Blog

Get to know our Cisconian Spotlight, McKenna White

McKenna White

 

Meet McKenna White 

What’s your Cisco story?  

I started at Cisco while in college at UNC as an intern in CX. I fell in love with the culture, vast opportunities for exploring new skills/business areas, and the mission of Cisco. When applying to jobs, it was very important for me to apply to companies whose mission was aligned with my values. But more importantly, that they were  actually living them out, not just using it as a tagline on their website. While working in CX, I was able to take on 3 stretch assignments to try out different teams and jobs. I loved the flexibility and was so appreciative to have a chance to “try out” new things without having to completely dive into a new role/team. After doing a stretch assignment on a DEI team in 3P, I knew that 3P was the organization I wanted to explore next. About a year ago I started on a Strategy and Planning Team within 3P as an Orchestration Project Manager and have loved being here!  
 

Tell us a bit more about yourself and your role at Cisco?

I am an Orchestration Project Manager in Strategy & Transformation team in People and Communities The Strategy & Planning Practice drives the portfolio management, prioritization, and orchestration of work to execute the People Strategy.  All with the goal to support a balanced portfolio of work and to create to work in our organization. 

My role as the orchestration PM is to create spaces and facilitate collaboration in designing and building solutions to the issues we are tackling. I am passionate about building connections, problem-solving, planning, project management, organizing information, storytelling, and constantly learning. 

I have also been on the Emerging Talent RTP board for 3 years and have loved having a space to connect my project management skills with my passions for creating spaces for community, promoting giving back, and facilitating connections. My team also just launched Homeroom RTP program – mentorship program for those <1 year at Cisco 2019 Impact Month Winner – leading initiative to support Durham homeless population during COVID-19.
 
What is your superpower?

My superpower is being a great communicator. In my opinion, being an excellent listener is foundational to communicating efficiently. Taking the time to truly understand a situation, someone’s differing perspective, or context behind a contradicting opinion makes such a difference in tackling a project, managing conflict, and being a good teammate to those you work with. 
 
What is your advice to people who are early in their careers?  What is one thing you wish you could tell younger you?  

Don’t be afraid to try new things! Create space and margin for you to explore areas that are not directly aligned to your role to find things you are great at or are passionate about! 
It’s okay to not have it all figured out. Give yourself grace and keep working towards growth while also enjoying and thriving where you are. 
 
What does the future look like for you? What goals/dreams you are aiming for? How will Cisco help you get there (If applicable)? 

I would love to further my skills as a Project Manager. To manage a program or project whose goal is to help people be more connected, informed, or equipped to be successful in their career.  

McKenna enjoying the sun with her furry friend
McKenna and her dog showing their love for Cisco

Cisco Live Amsterdam 2023: Know Before You Go

Cisco Live Amsterdam

Cisco Live Amsterdam is only a few short days away! This year will be better than ever before. Attendees (in-person and online) have an exciting experience awaiting them, full of merchandise and innovative technology! Attendees can shop all collections, learn how Cisco and partner technology power the Cisco Tech Lab, and give back to Voedselbanken, the Netherlands first food bank. Read through our Know Before You Go Guide to be fully equipped for what to expect at the show! We hope to see you there.

 

Shop exclusive merchandise

Who doesn’t love to shop? We got you covered! This year at Cisco Live we have a large assortment of merchandise for you to select from. We are open from 8:00am Monday through Thursday! If you are not able to be at the show, you can find this merchandise available online today.

 

Learn from our Cisco Store Tech Lab

The Cisco network is the foundation of the Cisco Store’s retail environment. The Cisco Store Tech Lab consists of both Cisco and partner technology that works in tandem to power our retail experience. Our technology stack includes product such as Meraki cameras, Meraki smart buttons, Meraki sensors, Everyangle visual insights, Keonn’s Smart Fitting Room, Cisco DNA Spaces, Fankave social media listening, Smirrl, SES Imagotag, and our augmented reality app, the Cisco Store Xplorer. The Cisco Store team will be on site to show you the technology at work and answer any questions you may have.

If you are interested in guided tour to see and learn about our technology stack, sign up for a session. Don’t be afraid to drop in as we will be running them every 30 minutes. We will take you through various use cases and show you how the technology powers our retail experience in real time.

 

Power an inclusive future

Cisco’s purpose is to power an inclusive future for all. At the Cisco Store, we took this initiative in as a priority and now you can experience it at Amsterdam! You will be able to round-up your purchase at checkout or drop a token into our donation tower to donate to Voedselbanken, the Netherlands first food bank.

Along with this, we have icons on each hangtag to show how each piece of powers an inclusive future. These six icons include minority owned businesses, charitable donation, inclusive community collaborations, recyclable material, socially conscious, and sustainability. Make an impact by making a purchase at the Cisco Store as our entire assortment powers an inclusive future!

 

Engage with the Cisco Store

We are counting down the days until we welcome you at Cisco Live Amsterdam! We appreciate each one of our customers, so please come say hi! There are multiple ways you can stay engaged during the show.

1.     Follow us on social @ciscostore (Instagram, Twitter), @ciscomerchandisestore (Facebook)

2.     Tag us in any pictures!

3.     Come visit Cisco Press and attend Meet the Author Sessions from 2-3pm Tuesday and Wednesday

4.     Donate to Voedselbanken on behalf of the Cisco Store at our donation tower

5.     Participate in our giveaway (we promise this is a good one). There are more details to come but it is available to all our online and in-person shoppers!

6.     Sign up for a tech tour here

7.     Join Cisco Store rewards

8.     Try out our virtual photo booth

9.     Take our event survey so we can make next year even better

 

We are so excited to see you so soon! Constant updates will be provided on our social channels and at merchandise.cisco.com. We are ALL IN!

Cisco Live 2022: Know Before You Go Guide

Cisco Live 2022 is only a few days away! We are back this year better than ever before. Attendees (in-person and online) have an exciting experience awaiting them, full of new merchandise and innovative technology! You can expect opportunities to shop all collections, learn how the Cisco Tech Lab comes to life, and give back to one of three amazing charities. Read through our Know Before You Go Guide to be fully equipped for what to expect at the show! We hope to see you there.

 

Shop exclusive merchandise

Who doesn’t love to shop? We got you covered! This year at Cisco Live we have three brand new collections launching at the event. Grab them first by swinging by our booth Sunday-Thursday! That’s not all. We will have a wide array of options to make sure you find exactly what you need. If you are not able to be at the show, all of these fantastic pieces are readily available online today for you to take full advantage of the experience.

 

Learn how to make hybrid work, work better

Our Cisco Tech Lab is back, with more features and opportunities to see the retail ecosystem in action with the help of our ecosystem partners. A few you can be excited to interact with are our new Meraki MT30 smart button, Everyangle visual insights, Keonn’s Smart Fitting Room, Cisco DNA Spaces, Square POS systems, Fankave social media listening, Smirrl, Sato RFID printing, SES Imagotag, and our personal Cisco Store Xplorer AR app. Our Tech Expert, Brian Domine, will be on site ready to show you the technology first-hand and answer any questions you may have.

If you are interested in a deep dive of our entire tech stack, sign up for a tech tour here. We will take you through various retail use cases and demonstrate the how the technology makes an impact in our store retail experience.

 

Impact through our inclusive future initiatives

Cisco’s purpose is to power an inclusive future for all. At the Cisco Store, we took this initiative in as a priority and now you have the opportunity to experience it at Cisco Live! First, you will be able to round-up your purchase at checkout or make a separate donation to one of three charities, Replate, Solar Sister, and Seacology. These organizations all help influence our environment positively and sustainably.

Along with this, we will have our inclusive future collaborations readily available for you to find what speaks to you. From our newest CAAN collaboration all about strength in community to our Women of Cisco merchandise all about allowing women and their allies to be confident in the workplace. Additionally, we will have a large variety of Pride merchandise, honoring Pride Month, focused on encouraging all to be 100% themselves. All purchases of these community pieces go to support a fund chosen by the community that they believe supports what theri mission stands for. This also applies online! Learn more and make an impact this Cisco Live 2022.

 

Engage with the Cisco Store

We are here and counting down the days until we welcome you back! We appreciate each one of our customers, so please come say hi! There are multiple ways you can stay engaged during the show and from at home:

1.     Follow us on social @ciscostore (Instagram, Twitter), @ciscomerchandisestore (Facebook) and tag us in any pictures!

2.     Come visit our Cisco Press, Meet the Author Sessions (6/13 2:00-3:00pm, 6/14 3:00-4:00pm, and 6/15 2:00-3:00pm)

3.     Take advantage of our promotions, especially our spend $150+ and receive a free Cisco Live bag, while supplies last

4.     Donate to one of the three organizations mentioned above

5.     Participate in our giveaway (we promise this is a good one). There are more details to come but it is available to all online and in-person!

6.     Sign up for a tech tour 

7.     Join our loyalty program, which was made possible by Yotpo

8.     Take our event survey so we can make next year even better

 

We are so excited to see you so soon! Constant updates will be provided on our social channels and at merchandise.cisco.com. We are ALL IN!

Get The Best Experience

You are currently on a store that isn’t in your region; to obtain the best shipping prices you may want to change your store.

We’d like to redirect you to your local store.

Please note: changing countries will empty your basket.