Striving for Sustainability: Meet Christopher

This blog is part of our focus on Cisco employees who are “Striving for Sustainability” by finding opportunities to integrate sustainability in their day-to-day work.

After years in services and business development, Christopher Weiland charted a new path — applying his technology expertise to drive sustainability innovation at Cisco. Much like the trails he rides in the Colorado backcountry, Weiland is a trailblazer — helping shape new approaches to product circularity.

Tell us about your journey in technology and the roles you’ve held at Cisco before moving into sustainability.

Christopher: My interest in technology started early — in fact, I was regularly pulled out of middle school classes to troubleshoot issues in the school’s computer lab. That interest and technical know-how led me to study industrial engineering, which set the foundation for roles at Microsoft, IBM, and eventually Cisco, which I joined in 2000.

At Cisco, I focused on services and sales, doing some exciting work to help major service provider customers navigate complex networking solutions. After two decades, I began to think about the next phase of my career and started exploring how I could transition from a technology-focused role to one centered on sustainability.

What did that exploration look like and how did you navigate a career shift within Cisco?

Christopher: After having an amazing career in tech at Cisco, I was thrilled to realize that I could explore sustainability within the Cisco community. Initially, I thought I might need a master’s degree in environmental science or that I might have to leave the company to chart a new path. But then I discovered a group of passionate Cisco employees who were supporting sustainability, spanning clean energy, supply chain and circularity — all exciting and impactful efforts. Product circularity in particular caught my attention as an area where my skillset could apply and where I thought I could make a contribution.

So I really embraced Cisco’s three E’s for professional development — Exposure, Education, and Experience. I started reading, taking classes, and connecting with Cisco employees working in this field, even before we had our Chief Sustainability Office. Eventually that led to an opportunity for a stretch assignment and my first foray into sustainability-focused work at Cisco.

I’m now focused on circularity — helping to maximize the lifespan of Cisco technology with better processes for product reuse and responsible recycling.

Circularity is an important focus at Cisco. Can you explain what it means and why it’s important?

Christopher: Within Cisco’s environmental sustainability strategy, the Plan for the Possible, one of our three priorities is evolving our business to a circular model.

That means keeping products in use for as long as possible — through reuse, refurbishment, and responsible recycling. Circularity is all about extending the life of technology, reducing waste, and minimizing the need for new raw materials.

We take a holistic approach, covering the entire product life cycle. First, we focus on circular design, which means improving product design for durability and reusability. And that’s top to bottom — from the products themselves to the packaging they come in. Second, we’re creating systems for efficient take-back and product redeployment, and third, we’re developing offerings to support a circular economy. For example, with programs like Cisco Refresh, which sells certified remanufactured equipment, our goal is to enable our customers and partners to adopt circularity.

It sounds like circularity is more than just product design — how do systems and processes play into scaling this effort?

Christopher: Exactly. To scale circularity, we need more than just good product design. We need processes that support efficient take-back, recycling, and reuse.

We’re continuing to investigate ways to do that — gathering insights and exploring ways to develop a scalable approach. There’s an opportunity for us to take an active role in product redeployment, supporting customers who are looking to Cisco to lead the way in product reuse and recycling.

Sustainability at Cisco is a cross-functional practice. How has your prior experience working across teams applied?

Christopher: Many of the skills I developed in my technical and sales roles — like collaborating across teams, aligning business needs with long-term strategy, and problem-solving — translate directly to sustainability initiatives.

Sustainability at Cisco isn’t confined to one team — it requires coordination across multiple business functions. It’s a blend of technical expertise, operational strategy, and relationship-building.

Your commitment to sustainability has been fueled by your passion for the outdoors. Can you share some of your adventures and what you’ve gained from those experiences?

Christopher: I live in Denver, Colorado, and spending time in the natural world is an important part of my life. Skiing, hiking and biking all allow me to connect to nature — and explore my limits. I’m proud to note I competed in the Bailey Hundo four times — an amazing albeit dauting 100-mile mountain bike race with 10,000 feet of elevation gain.

The Colorado Trail holds a special place in my heart — it runs parallel to the Continental Divide, passes through five wilderness areas, and is one of the country’s only long-distance trails that allows bikes. I’ve bikepacked the entire trail — over 550 miles over the course of 20 days.

But beyond the ride and the trail itself, what makes it even more meaningful is the story of how it was created by a group of people who were willing to dream. I’m incredibly inspired by Gudy Gaskill, the “Mother of the Colorado Trail,” who led the all-volunteer effort to create this amazing wilderness route through sheer persistence. She rallied people around a shared vision and kept the project moving forward despite seemingly endless obstacles — physical and bureaucratic.

In many ways, her story mirrors the work being done in sustainability — big change happens through long-term commitment and knocking down roadblocks, step by step. Whether it’s building a wilderness trail along the rugged Continental Divide or shifting an industry toward circularity, it’s about bringing people together, solving problems along the way, and staying focused on the long-term impact.

What advice do you have for Cisco employees to get involved in sustainability?

Christopher: A great way to get involved in sustainability at Cisco is by joining your regional Green Team — these are employee-led groups dedicated to supporting environmental initiatives. I’m active with the Denver Green Team, and it’s been rewarding to see the local impact we can have. We’ve worked on a variety of volunteer projects and community initiatives, including working at an animal sanctuary, wetland remediation, and trail building.

I also encourage anyone interested in sustainability to educate yourself on how  Cisco is driving sustainability impact in our operations and for our customers. A great starting point is our Purpose Reporting Hub. There are insights into our Circular Design program, efficiency goals, and Cisco’s circular offerings, like Cisco Refresh and our no-cost Takeback and Reuse program for end-of-use products. I often say these programs are Cisco’s best kept secrets, and I encourage my colleagues to understand their benefits and to share them with our customers and partners.

I’d also advise people to look at how their skills may transfer to new opportunities. You might be surprised how the skills you’ve developed in other parts of Cisco can pay dividends — whether in sustainability or another area of the business.

What has your journey taught you about driving meaningful change within Cisco?

Christopher: My journey at Cisco has shown me that career growth doesn’t always mean leaving — sometimes, it’s about uncovering new opportunities right where you are.

I’ve also learned that sustainability, like career growth, is a space of constant evolution and opportunity. Cisco has the global reach, influence, and innovation capacity to drive meaningful progress in circularity.

But what resonates with me most is that sustainability requires long-term thinking, persistence, and commitment — just like endurance cycling or trail building.

Big change happens step by step, through dedication, collaboration, and a willingness to adapt along the way.

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