On May 6, 2025, AmCham hosted a Young Professional Company Visit with Cisco and Reconext centered around sustainability and circularity, with a focus on technology in those areas. Event attendees heard about each company's work from Sander ten Hoedt, Account Executive Team Lead at Cisco and Hugo Wentzel, Global Account Director at Reconext, before engaging in a tabletop simulation that focused on resources and behaviour. Afterwards, guests were able to take a tour of the Reconext facilities.
In the first presentation, Sander ten Hoedt presented Cisco’s bold ambition to achieve net zero emissions across its entire value chain by 2040. He shared how Cisco has embedded sustainability into its core strategy, focusing on energy-efficient data centers, smart building solutions, and transitioning to circular product design by 2025. He explained that Cisco is not only transforming its own operations, but also enabling customers to reduce their carbon footprint through sustainable technology.
In the second presentation of the day, Hugo Wentzel highlighted how Reconext is directly supporting Cisco’s circular business model. From managing demo and loan logistics, to handling reverse logistics and executing Cisco Refresh both in the Netherlands as well as from Hong Kong facilities. Hugo also explained how Reconext continues to play a vital role in extending the lifecycle of IT equipment and reducing environmental impact. These services enable Cisco to close the loop and scale its sustainability goals globally.
The visit was a great example of how collaboration between partners can turn sustainability strategies into tangible action, reducing waste, increasing reuse, and driving climate accountability across the tech industry.
