Chris Gow
Cisco Senior Director for EU Public Policy; represents US Big Tech on the regulatory panel at the Brussels sovereignty summit.
Last refreshed: 23 April 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
How does Cisco maintain European market access while EU sovereignty rules tighten around US tech?
Timeline for Chris Gow
Participated in regulatory panel at the summit
European Tech Sovereignty: Brussels sovereignty summit opens without European AI builders- What is Cisco's role in European digital sovereignty policy?
- Cisco, the US networking and security company, engages actively in EU digital policy through representatives like Senior Director for EU Public Policy Chris Gow. Its networking infrastructure is embedded in European government and enterprise systems, giving it a direct stake in sovereignty regulation drafting.Source: Sovereign Tech Europe programme
Background
Chris Gow is Senior Director for EU Public Policy at Cisco, the US networking and cybersecurity company. He participates in the regulatory panel at the inaugural Sovereign Tech Europe summit in Brussels on 23 April 2026, alongside MEP Aura Salla (rapporteur for the Digital Omnibus Regulation) and Zscaler's Casper Klynge .
As Cisco's EU policy lead, Gow navigates a structural tension: Cisco's networking and security infrastructure is embedded in European enterprise and government networks at significant scale, while European sovereignty frameworks increasingly seek to reduce dependency on US technology companies. The Digital Markets Act, AI Act, and Cloud and AI Development Act all create compliance obligations that Cisco must adapt to, while retaining commercial access to EU procurement markets.
His presence on the regulatory panel reflects the broader pattern at Sovereign Tech Europe: US-headquartered technology companies with significant European market share participate in the policy debate alongside European regulators and cloud providers. Cisco's policy engagement in Brussels is consistent with its approach across major digital regulatory processes, where early industry input is preferable to late-stage compliance mandates.
