CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

SCHEDULE 14A

Proxy Statement Pursuant to Section 14(a) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (Amendment No. )

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CISCO SYSTEMS, INC.

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Message from our Chairand Chief Executive Officer

Dear Cisco Stockholders:

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to thank you for your investment and trust in Cisco as we focus on making strategic investments in innovation, executing with urgency to capture the opportunities ahead, and driving durable, profitable growth.

Fiscal 2025 represented a defining moment in Cisco’s history. Against the backdrop of a complex environment, we delivered strong financial results and completed the successful integration of Splunk, while delivering world-class innovation at unprecedented speed. Our teams executed with precision, further deepening relationships with customers and partners, while positioning Cisco at the heart of the most significant technology transition of our lifetime – Artificial Intelligence.

Having refreshed almost our entire product portfolio with industry-leading networking systems powered by Cisco Silicon One, AI-native security solutions, and software operating systems, I am incredibly proud of our accomplishments and more confident than ever in our ability to provide the critical infrastructure needed for the AI era.

We delivered $56.7 billion in revenue in fiscal 2025, up 5% year-over-year, and, with subscriptions making up more than half of our revenue and helping to fuel our profitability, we also delivered strong margins and earnings per share. The profitable growth of our business continues to produce strong cash flows, enabling us to return significant value to you. In fiscal 2025, we returned a total of $12.4 billion through dividends and share repurchases, representing 94% of our free cash flow(1). We also delivered solid growth in annualized recurring revenue and remaining performance obligations in fiscal 2025, providing a strong foundation for our future performance.

I invite you to read more about our financial performance in our 2025 Annual Report and to learn more about how we continue to pursue our Purpose—to Power an Inclusive Future for All—by visiting our Purpose Reporting Hub(2) on our website. We remain committed to engaging with our stockholders to gain valuable input on our strategy, compensation, sustainability, and governance practices. In fiscal 2025, we engaged with stockholders representing approximately 61% of Cisco’s shares outstanding at the end of fiscal year.

It is a tremendous honor to lead this company and serve as Chair of the Board. I look forward to your participation in our 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders and encourage you to vote your shares by proxy and submit your questions ahead of this meeting.

Sincerely,

Chuck Robbins

Chair and Chief Executive Officer

(1)See the Appendix for a definition of this non-GAAP measure and a reconciliation to its most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

(2)The content of the Purpose Report, our Purpose Reporting Hub, and related supplemental information are not incorporated by reference into this proxy statement or in any other report or document we file with the SEC.

Notice of Annual Meetingof Stockholders

Items of Business

lTo elect to Cisco’s Board of Directors the following nine nominees presented by the Board: Michael D. Capellas, Mark Garrett, John D. Harris II, Dr. Kristina M. Johnson, Sarah Rae Murphy, Charles H. Robbins, Daniel H. Schulman, Marianna Tessel, and Kevin Weil

lTo approve the amendment and restatement of the Cisco Systems, Inc. 2005 Stock Incentive Plan

lTo vote on a non-binding advisory resolution to approve executive compensation

lTo ratify the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as Cisco’s independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending July 25, 2026

lTo vote upon a proposal submitted by a stockholder, if properly presented at the annual meeting

lTo act upon such other matters as may properly come before the annual meeting or any adjournments or postponements

Virtual Annual Meeting

l We are pleased to provide stockholders with the opportunity to participate in the annual meeting online to facilitate stockholder attendance and to provide a consistent experience to all stockholders regardless of location.

l To participate in the virtual-only annual meeting, including to vote or submit questions, stockholders should go to the meeting website at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CSCO2025, enter the 16-digit control number found on your proxy card, voting instruction form, or Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials, and follow the instructions on the website.

l If your voting instruction form or Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials does not indicate that you may vote those shares through the www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/CSCO2025 website and it does not include a 16‑digit control number, you should contact your bank, broker, or other nominee to obtain a “legal proxy” in order to be able to attend, participate in, and vote at the annual meeting.

l Additional information regarding the virtual annual meeting can be found in the “Other Important Information About the Meeting” section on page 92.

Proxy Voting

Whether or not you participate in the annual meeting, it is important that your shares be part of the voting process. Please refer to the section entitled “Other Important Information About the Meeting” on page 92 of the Proxy Statement for a detailed description of how to vote in advance of the meeting.

Mailing Address of Corporate Headquarters

170 West Tasman Drive, San Jose, California 95134

By Order of the Board of Directors

Evan Sloves

Secretary