Chambers, John Thomas (1949– )

US business executive who built up technology company Cisco Systems into the world's largest manufacturer of Internet networking equipment. In January 2003, Chambers was voted ‘America's best CEO’ by Institutional Investor magazine. In October of the same year, he was voted ‘most influential person in communications’ by readers of UK magazine Total Telecom. Cisco has been rated by Fortune magazine, for seven years, as one of the 100 Best Places to Work.

Chambers joined Cisco in 1991 as vice-president of worldwide sales and operations, and was then appointed executive vice-president in 1993 and president and chief executive officer in 1995. He rapidly expanded Cisco by using its stock to make over 50 acquisitions, giving his mergers and acquisitions team a reputation for integrating new companies. This strategy secured both the top talent and technology know-how, as many companies were high-tech start-ups. His financial reporting is said to work like clockwork, since all aspects of his business practice are Web managed, and his customer focus is said to be fanatical.

Chambers was born in Cleveland, Ohio, shortly before his parents, who were both doctors, moved the family back to Charleston in their native West Virginia. Although dyslexic, he graduated from West Virginia University with a BS/BA (business administration) and a JD (law degree), and in 1974 from Indiana University with an MBA in finance and management. He spent six years in sales management at IBM before joining Wang for eight years, the last two as vice-president of US operations where he was forced to make 5,000 people redundant.

He is vice chairman of President George W Bush's National Infrastructure Advisory Council and was a member of former president Bill Clinton's Committee for Trade Policy. Chambers has received numerous awards, including the Smithsonian Lifetime Achievement award and the Distinguished Industry Leader award from the IEEE.

Chambers established the first chair in Internet Systems at the Kelley School of Business. He is also involved in initiatives to put high-speed Internet access and networks into schools, and has helped to create a network for Kosovan refugees to contact their relatives.