Reclaiming Time, Redefining Work

Time: The Ultimate Currency

“You know what a billionaire can't buy? One second of time.”

Paul Chapman, Vice President of Business Strategy, has reframed how Cisco measures productivity. It's not just about squeezing more out of employees; it's about giving them back what’s irreplaceable: time. For Chapman, this is where artificial intelligence comes in.

In his words, the goal is “to give people back the gift of time through a shift to hyper-productivity.” This ambition underpins Cisco's internal strategy and customer-facing AI innovations. It is a north star for Chapman, who views AI as the vehicle not just for efficiency but for meaningful change in how people work.

Customer Zero: Learning Through Use

Before leading business strategy at Cisco, Chapman served as CIO at companies like Box and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. His recurring philosophy? Be your own best customer.

“I’ve always believed in being customer zero. If you’re not the first, best customer of your own stuff, you’re kind of missing the point.”

At Cisco, this approach involves testing AI internally before introducing it to the market. It also creates a deep well of insights from which to share with clients. Chapman’s role now bridges those internal lessons with external guidance, helping customers navigate the same terrain.

“Today, I'm in a role where I bring that outside-in, CIO view into Cisco… and share what we're learning in terms of hybrid work and the future of work.”

Reimagining the Workspace with AI

As Cisco redefines the way its own people work, Chapman has focused on both software and real estate.

“I spend a lot of time talking to customers about the digitalization of real estate, smart buildings, and smart building technology,” he notes. “The amount of sensors and intelligence we can now get from buildings in terms of how they're being used helps us make smart decisions around how we think about sustainability.”

AI's role here is about awareness and responsiveness. By embedding intelligence into physical workspaces, Cisco can monitor usage patterns, energy consumption, and occupancy, which inform smarter, more flexible office design. That ties directly into Chapman’s rethinking of what the office should be.

“The office has to be a magnet, not a mandate,” he says, describing how workspaces should entice people to return with purpose. “If I show up to the office and nobody else is there, and I just end up on Zoom calls all day, I’m never going back.”

Beyond physical space, Cisco is investing in AI-powered tools that enhance remote and hybrid collaboration. Chapman describes innovations that make meetings more inclusive and intelligent. These capabilities aim to create parity between in-person and remote attendees. AI here plays both host and translator, handling audio optimization, summarizing discussions, and helping participants focus on the substance rather than the mechanics.

CIOs Must Lead from the Front

Chapman makes no bones about it: the modern CIO must think and act differently.

“CIOs are expected to be disruptive, and failure is the currency of risk,” he says. “All too often, the CIO behaves in a very conservative way, but that's not how they're measured and what’s expected of them.”

In the context of AI and productivity, this means embracing calculated experimentation. It also requires collaboration across departments, especially with HR and facilities leaders, to create a coherent employee experience that ties together space, technology, and work culture.

He believes organizations should shift their focus from tools to outcomes. That shift in mindset is essential to unlocking AI’s potential.

Bridging Physical and Digital Worlds

Chapman reiterates that it’s not about chasing the next shiny object. AI alone won’t deliver hyper-productivity without alignment on goals and metrics. This means starting by asking: What do we want our people to experience? How do we reduce cognitive overload? Where can we automate mundane tasks to free up capacity for creative or strategic work? Only then should tools be brought in. AI becomes the enabler rather than the destination.

Chapman also sees a unique convergence of physical and digital experiences enabled by AI. Whether it's through smart sensors in a conference room or machine learning models embedded in collaboration platforms, Cisco’s strategy is to unite both worlds. 

He views this convergence as not just a technological shift but a cultural one. Workplaces must now be designed for flexibility, inclusivity, and resilience. AI is simply what makes that possible.

Looking Ahead

In the end, all of these efforts ladder back to Chapman’s original point: reclaiming time. When Cisco deploys AI to optimize office usage, automate note-taking, or enhance collaboration, the real win isn’t just operational efficiency. It’s emotional and cognitive relief. Employees feel more in control. They spend less time on logistics and more time on impact.

This isn't just theory for Chapman; it's a mission. “If we can give people back the gift of time… we're going to see a huge fundamental paradigm shift in how we operate.” It’s a bold claim, but coming from someone who has spent decades leading IT and business strategy at scale, it lands as both visionary and grounded.