Cisco CEO Robbins Received $48.5 Million in Fiscal 2026; Board Opposes Two Shareholder Proposals

Cisco Systems Chair and CEO Chuck Robbins received total compensation of $48,527,813 in fiscal 2026, down from $52,838,751 a year earlier, according to the company's proxy statement filed Thursday ahead of its Dec. 15 annual meeting.

The networking giant will hold the meeting online only, starting at 8:00 a.m. Pacific Time on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Shareholders of record as of Oct. 16 are entitled to vote, and the proxy materials were first sent on or about Oct. 29, the filing said.

What's on the ballot

Shareholders will vote on five items. They will elect ten directors: Michael D. Capellas, Mark Garrett, John D. Harris II, Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, Sarah Rae Murphy, Girish D. Rishi, Charles H. Robbins, Peter A. Shimer, Marianna Tessel and Kevin Weil. They will also cast a non-binding advisory vote on executive pay and vote to ratify PricewaterhouseCoopers as the independent auditor for the fiscal year ending July 31, 2027.

The board recommends a vote for each director, for the pay resolution and for the auditor. Each item needs a majority of votes cast.

How Robbins was paid

Robbins' fiscal 2026 package included a $1,390,000 salary, $39,040,851 in stock awards, $6,685,900 in non-equity incentive pay and $1,411,062 in other compensation, according to the summary compensation table. The proxy also shows a figure of $41,287,067 for his pay as adjusted for alternative stock award values.

His reported total compares with $223,675 for Cisco's median employee, who is located in Canada, a ratio of 217 to 1.

Among other named executives, President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel received $20,684,878, and Chief Financial Officer Mark Patterson received $15,894,328.

Two shareholder proposals

The board recommends voting against both shareholder proposals.

The first, from the Bahnsen Family Trust, asks Cisco to evaluate and report within a year on the benefits, costs and legal, reputational and competitive risks of its charitable support. Cisco said its giving programs are community-focused, inclusive and already subject to board oversight and public disclosure.

The second, led by Azzad Asset Management with co-filers, asks the board to commission an independent third-party human rights impact assessment covering high-risk customers and end uses, including surveillance, military, intelligence and immigration enforcement. Cisco said it already conducts risk-based human rights due diligence under its Global Human Rights Policy and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.

By the numbers

• $48.5 million: Robbins' fiscal 2026 total compensation
• 217 to 1: CEO-to-median-employee pay ratio
• 10: director nominees
• 2: shareholder proposals, both opposed by the board
• Dec. 15: virtual annual meeting date

Sources

1. Cisco Systems definitive proxy statement (Form DEF 14A) for 2026 annual meeting, filed Oct. 29, 2026 (accession 0001308179-26-000439)

This article is for informational and educational purposes only and is not investment advice. It is not a recommendation to buy or sell any security.

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