainability challenges they confront. In this regard, I had the privilege of conducting interviews with several Cisco partners to discuss their challenges, uncover opportunities, and explore how Cisco can offer support.

Throughout these discussions, a common theme emerged: the need to bring their partners together for collaborative engagement, knowledge sharing, and in-depth conversations on building sustainable business models and offerings. The aim is to ensure not only the success of their partners but also the achievement of their mutual customers' sustainability goals.

Prioritizing sustainability is also a business imperative

A key revelation from these conversations is the recognition that prioritizing sustainability is not just an ethical choice; it's also a vital business imperative. While there may be situations where the choices between speed and convenience conflict with what is morally right, aligning their efforts with the objective of creating an inclusive and environmentally responsible future is not only ethically sound but also central to Cisco's overarching mission.

To help us share insights for the better good, the Americas partner sustainability community now convenes on a quarterly basis with a dedicated leadership team committed to helping customers realize their sustainability objectives. These gatherings provide valuable insights from Cisco leaders on the broader sustainability strategy. They also serve as a platform for introducing the latest Cisco programs and tools centered on sustainability, hosting industry and ecosystem partners to share their go-to-market strategies and offerings, discussing sustainability funding, and encouraging partners to share their own experiences and lessons learned.

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Inclusive engagements

Sustainability is a concept that calls for inclusivity. It acknowledges that no single individual or group can bring about the needed changes on their own. What they require is a concerted effort that actively engages individuals empowered by organizations to create a culture of sustainability.

At Cisco, they strongly encourage everyone to engage with their local communities in ways that hold personal significance. This can take various forms, such as participating in beach cleanups, contributing to habitat restoration, supporting wildfire prevention, or engaging in organic waste and edible food recovery initiatives, among others. These efforts must address both the current sustainability challenges their planet faces today and inspire and educate future generations to carry this work forward.

Partnering for purpose

In addition, leadership plays a crucial role in driving these sustainability efforts. Leaders must lead by example, inspire others to join the cause, and ensure that everyone participates. It is a collective endeavor, and leaders must be at the forefront of the solution, making tangible commitments, both in financial terms and in the way their businesses operate, to become more sustainable entities.

At Cisco, their objective is to facilitate collaboration, create scalable solutions, and enable the sharing of best practices with partners globally. The "Partnering for Purpose" initiative aligns perfectly with Cisco's vision of an inclusive future. I'm thrilled to announce that in fiscal year 2024, Cisco will introduce sustainability offerings across their services portfolio in four key areas: Sustainable Data Centers, Smart Buildings and Workspaces, Internet of the Future, and Industry Solutions and Ecosystems.

Reducing their carbon footprint necessitates a shift in mindset, challenging us to think differently about how they design technologies, support their employees, and help their customers address challenges. For instance, through Cisco Refresh, they remanufacture and certify used network routers, switches, phones, and collaboration products, extending the value of their customers' budgets while reducing the environmental impact associated with old technology. This is a win-win solution for all parties involved.

A Commitment to Sustainability

My aspiration is for all of us to lead happy, healthy lives and enjoy their planet in a way that ensures future generations can do the same. As a leader, I encourage others to integrate sustainable practices into every facet of their lives and endeavors. Building a culture of sustainability requires the commitment of all individuals to make choices today that will protect us from bearing the consequences of poor decisions tomorrow. Whether it's protecting their oceans, nurturing emerging leaders, or running their businesses in a manner that safeguards the future, sustainability is a shared endeavor that benefits us all.

To learn more about what commitments Cisco has made to ensure a better tomorrow, read our 2022 Cisco Purpose Report.

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SOURCE: Cisco Systems Inc.

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