In celebration of McIntire’s 100th anniversary in 2021, this special webinar edition of our Centennial Speaker Series features a thought-provoking conversation between John Chambers, Former Executive Chairman and CEO at Cisco, and current Founder and CEO at JC2 Ventures, and pioneering digital media entrepreneur Rebecca Weeks Watson (McIntire ’01), Founder and Producer of The Reveal Co. Students from McIntire Professor Eric Martin’s “Managing Innovation” class also participate in the conversation by facilitating a virtual Q&A between Chambers, Watson, and McIntire alumni around the world.

When John Chambers joined Cisco in 1991, it was a company with 400 employees, a single product, and about $70 million in revenue. When he stepped down as CEO in 2015, he left a $47 billion tech giant that was the backbone of the internet and a leader in areas from cybersecurity to data center convergence. Along the way, he led Cisco through the acquisition of 180 companies and turned more than 10,000 employees into millionaires. Widely recognized as an innovator, an industry leader, and one of the world's best CEOs, Chambers is now investing in a new generation of game-changing startups, as the Founder and CEO of JC2 Ventures, helping founders become great leaders and scale their companies.

Rebecca Weeks Watson, McIntire ’01, is a digital media producer and entrepreneur who has been awarded two U.S. patents. After starting her career in finance and then consulting for Match.com, she pursued her interest in the startup world. She was on the founding team and led business development for two marketing technology companies, one of which was acquired by Meredith Corporation. She has spoken at 50 conferences nationwide, enjoys lecturing at the McIntire School, and this fall will teach a course on lean startups at Davidson College. Rebecca founded a groundbreaking interview series called "The Reveal," which uncovers the personal stories of world-class leaders. Rebecca graduated with distinction from the McIntire School and was chosen for the Women’s Leadership Development Award.