Cisco Adds Girish Rishi to Board of Directors
Cisco board appointment brings Cognite CEO Girish Rishi onto Cisco’s board, effective October 9, with data and AI experience.
Cisco has appointed Girish Rishi to its board of directors, effective October 9, 2026. Rishi is chairman and chief executive officer of Cognite and brings three decades of technology leadership experience. His background includes data and AI, product development, supply chain, and mergers and acquisitions. The appointment adds an executive with experience across hardware, software, and systems to Cisco’s board.
Technology Leadership Experience
Rishi is also a senior advisor to Blackstone. Before joining Cognite, he was chief executive officer of Blue Yonder and held executive roles at Tyco International, Zebra Technologies, Motorola Solutions, and Symbol Technologies.
Chuck Robbins, Chair and CEO at Cisco, said:
“I'm delighted to welcome Girish to Cisco's board. He has helped many of the world's most complex organizations and industries harness the power of data and AI. His expertise will be invaluable as Cisco provides organizations around the world with the critical infrastructure required to lead in the AI era.”
Board And Advisory Roles
Rishi has served on the board of Insight Enterprises since 2017 and previously served on the board of Digi International. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and an executive board member of the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Girish Rishi, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Cognite, said:
“Every organization is racing to turn its data into a competitive advantage with AI, and that depends on secure, resilient infrastructure, which is exactly what Cisco delivers. I'm honored to join Cisco's board and look forward to working with Chuck and the team as the company continues to help customers unlock the full potential of AI.”
Appointment Takes Effect
Rishi’s appointment took effect October 9. More information on Cisco’s board of directors is available on the company’s investor website.
