EX-97.1 10 exh971compensationrecovery.htm COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY
Exhibit 97.1
CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.
COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY
(Effective as of October 2, 2023)
1.Purpose
Cisco Systems, Inc. (collectively with its subsidiaries, the “Company”) adopts this Compensation Recovery Policy (this “Policy”) to comply with Section 10D of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Please refer to Exhibit A attached hereto (the “Definitions Exhibit”) for the definitions of capitalized terms used throughout this Policy.
2.Miscalculation of Financial Reporting Measure Results
In the event of a Restatement, the Company will seek to recover, reasonably promptly, all Recoverable Incentive Compensation from all Covered Persons. Such recovery, in the case of a Restatement, will be made without regard to any individual knowledge or responsibility related to the Restatement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company is required to undertake a Restatement, the Company will not be required to recover the Recoverable Incentive Compensation if the Compensation Committee determines it Impracticable to do so, after exercising a normal due process review of all the relevant facts and circumstances.
3.Other Actions
The Compensation Committee may, subject to applicable law, seek recovery in the manner it chooses, including by seeking reimbursement from the Covered Person of all or part of the compensation awarded or paid, by electing to withhold unpaid compensation, by set-off, or by rescinding or canceling unvested stock. In the reasonable exercise of its business judgment under this Policy, the Compensation Committee may in its sole discretion determine whether and to what extent additional action is appropriate to address the circumstances surrounding a Restatement to minimize the likelihood of any recurrence and to impose such other discipline as it deems appropriate.
4.No Indemnification or Reimbursement
Notwithstanding the terms of any other policy, program, agreement, or arrangement, in no event will the Company or any of its affiliates indemnify or reimburse a Covered Person for any loss under this Policy and in no event will the Company or any of its affiliates pay premiums on any insurance policy that would cover a Covered Person’s potential obligations with respect to Recoverable Incentive Compensation under this Policy.
5.Administration of Policy
The Compensation Committee has full authority to administer this Policy, and subject to the provisions of this Policy, Rule 10D-1 of the Exchange Act, and the Company’s applicable exchange listing standards, will make such determinations and interpretations and take such actions in connection with this Policy as it deems necessary, appropriate, or advisable. All determinations and interpretations made by the Compensation Committee are final, binding, and conclusive.
6.Other Claims and Rights
The remedies under this Policy are in addition to, and not in lieu of, any other legal and equitable claims the Company or any of its affiliates may have, including but not limited to any right of repayment, forfeiture, or right of offset against any Covered Person that is required pursuant to any statutory repayment requirement (regardless of whether implemented at any time prior to or following the Effective Date or subsequent amendment of this Policy),

or any actions that may be imposed by law enforcement agencies, regulators, administrative bodies, or other authorities. Further, the exercise by the Compensation Committee of any rights pursuant to this Policy will not impact any other rights that the Company or any of its affiliates may have with respect to any Covered Person subject to this Policy.
7.Acknowledgement by Covered Persons; Condition to Eligibility for Incentive Compensation
The Company will provide notice and seek acknowledgement of this Policy from each Covered Person, provided that the failure to provide such notice or obtain such acknowledgement will have no impact on the applicability or enforceability of this Policy. After the Effective Date, the Company must be in receipt of a Covered Person's acknowledgement as a condition to such Covered Person’s eligibility to receive Incentive Compensation. All Incentive Compensation subject to this Policy is not earned, even if already paid, until the Policy ceases to apply to such Incentive Compensation and any other vesting conditions applicable to such Incentive Compensation are satisfied.
8.Effectiveness
Except as otherwise determined in writing by the Compensation Committee, this Policy applies to any Incentive Compensation that is Received by a Covered Person on or after the Effective Date. Further, as of the Effective Date, this Policy supersedes in its entirety the Company’s Senior Executive Compensation Recoupment Policy (the “Prior Policy”). Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Prior Policy remains in full force and effect as to any compensation that, without the existence, and satisfaction, of conditions as set forth in the Prior Policy, may otherwise be deemed earned prior to the Effective Date. This Policy survives and continues notwithstanding any termination of a Covered Person’s employment with the Company and its affiliates.
9.Successors
This Policy is binding and enforceable against all Covered Persons and their successors, beneficiaries, heirs, executors, administrators, or other legal representatives.

Exhibit A
CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.
COMPENSATION RECOVERY POLICY
DEFINITIONS EXHIBIT
“Applicable Officer” means the Company’s president, principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer (or if there is no such accounting officer, the controller), any vice-president in charge of a principal business unit, division, or function (such as sales, administration, or finance), any other officer who performs a policy-making function, or any other person (including an officer of the Company’s parent(s) or subsidiaries) who performs similar policy-making functions for the Company.
“Applicable Period” means the three completed fiscal years of the Company immediately preceding the earlier of (i) the date the Board, a committee of the Board, or the officer or officers of the Company authorized to take such action if Board action is not required, concludes (or reasonably should have concluded) that a Restatement is required or (ii) the date a court, regulator, or other legally authorized body directs the Company to prepare a Restatement. The “Applicable Period” also includes any transition period (that results from a change in the Company’s fiscal year) within or immediately following the three completed fiscal years identified in the preceding sentence.
“Board” means the Board of Directors of the Company.
“Compensation Committee” means the Company’s committee of independent directors responsible for executive compensation decisions, or in the absence of such a committee, a majority of the independent directors serving on the Board.
“Covered Person” means any person who is, or was at any time, during the Applicable Period, an Applicable Officer of the Company. For the avoidance of doubt, a Covered Person may include a former Applicable Officer that left the Company, retired, or transitioned to an employee role (including after serving as an Applicable Officer in an interim capacity) during the Applicable Period.
“Effective Date” means October 2, 2023.
“Financial Reporting Measure” means a measure that is determined and presented in accordance with the accounting principles used in preparing the Company’s financial statements (including, but not limited to, “non-GAAP” financial measures, such as those appearing in the Company’s earnings releases or Management Discussion and Analysis), and any measure that is derived wholly or in part from such measure. Stock price and total shareholder return (and any measures derived wholly or in part therefrom) shall be considered Financial Reporting Measures. For the avoidance of doubt, a Financial Reporting Measure need not be presented within the Company’s financial statements or included in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Impracticable.” The Compensation Committee may determine in good faith that recovery of Recoverable Incentive Compensation is “Impracticable” if: (i) pursuing such recovery would violate home country law of the jurisdiction of incorporation of the Company where that law was adopted prior to November 28, 2022 and the Company provides an opinion of home country counsel to that effect acceptable to the Company’s applicable listing exchange; (ii) the direct expense paid to a third party to assist in enforcing this Policy would exceed the Recoverable Incentive Compensation and the Company has (A) made a reasonable attempt to recover such amounts and (B) provided documentation of such attempts to recover to the Company’s applicable listing exchange; or (iii) recovery would likely cause an otherwise tax-qualified retirement plan, under which benefits are broadly available to employees of the Company, to fail to meet the requirements of Section 401(a)(13) or Section 411(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

“Incentive Compensation” means any compensation that is granted, earned, or vested based wholly or in part upon the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure. Incentive Compensation does not include any base salaries (except with respect to any salary increases earned wholly or in part based on the attainment of a Financial Reporting Measure performance goal); bonuses paid solely at the discretion of the Compensation Committee or Board that are not paid from a bonus pool that is determined by satisfying a Financial Reporting Measure performance goal; bonuses paid solely upon satisfying one or more subjective standards and/or completion of a specified employment period; non-equity incentive plan awards earned solely upon satisfying one or more strategic measures or operational measures; and equity awards that vest solely based on the passage of time and/or attaining one or more non-Financial Reporting Measures.
“Received.” Incentive Compensation is deemed “Received” in the Company’s fiscal period during which the Financial Reporting Measure specified in the Incentive Compensation award is attained, even if the payment or grant of the Incentive Compensation occurs after the end of that period.
“Recoverable Incentive Compensation” means the amount of any Incentive Compensation (calculated on a pre-tax basis) Received by a Covered Person during the Applicable Period that is in excess of the amount that otherwise would have been Received if the calculation were based on the Restatement. For the avoidance of doubt, Recoverable Incentive Compensation does not include any Incentive Compensation Received by a person (i) before such person began service in a position or capacity meeting the definition of an Applicable Officer, (ii) who did not serve as an Applicable Officer at any time during the performance period for that Incentive Compensation, or (iii) during any period the Company did not have a class of its securities listed on a national securities exchange or a national securities association. For Incentive Compensation based on (or derived from) stock price or total shareholder return where the amount of Recoverable Incentive Compensation is not subject to mathematical recalculation directly from the information in the applicable Restatement, the amount will be determined by the Compensation Committee based on a reasonable estimate of the effect of the Restatement on the stock price or total shareholder return upon which the Incentive Compensation was Received (in which case, the Company will maintain documentation of such determination of that reasonable estimate and provide such documentation to the Company’s applicable listing exchange).
“Restatement” means an accounting restatement of any of the Company’s financial statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Exchange Act, or the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, due to the Company’s material noncompliance with any financial reporting requirement under U.S. securities laws, regardless of whether the Company or Covered Person misconduct was the cause for such restatement. “Restatement” includes any required accounting restatement to correct an error in previously issued financial statements that is material to the previously issued financial statements (commonly referred to as “Big R” restatements), or that would result in a material misstatement if the error were corrected in the current period or left uncorrected in the current period (commonly referred to as “little r” restatements).