Alice Pollard is currently part of the Chief Technology Office in the Customer Experience organization at Cisco. The CTO’s focus is to drive impact for Customers, Technical Talent, Strategy, and broader Industry leveraging Technology and Innovation.
Working alongside the Distinguished Service Engineers Alice leads various innovation initiatives and programs to build customer mindshare and guide businesses through technology incubation.
With a passion for innovation and moving the needle, Alice is a problem-solving expert leading high-impact, high-performing teams to deliver breakthrough innovation initiatives for large enterprises. She loves speaking directly with customers to uncover their challenges and how to take a solution to market.
Thinking differently is part of Alice’s DNA. She thrives on incubating new ideas to solve big problems. Prior to Cisco, she led innovation workshops in Asia with Global 500 companies, driving innovation in both electronics and food–specifically one of her first loves, chocolate. Her expanded view of diversity—valuing and embracing the full spectrum of different ethnicities, genders, orientations, backgrounds, cultures, affiliations, abilities, work styles, and perspectives—has allowed her to tackle big problems in unique ways.
A true world citizen, Alice has lived in New Zealand, Singapore, India and Dubai since leaving her native Australia more than 13 years ago. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to her current responsibilities, including a diverse background in food, real estate, recruitment, and marketing. In addition, Alice has committed herself to advocating for inclusion and social justice for all people both inside and outside the workplace. From volunteering in retirement homes to cooking nutrition bars for the poor in India, she believes in supporting the dignity of all people.
Alice delights in traveling and loves to experience—and taste—new cultures. She’s a foodie at heart and an aspiring home chef. She is also an avid cat lover and lives with Floyd Pink Pollard along with her husband in San Francisco.