Rachael Robinson | Chief of Staff to the Chief Technology Office, Cisco

Rachael is Chief of Staff for the Chief Technology Office at Cisco, an American multinational technology conglomerate headquartered in San Jose, California. Her career started in commercial property law before she moved into strategic roles which has saw her live and work around the world in places like Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. We spoke to Rachael about her current work with Cisco and what advice she’d offer students looking to break into the tech industry.

I always knew, even as a child, I wanted to become a lawyer and became a commercial real estate solicitor of England & Wales. That career ended during the 2008 financial crisis, so I went into business firstly as in-house legal/commercial then moved into more strategic roles. These spanned different sectors from the engineering powerhouse Rolls-Royce to my current position with the tech giant, Cisco.

In my current role I provide specialist commercial advice for customer experience, working to maximise financial returns and minimise exposure to risk. I also work to drive strategic execution by turning strategies into a measurable process, increase the impact of the CTO and leadership team and improve internal communications.

I don’t have a specific proudest moment in my career. A career is a marathon, not a sprint, and there have been quite a few wins. Qualifying and working as a lawyer was one, working as the global Head of Commercial for Rolls-Royce was another, then being hired into Cisco as the Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President was another.

If I could give advice to my 18-year-old self it would be: Try to worry less and have more self-belief. Drop the imposter syndrome, you deserve to be sat at the table too.

I chose The University of Law because of its reputation and quality of education. It provides fantastic training and thought leadership to its students. Not simply academic advice, but real practical examples too.

I was very ill during my time studying the PGDL and I was in and out of hospital. I missed a huge chunk of the course, but still managed to pass. I even won an award for my perseverance during that time. I stayed in touch with the University over a number of years and had been invited to comment on a few engagements with the team. It’s a real honour to now sit on their Business School Advisory Board.

I started with Cisco through the Airbus STAR (Special Talent and Recognition) Program. I consult with Airbus as an industry expert on Commercial and Contract negotiations and was invited into their star programme in 2018. It was through this, and the connections I made within the programme, that I met the Talent Acquisition Lead for Cisco who then headhunted me for the APAC Chief of Staff and Director of Transformation role at Cisco.

Cisco is all about hybrid work, which means we are flexible when it comes to how and where you work. The only tricky part is managing the time zone between the US and Asia-Pacific.

Cisco looks for candidates who are not only technically proficient in core networking, computer science fundamentals and, where relevant, data structures and algorithms (DSA), but also show high levels of curiosity, adaptability and a collaborative spirit. They prioritise "cultural fit", seeking humble, proactive and engaged individuals who can thrive in a fast-paced environment.

The hiring process at Cisco varies depending on the team and role you apply for. Generally, the process includes submitting an online application, participating in a phone or video interview and completing a skills assessment. My advice for anyone looking to apply is to do your research and get up to speed on all things AI, including Agentic AI. You’ll also need attention to detail, the ability to think laterally, be dynamic and able to work in a fast-paced environment.

If you’re looking to break into the technology industry, I’d say it’s important you get out there and interact as much as you can with real world experiences. Read relevant articles, take courses and be a continual learner, AI and the tech space is constantly changing and adapting.

It’s a really exciting time to work in the technology industry. The rise of AI (and agentic AI specifically) has been rapid. The way this has exponentially changed the way we work has been tremendous. We have now automated a huge amount of the work we do, which has made us more efficient.

The future will be interesting as we see the onset of quantum technology, which poses not only significant opportunities, but could also create challenges. If you think AI is fast, wait until quantum technology comes into play.

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