John Chambers Connects at City National Bank Investment Conference

The Investment Conference hosted by City National Bank for its top clients last Thursday, October 2 at The Beverly Hills Hotel was a well produced, entertaining, educational program. Some of the speakers included the chiasmic Chairman and CEO Russell Goldsmith and the witty Chief Investment Officer Richard Weiss, political pundits Arianna Huffington and Mike Murphy and other notables.

But, by far the most electrifying speaker was John Chambers, Chairman and CEO, CISCO Systems, Inc. Whereas all of the previous speakers stood stationary behind the lectern, Chambers began from center stage, moving to his right and left as he made his introductory comments. Within a few minutes he jumped off of the stage and began moving around the room pausing to speak to individual tables.

By the conclusion of his 45-minute speech “Technology: The Coming Wave of This Global Business Transformation” he had stopped several times at each of the more than 100 tables to speak to each of the eight attendees at the table. He addressed me at least six times, each time for about 3-4 seconds. Talk about eye connection, this was one of the finest examples I’ve seen.

In addition to his extraordinary ability to connect with the audience, Chambers had excellent vocal quality, devoid, thankfully, of fillers (“uh”). Add an amazing knowledge of the future of technology and you have one powerful speaker in John Chambers.  

As the audience emptied the room, the conversation wasn’t about investing, the financial mess or politics, it was about the near deliriously positive impact that Chambers had on them.