Cisco Systems chairman to headline economic summit at MSU-Billings

Delegation, Governor, EDAG, Say John Morgridge To Keynote Jobs Conference

(BILLINGS) –The business executive who transformed Cisco Systems into the worldwide leader in Internet networking will headline the 2003 Economic Development Summit in Billings.

U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Conrad Burns, U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, Montana Governor Judy Martz, and the Economic Development Action Group today announced John P. Morgridge will be the keynote speaker at the jobs summit they will co-host in Billings on May 28 and 29.

Morgridge started with Cisco Systems in 1988 and as then-president and CEO is credited with boosting Cisco’s sales from $5 million annually to more than $1 billion, and expanding Cisco from 34 employees to more than 2,260 employees during his tenure. Today, the company has more than $18 billion in revenues with nearly 36,000 employees. Morgridge turned Cisco into a publicly traded company in 1990 and was appointed its chairman in 1995.

Cisco’s Internet networking is the “foundation of the Internet” and provides solutions for transporting data, voice and video communications.

At the jobs Summit, Morgridge is expected to highlight the role of education in attracting and expanding businesses.

“We’re very pleased to have John share his knowledge of education in business recruitment and development,” the delegation and the Governor said in a joint statement. “John has done incredible things for Cisco. He helped make the company what it is today. We’re committed to working together to create more good-paying jobs in Montana. John can help us boost our economy and ensure our kids can stay here to raise their families.”

As chairman of Cisco, Morgridge spends much of his time on the company’s education and government initiatives. He also teaches part time at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Morgridge travels around the world to visit corporations and universities and speaks on company start-up and management strategies.

Morgridge holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Wisconsin, as well as a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University.

Morgridge will address the conference on May 28, at 9:30 a.m. in the Alterowitz Gymnasium at MSU-Billings. To learn more about John P. Morgridge and Cisco Systems, please visit http://www.Cisco.com.

Along with the Governor’s Office of Economic Opportunity and the Economic Development Action Group, Martz, Baucus, Burns and Rehberg are working together to organize the May summit in Billings. The 2003 summit will focus on business recruitment, business retention and “clustering.” Speakers, panels, and breakout discussions will focus on attracting new businesses and creating more jobs in Montana.

The 2003 summit follows 2000 and 2001 economic summits, which drew 1,000 and 1,300 participants, respectively, from around the state and country to Great Falls. Recent additions to the list of cosponsors include Wells Fargo Bank and Qwest Communications.

The Montana Economic Development Summit is free and open to the public, but people are asked to register in advance by visiting http://www.MontanaJobs.org or calling (406) 256-6871.