MAY 15, 2006

By Terry Timm Moos, News@Cisco

Imagine taking three months off from your job, traveling thousands of miles away, and working in another job you'd never imagined doing before. Five women - Hind Sabiry of Morocco, Ruba Majid representing Dubai, UAE, Dareen Shaheen of Egypt, Nadia Noori of Iraq, and Angelique Abboud of Israel - did just that. For three months, these business professionals from the Middle East experienced what it was like to live, work, learn and play in a totally different country and cultural environment.

Anabelle Pinto, Director of Worldwide Marketing, Gender Diversity, oversaw the MEPI program for Cisco Systems. "Cisco was fortunate to have five MEPI interns - the highest number of any participating US company chosen - because we had strategic plans in place, with milestones, expectations and business goals for the participants," Ms. Pinto noted. "It was the first time for Cisco to participate in this program, and overall it worked pretty well because every manager followed the same template throughout the company, so there was a consistency for the interns."

Applicants had to go through a rigorous selection process, and were chosen based on educational level and careers. The first phase of the MEPI program was a one-month 'crash course' in an MBA curriculum at Emory and Duke Universities. After the course, the interns were placed in different companies around the country. Ms. Pinto looked at 12 to 15 applicants. Cisco's goal was to provide the experience not only with the participation in projects, but on working within the Cisco culture. "This was about the overall cultural experience," noted Ms. Pinto. "We wanted them to learn about the US, the company, and the people."

According to Ms. Pinto, the program was a success on many levels. "It was amazing to see these women transform." Initially, one was skeptical about how much she would get out of the program, but she 'left with so much more.' Another plans to go back and put together gender diversity programs in her company, and be at the helm. "She enjoyed seeing the quality of work and how Cisco works to develop its leaders," Ms. Pinto said. "The experience opened their eyes to incredible experiences."

Our own Cisco managers and mentors learned so much too," added Ms. Pinto. "It was very compelling to hear our managers talk about how much they gained during this program, and how they wish we would partner on more initiatives like this one. All in all, every one felt the length of the internship was too short, which is a great sign of success."

An important benefit is that the women made friends with their mentors, managers, and the host families. Many host families helped them experience family life, and there were from 30 to 50 volunteers who offered to take the women on outings - to dinner, to visit the Stanford campus, and to visit other communities throughout the Bay Area. "We wanted to enrich these women with the whole culture," explained Ms. Pinto. "To me, it was making sure they would experience as much as they could, especially being with the people from Cisco. I know what it is like to work and study in a foreign country, so it was important that the program offer the women the total experience of what it's like to live, work, learn and play in the United States."

Before the MEPI program concluded in March, these women shared their experiences with News@Cisco.

Nadia Noori taps engineering skills to identify cost savings in manufacturing

Changing roles at work is not new for Nadia Noori. With a MS in computer and control systems engineering, she has been a director of admin and finance and a human resources manager in her native Iraq. But working on the Value Engineering initiative for Cisco Systems opened her eyes to new ways to reduce costs in the manufacturing process - as well as the importance of good communication.

The Value Engineering initiative is for new and sustainable products, with a goal to reduce the cost of commodities and re-engineer components to improve margins. Nadia was part of a cross-functional team of ten people from finance, IT, and product cost management, who also invited suppliers and other partners to offer their input on the initiative. "The savings is around $50 million a year, and the target is to save $130 million a year," said Nadia. "The team looked at the entire design and manufacturing process, and analyzed where they needed to fix problems."

"At Cisco, communication among business units is critical and is not always as good as it could be," she noted. "I learned that to make the processes work together, the communication has to improve," she continued. "The outcome is for the long-term, so we need to change the mindset. I enjoyed seeing this whole situation, and what I learned is that we need to address issues sooner in the process to be more effective," Nadia noted.

According to Nadia, the best part of the internship was the work she did. She hadn't had a chance to practice engineering, and her number one goal was to get more engineering experience. "For two years, I felt off track, but this made me realize I can still think like an engineer - that was refreshing. I was happy to be part of such a good team, to think as an engineer, and learn more," she explained.

There were many other discoveries during her three-month stay. For one, San Jose weather can be quirky, especially if you ride your bike to work. Nadia laughed, "One day it would be sunny, and the next day it would rain. One day, I got stuck under a tree for over an hour waiting for the rain to stop!"

Nadia also discovered that sunsets at the Grand Canyon offer much more than just an exceptional view. "I had no idea. We took a two-hour hike - it was very quiet and the sun was starting to set - and my husband proposed to me there," Nadia said. "It was amazing."

After her honeymoon, Nadia will return to her work in Iraq, having gained some valuable experience at Cisco Systems. "This was a very good experience for me to work with Westerners in the US," Nadia explained. "I was already working with them in Iraq, learning their business practices and US regulations, but this was even more valuable."

Nadia looks forward to getting her PhD and "Eventually, I would like to help start a Cisco Networking Academy in Baghdad, similar to the one in Jordan," said Nadia. "We see hundreds of students going to Jordan and I would like those same opportunities for people in Baghdad."

Ruba Majid uses leadership skills to tackle gender diversity

With a bachelor's degree in business administration from Birzeit University in Palestine, Ruba Abdel Majid works as a finance executive in the United Arab Emirates-Dubai. One of Ruba's dreams was to have a scholarship to study in the United States. "After few years of professional experience, I believe that it is the right time to move on in my career," she explained. "But I knew that I would need to do something different and noticeable."

So she took the initiative and discovered a program that could change everything. Ruba contacted the Amideast, and learned about the MEPI program. "This program provides the exact experience I was looking for on both academic and professional sides," she said. "I applied for the MEPI; passed the exams and the interviews, and was selected to represent UAE."

"Since I work in an international company, I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to pursue an internship in one of the fortune 500 companies in the United States, so I asked for it," Ruba explained. "As a finance executive, I chose to get a marketing exposure to expand my business knowledge and skills." Ruba's role in the MEPI program was to participate in a marketing project for Cisco's Gender Diversity Marketing group. The focus was on external marketing and positioning in the US and abroad.

"Being at Cisco is in itself a great accomplishment. As an intern I met a lot of professionals and learned from their experiences," Ruba noted. "I attended workshops and seminars, and received good advice for my career path."

Ruba worked with different organizations within Cisco, which gave her a broader insight about the diverse areas where she might take her career later on. "I had great exposure in marketing, finance and human resources" she explained. "I learned more about leadership and how to develop my leadership skills and those of the people around me," Ruba added. "In addition, I realized the importance of networking and mentoring, and how to boost my knowledge and experience by learning from senior staff."

The women who worked as MEPI interns can use the experience they had at Cisco when they return home. Ruba gained insight about gender diversity issues during the three months she was on the project team. "After working on the marketing project for gender diversity, I decided to do my best to initiate it in the company I work in back home, because it is critical for the success of any global firm" she said. "In addition, mentoring will help us in moving forward and thriving in our careers."

"The whole MEPI program and internship at Cisco were appealing and different from all my previous experiences, because I had the chance to meet several key and influential people who helped me in reconsidering my future career preferences," Ruba said. The workshops were also helpful in developing her leadership skills. "I think that other companies may not have been able to provide me with these opportunities, or at least not at the same level," she continued.

Ruba gave the MEPI program a glowing endorsement. "I would absolutely recommend this program, because it introduced me to the American corporate and academic systems, and added value to my knowledge and experience," she said.

Many things were memorable for Ruba during her stay in the United States. "I enjoyed the time I spent studying at Emory University, one of the top universities in executive education," said Ruba. "Working at Cisco was also challenging and valuable because I was part of a cross functional and multicultural team." She also enjoyed the opportunity to travel to different areas of the country.

Dareen Shaheen uses technology background in both rich media communications and security

With a degree in computer science from American University in Cairo and a professional background as an information security consultant, Dareen Shaheen was familiar with Cisco Systems as a vendor and knew about their solutions portfolio. Now, after finishing her MEPI internship at Cisco, she has come away with a whole new perspective about the company. "I was amazed at how diversified Cisco is," said Dareen. "They are willing to try different things and continuously explore innovative options."

At Cisco, Dareen was assigned multiple teams: to work with the director of rich media programs (voice conferencing, streaming video, and other digital interactive media), with the corporate security program working with the security team and testing with the Network Admission Control Team. "I had to keep up," she said. "It was very fast-paced." During the internship, Dareen was also preparing for the Certified Information System Security Professional (CISSP), which she successfully acquired in February 2006. Dareen adds, "I was able to map the studying for certification to the actual world implementation in Cisco by engaging with activities with corporate security team."

The Cisco security team is large, and Dareen narrowed down the specialties she wanted to pursue. "It was easy for me to be with the technical groups," she said. "I came into the program at Cisco, assuming that my internship experience would only be focused on technical experience where my consultancy background would be used. I got to learn about everything," she continued. "I met people from other departments, and was exposed to the diversified nature of the area. I saw the amount of teamwork involved, and the 'think out of the box' creativity," Dareen added. "I never felt I was just an 'intern' - I was really part of the team. I felt that the wide business exposure opened new horizons and enhanced my skills - like networking, workshops and mentorship and its importance to provide guidelines to professional success."

Dareen participated in team and managerial meetings with other departments. "It was good for me to understand more about business functions and operations because you are not an isolated island - you need to know more about the other sides of the business, and technology groups need to have an understanding of the business itself, especially if you are working in consultancy " Dareen said. "There are many business challenges faced in Egypt," explained Dareen. "Through leadership, one-on-one coaching and mentorship, you come to understand your strengths, work on your weakness and explore other parts of your real potential."

Prior to the internship at Cisco Systems, Dareen, a native of Egypt, spent a month in the condensed executive MBA program at Duke University in North Carolina. The intensive course covered finance, management, business strategy, accounting, marketing and leadership that was finalized by business simulation. "This was a great opportunity with professors who were recognized in their field and have one-on-one coaching with them" said Dareen.

"I would recommend Cisco as a blueprint example for potential calibers, especially for women because it has a culture where people can continuously learn in a globally diversified corporate setting," Dareen noted. "At a cultural level, it is very important to come with an open mind and avoid stereotypes," she said. "Try not to stick to one mindset. I feel the cultural exposure I experienced in Cisco and the US in general is an important take away, both professionally and personally," said Dareen.

Another benefit of the MEPI program was the opportunity the women had to experience the cultural opportunities of other areas of the United States, visiting the other 40 women who were in the US with the program. "I traveled a lot," said Dareen, "and for me, the West coast was totally different than what I had experienced in the East coast." Over the Christmas holiday, the group visited Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas, and on weekends, flew to New York and Seattle. "California is much diversified," noted Dareen. "I loved San Francisco and how people were friendly, greeting us, and very welcoming. I met wonderful people during this time including the other MEPI women and Cisco team, and I intend to keep in touch."

Hind Sabiry sets numbers aside for a new perspective on HR talent development

Hind Sabiry is used to having people ask if her hometown of Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco, is anything like the city immortalized in the classic '40s movie. Said Hind, "I can tell you, it looks nothing like the movie!" Hind took a leave of absence from her job as an accounting and financial manager of Federal Express in Morocco to come to the United States for the MEPI internship program. With a bachelor's degree in business administration with a major in finance, she is returning to her country to take the CPA exam.

Once she arrived at Cisco Systems, she was delighted to be working with the human resources team on talent development programs. "I was interested in Cisco and was always impressed by their growth," Hind explained. "I wanted to know the secret to their success." She also wanted to try something else other than finance. "I felt that HR would be a whole new perspective and it would switch me from numbers to the human side - giving me a more complete experience."

At Cisco, Hind worked with two people among the HR team on talent development programs, and also was involved with other HR teams, including working with the HR finance team on a director talent review, where she was able to learn about their assessments of talent. "The experience made me realize our own mistakes at work - and how important it is to do such research," Hind said.

"It is often easier to ignore the needs of others on your team than to find out what they need. So this is a new perspective." Hind also felt the mentor concept was valuable. "Having mentors guide people in their career paths is interesting, especially at the university level, where the idea would be to have students connect with women leaders to mentor them in careers," she added.

"When I'm at work, it is often stressful, so the MEPI program was a second chance and a refreshing experience for me," explained Hind. "Meeting so many people and the diverse environment was very special. I like the culture where you can take risks without fear of failure. If people don't have the technical skills, you can still recognize their potential and give them a chance."

Hind believes you can learn a lot about other people and how you can make adjustments as you go along. "This was a great learning process with wonderful people," Hind said. "I was surprised by all the emphasis on gender diversity at Cisco," said Hind. "I never felt a gender problem in Morocco because I always had opportunities, even if I think that regionalism, compared to gender diversity could be a problem in Morocco".

Hind enjoyed getting to know the other women who were part of the Cisco MEPI program. "My roommate was from Israel, and friends invited us to visit Carmel, which was just beautiful," said Hind. "It was a very good experience and I especially want to thank my mentor."

Angelique Abboud discovers the importance of government affairs

Much to her surprise, Angelique Abboud found herself working in the Government Affairs group during her MEPI internship at Cisco Systems. The civil engineer and software developer from Haifa, Israel, wondered why she got this particular assignment. In her career, Angelique had worked in highway design, but switched to go into software development, which she has been doing for five years. Angelique has also finished her MBA. "I'd never thought about government affairs prior to this," said Angelique, "but now I have a better understanding, and I know just how much a government affairs group is needed."

"During my first events at Cisco, I really learned what government affairs does and how important it is to educate governments and policy makers about technology and the ways to use it in order to benefit the civil society and the economy." she said. Global standards are an important issue. "I learned that businesses have to make changes to products to be in compliance, and why it is so important," Angelique explained. "I could see how individual standards might affect the industry, and why we need to make IT products more global and compliant."

Angelique also worked on issues regarding broadband. Cisco Systems is currently working with governments to increase Internet penetration. "It is very important to have better Internet access for business, private and personal uses," added Angelique. "For students and children, it enriches their knowledge, and it connects businesses to customers."

Angelique had the opportunity to work with government affairs on strategic business in the Middle East. "I found them to be an amazing staff and I learned so much." She also had the opportunity to work with the Business Development department in parallel to the WWGA. "My manager contacted the business development department because I had a personal interest in this field", Angelique explained. "We talked with people in San Jose and Israel about emerging markets, so my work helped both groups."

"There were so many things about the program that were valuable. In the beginning, I expected to take a tangible tool back and say 'look at this thing I've learned,' but I now realize there were so many things I learned," said Angelique. "Now I have a perspective on business development and how everything is connected - how all departments work together," she added. "I also learned that you have to work together to reach your goals, whether it is for the company's growth or for the different work people do.

"I had an opportunity to see how the Cisco sales team worked together before, during and after an important customer meeting in New York, and it was amazing," Angelique explained. She also met with the manager of marketing communications to get an idea of how marketing fits in the total business picture.

"This is definitely a good program, but it really isn't an 'internship' in the true sense, because we were neither students nor recent graduates," noted Angelique. "I think the term 'professional exchange' fits better, because we are all people who have been in the workforce for awhile.

This was a memorable visit to the US for Angelique. "We rented a car and went to all the major cities, then back up to Carmel," she said. "Carmel reminded me of Haifa, especially with the trees, the ocean, and Pt. Lobos. Haifa has a Mt. Carmel, so it was a special place for me."

Culturally, the MEPI program offered Angelique opportunities she doesn't always get at home. "I am an Israeli citizen, so there are many Arab countries I cannot visit," she explained. As an Arab in the US, Angelique met more women from the Middle East than she can when she is in Israel. "This program gave me the opportunity and cultural experience to meet 40 women, to make new connections, and to get to know new people," she said. "Some are very inspiring. I especially enjoyed the Women's Action Network when I got to meet some of the women of Cisco - it was amazing."

Created in 2002, MEPI, the Middle East Partnership Initiative, is funded with bipartisan support from the US Congress, and supports economic, political, and educational reform efforts in the Middle East. MEPI champions opportunity for all people of the region, especially women and youth. MEPI works together with US State department, Middle East Partnership Initiative, and the US Business Internship Program for Middle Eastern Women.

Terry Timm Moos is a freelance journalist located in Seattle, WA.