Cisco Sanchez grew up in Colorado, where family and focus shaped his approach to life. He’s always been curious — the kind of person who wanted to know how things work, not just use them. That mindset carried him from East High School in Pueblo to Colorado State University, and later to Colorado Technical University for his master’s degree.
But Cisco’s real education began at FedEx, where he started as an intern. Over 25 years, he worked his way up to Chief Information Officer for FedEx Ground. He led large-scale teams and helped modernize the company’s technology from the inside out.
He later became Global CIO at Qualcomm, overseeing 3,500+ team members across the world. He focused on cloud strategy, AI integration, and building systems that actually work — not just sound impressive.
In 2025, Cisco joined XOPS as Chief Product and Engineering Officer, helping lead next-gen enterprise tech with clarity and purpose. He’s known for asking hard questions, staying close to the work, and building teams that deliver.
Outside of work, Cisco loves old cars, science, and spending time with his family. He also serves on the board of the Fleet Science Center, supporting STEM education.
“Tech means nothing if it doesn’t help people,” he says. “Execution is everything.”
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My days are built around rhythm. Mornings start early — I like quiet time to scan market and tech news, then I dive into focused work before meetings begin. I block time for strategy, 1:1s, and team discussions. I’m strict about protecting “builder time” during the day — no distractions, no multi-tasking. It keeps me grounded.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Ideas get traction when they’re stress-tested. I try to validate them through people closest to the problem. In my time at FedEx and now at XOPS, the best ideas didn’t come from slides — they came from engineers, operators, or customers. I map them, challenge them, and then we build small. Prototypes over PowerPoints.
What’s one trend that excites you?
I’m really focused on responsible AI — not just the tools, but how we integrate them into systems without losing human judgment. The tension between automation and accountability is where the most important work is happening.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
I always take 15 minutes at the end of the day to review what worked and what didn’t. It’s not about journaling. It’s simple reflection: Where did I move the ball forward? Where did I create confusion? It helps me show up better the next day.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t mistake busyness for value. When I was coming up at FedEx, I said yes to everything. It made me reliable, but not always strategic. Eventually, I learned that focus creates more impact than volume.
Tell us something you believe almost nobody agrees with you on?
I think some of the best leaders aren’t charismatic. They’re often the quiet ones in the room who listen more than they speak. Charisma fades; consistency doesn’t.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I walk my team through the “why” behind the work — constantly. It’s easy to assume people understand purpose, but most of the time, they’re buried in execution. When people understand how their work ties into outcomes, they perform better.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
I get up from my desk and go outside. I work in tech, but I don’t solve tech problems at my laptop. I think better when I’m in motion. Even 10 minutes outside clears the fog.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
I never stopped being close to the work. As a CIO and now Chief Product Officer, I still dive into architecture, code reviews, or ops calls when needed. It builds trust. People respect leaders who understand the gears — not just the steering wheel.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Early in my leadership career, I greenlit a data platform project that had solid specs but lacked clarity on the user side. We delivered it on time — and it barely got used. It taught me that stakeholder alignment beats technical perfection. We rebuilt it with the users, and it actually worked.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
A reverse mentoring network for AI and automation. Senior leaders pair with junior engineers or data scientists to exchange views — tech for strategy, and vice versa. It breaks silos and improves how decisions are made.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
I use almost every AI tool to help journal, understand new areas, capture project notes, or ideate on the next major thing. It’s not about the tool — it’s about having a “second brain” to stay organized and accountable.
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I go back to The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz. It’s not polished, but it’s honest — especially about the emotional part of leading. Love listening to The Tech Whisperer by Dan Roberts as it also gives me different perspectives from other technology leaders.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
The Bear on FX. It’s messy, high-pressure, and about leading under stress. It reminds me a lot of big tech turnarounds — the moments when culture and systems break down and have to be rebuilt in real time.
Key learnings
- Clarity beats complexity. Good leadership starts with helping people understand the “why” behind their work.
- Stay close to the work. Leaders who understand systems can make better decisions and build trust across teams.
- Reflection is a force multiplier. Taking time to analyze your own day helps improve long-term focus and effectiveness.
- Responsible AI is about balance. Technology should enable decision-making, not replace it.
- Failure isn’t the issue — detachment is. Projects that ignore the end-user tend to fail, no matter how well-engineered they are.