Over the past year, Cisco has publicly appeared to be one of the few tech companies to have avoided an internal backlash over its response to the war in Gaza. Chuck Robbins, CEO of the Silicon Valley giant known for its routers, cybersecurity services and WebEx video calling, issued a statement last November acknowledging the suffering of both Israelis and Palestinians.
And two months ago, Francine Katsudas, Cisco’s chief policy and goals officer, smiled as she posed for photos with many of the company’s employee organizations, including one for the Palestinians. However, this photo later became a source of considerable controversy within the company.
“We were targeted and harassed, sabotaged and defamed,” says Joao Silva Jordão, a software licensing manager in Lisbon who quit Cisco last month in disgust after four years at the company. “I was led to believe that my humanitarian side was welcome at Cisco, but I was completely deceived. This is double standards and hypocrisy.”
Meanwhile, another recent ex-employee who was fired says some Jewish workers at Cisco feel the company has not adequately stopped harassment of them by Palestinian groups. This man criticized executives for not doing more to stop discussions of war by workers on both sides. “Things could have been done by management to reduce the mess all around,” he says. “It’s a shame more wasn’t done.”
Brian Tippens, Cisco’s chief social impact and inclusion officer, refutes allegations of marginalization and unequal treatment. He says Cisco’s focus has been on the well-being of all of its 90,000 employees and apologizes to anyone who feels the company has fallen short of its humanitarian goals.
