SAN JOSE, Calif. – January 24, 2011 – Cisco today announced that Blair Christie has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer, Worldwide Government Affairs, effective immediately. Ms. Christie, previously Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Communications, succeeds Susan Bostrom, who has decided to leave the company to pursue new professional opportunities after serving in an advisory role throughout the transition. Ms. Christie will continue to report to Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers.
"As an integral part of the Cisco leadership team, Blair is the natural choice to continue to lead our efforts to strengthen and broaden the Cisco brand," said John Chambers, chairman and CEO, Cisco. "Blair's most recent experience leading Cisco's global corporate communications organization has given her a unique understanding of how external audiences view and engage with Cisco. This perspective will be critical as Cisco continues to clearly define the expanding role of the network within the communications and IT industry."
Chambers continued, "Sue has been a close colleague and an important member of our executive team during the nearly 14 years she has been at Cisco. She has made significant contributions to the company and has built talented leadership teams across our consulting, marketing, and government affairs communities. We are proud to have had Sue as part of the leadership team and support her decision to move forward in the next chapter of her career and life. We wish her the very best."
During Bostrom's tenure at Cisco, she was responsible for building the Internet Business Solutions Group, paving the way for Cisco to accelerate global customer adoption of Internet capabilities. Her leadership of Worldwide Government Affairs positively impacted Cisco's ability to align business goals with opportunities for social and economic improvement. As Cisco's Chief Marketing Officer, Sue and her team expanded and strengthened Cisco's brand value, launched a new advertising campaign and logo, and transformed Cisco.com. She also expanded marketing's expertise as Cisco has transitioned from products to solutions and architectures, and co-led Cisco's Small Business Council.
Effective immediately, Ms. Christie will assume responsibility for Cisco's Central Marketing Organization and Worldwide Government Affairs organizations in addition to her previous responsibilities for Global Corporate Communications. In this role, she will be responsible for alignment and support of Cisco's efforts to accelerate market transitions and drive growth through corporate positioning, reputation management, marketing and policy strategies.
"I passionately believe that Cisco's market position is unique, as customers use our technology in new ways every day to change how they connect, communicate and collaborate. Cisco brings leading innovation to the transitions in our market right now, and I'm incredibly excited to help further the company's reputation as we continue to increase our value in the networked world," said Ms. Christie.
Previous to this appointment, Ms. Christie was Senior Vice President of Global Corporate Communications for Cisco, focused on shaping the company's reputation and perception. She is an executive sponsor for Cisco's Communication and Collaboration Board and serves on the company's Enterprise Business Council. Ms. Christie is a board member of the San Jose Tech Museum, a member of the Corporate Reputation Management Advisory Council at Drexel University, and a member of the Arthur Page Society. In 2009, Christie was named by Working Mother magazine as a Working Mother of the Year.
