"The only way you survive is you continuously transform into something else. It's this idea of continuous transformation that makes you an innovation company."
This week's quote is by an American business executive who served as an executive chairman of IBM after stepping down as CEO on April 1, 2020 - Ginni Rometty
Previously, she served as the chairman, president, and CEO of IBM, becoming the first woman to head the company.
During her era as the CEO, Ginni led IBM through the most significant transformation in the company's history. She led the company's reinvention to the new era of AI, blockchain, cybersecurity and quantum technologies which were all delivered on IBM's enterprise-strength cloud platform. Due to that initiative, IBM is the world leader in AI and cloud computing for business today.
IBM was the first to publish long-held principles of trust for data transparency, responsibility and AI. This is just one of the examples how throughout her reign Ginni has ensured that new technologies are developed and deployed in a way that is ethical and constantly happening.
Ginni's idea of continuous transformation includes developing in all fronts of the organisation. Under her leadership, a "returnships" program was launched which extended parental leave, making it easier for women to return to work with hands-on work experience and technology. For this initiative, IBM won the prestigious Catalyst Award in 2018 and it is the only tech company to have earned this recognition in the past 20 years and won it four times.
Ginni is known as the Trailblazing Tech Icon. It is not only because she understood the importance of continuous transformation within a company but in addition to that she also understood and ensured that the society is prepared for this new era of data.
This includes equipping the workers for technology fields that do not always require a bachelor's degree. IBM created Pathways in Technology (P-Tech). It is a six-year program that prepares students for success in a technology career. It combines high school with community college degrees, mentoring, and internships. There are approximately 120 schools worldwide that are bringing technology opportunities to multiple students with the help of this program.
At DDSN we resonate with Ginni's passion and the idea of continuously transforming to be able to become an innovative company. The Tech industry is ever-changing and every day there is a new innovation. Of course, not all trends are meant to be followed. But it's important to assess the needs of your target customers to successfully survive the era of change. It is risky, but if you are able to anticipate what's coming next before everyone else, you can successfully lead the transformation.
Today's Quote
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Who is Ginny Rometty?
Ginny Rometty is an American business executive who served as the CEO and executive chairman of IBM.
She first joined IBM as a systems engineer in 1981 and subsequently headed global sales, marketing, and strategy. As the General Manager of IBM's global services division in 2002, she helped negotiate IBM's purchase of PwC's IT consulting business. As CEO, she focused IBM on analytics, cloud computing, and cognitive computing systems.
She retired from IBM on December 31, 2020, after a near-40 year career.
During her tenure as the CEO, she won multiple noteworthy awards like Bloomberg's 50 Most Influential People in the World, Fortune's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business", Time's "20 Most Important People in Tech" and Forbes' "America's Top 50 Women In Tech."
Her tenure has also been known for fierce criticism relating to executive compensation bonuses, layoffs, outsourcing, and presiding over 24 consecutive quarters of revenue decline.
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