HR Pacesetter Story: Cisco’s “Edge Up” Learning Transformation
Skills are changing faster than traditional learning models can keep up — especially as AI continuously reshapes jobs and work. For Cisco, a global technology company with more than 80,000 employees, that reality demanded a more agile, strategy-aligned, and unified approach to development. Enter Edge Up: the brand behind Cisco’s bold learning transformation.
In this episode, we speak with Marci Paino, Chief Learning Officer at Cisco — a 2026 HR Pacesetter Award winner — about how her team moved from fragmented legacy learning to a unified, AI-powered skilling ecosystem. Marci walks through four key pillars of Cisco’s learning transformation: AI-powered lifelong learning mindset, Cisco’s strategic capabilities, always-on modern learning, and a unified skilling environment. She also shares the results Cisco has seen: from replacing a 20-year-old tech stack three times faster than the industry average to a culture where employees embrace continuous learning.
Marci Paino is Cisco’s Chief Learning Officer, driving AI-era workforce readiness for 80,000+ employees and leading the cross-industry AI Workforce Consortium, backed by 20+ years shaping talent development and digital transformation at companies like American Express, Accenture, and Western Digital.
We awarded Marci a JBC Pacesetter award in 2026 for her leadership and strong AI-centric focus. If you have an innovative solution you’d like to share, join our Pacesetters Program.
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