Leading the - Charge

Bee Kheng Tay, Cisco Systems’ president and leader of its Asean business, champions women in STEM and makes a strong case for flexibility in the workplace.

- KAREN TEE

Remember that hilarious viral video from 2017 when a political science professor’s children video-bombed him in his home office during a live segment on BBC? “BBC Dad” put forth a valiant effort to keep his composure while he awkwardly stuck out a hand to keep his boisterous kids away from the camera.

Post-pandemic, many now dial into a video conference from home. Bee Kheng Tay, president of Cisco Systems and the company’s Asean business leader, observed while barely stifling a laugh: “Parents used to shush their kids and keep them and the furkids away from their WFH stations during a virtual meeting. Now, we have our kids say hello to everyone. Sometimes, colleagues sit with their babies while we talk. We have become more understanding and more empathetic when integrating work and personal lives.”

THE FUTURE OF WORK

Having been appointed president of the multinational technology giant last November, Tay is a vocal proponent of this flexible, inclusive approach to the workplace. Cisco, which topped the Singapore Best Workplaces in Technology list for 2021, even announced a “no return to the office” policy.

“In the future, every Cisco employee will be a hybrid employee, and it will be entirely up to them whether they work from home, at a cafe, or in the office,” Tay tells The Peak via a Cisco Webex video conference from her home.