Arvind Krishna

Chief Executive Officer
IBM

Arvind Krishna is chief executive officer of IBM. As a business leader and technologist, he has led the building and expansion of new markets for IBM in artificial intelligence, cloud, quantum computing, and blockchain. He has also played a significant role in the development of innovative IBM products and solutions based on these emerging technologies.

Over his 30-year career at IBM, Arvind led a series of bold transformations and delivered proven business results. He most recently led the successful $34 billion acquisition of Red Hat, the largest software acquisition in history and one that has defined the hybrid cloud market.

Arvind previously was senior vice president of Cloud and Cognitive Software. He also headed IBM Research, was general manager of development and manufacturing for IBM Systems and Technology Group, and led IBM Information Management.

Ginni Rometty

Executive Chairman
IBM

Ginni Rometty is Executive Chairman of IBM. She was previously Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer.

During her tenure she made bold changes to reposition IBM for the future, investing in high value segments of the IT market and optimizing the company's portfolio. Under Ginni’s leadership, IBM built out key capabilities in hybrid cloud, security, quantum computing, industry expertise, and data and AI.

Ginni also established IBM as the model of responsible stewardship in the digital age. She was the industry's leading voice on technology ethics and data stewardship, working to safely usher new technologies into society. She enabled people of diverse backgrounds and education levels to participate in the digital economy by building talent, skills and opportunity for disadvantaged populations. IBM also achieved record results in diversity and inclusion under Ginni’s leadership.

Ginni held a series of leadership positions across IBM and led the successful integration of PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting, creating a global team of more than 100,000 business consultants and services experts.

Jim Whitehurst

President
IBM

Jim Whitehurst is the President of IBM. He is responsible for the IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software organization, and Corporate Strategy. He is an advocate for open principles as a catalyst for business innovation. With a background in business development, finance and global operations, he has proven expertise helping companies flourish — even in the most challenging environments.

Prior to IBM, Whitehurst served as the President and CEO of Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of open source enterprise software solutions. At Red Hat, Whitehurst grew its influence with key milestones — including becoming the first $1 billion revenue open source software company in 2012 and, most notably, the landmark acquisition of Red Hat by IBM for $34 billion in 2019. He has grown revenue from more than $500 million for its 2008 fiscal year to $3.4 billion for its 2019 fiscal year.

At Delta Air Lines, Whitehurst drove significant global expansion and, as chief operating officer, oversaw all aspects of airline operations, from sales to strategy. He began his career at The Boston Consulting Group in 1989.

will.i.am

Founder and CEO
I.AM+

will.i.am is a creative innovator and tech investor/entrepreneur who has been recognized by seven Grammys Awards, an Emmy Award, a CLIO Award, theWorld Economic Forum’s Crystal Award, and an honorary Fellowship by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET).

As Founder and CEO of I.AM+, he leads a team focused on artificial intelligence (AI) for enterprise, including Omega for Enterprise, an AI voice computing platform built to be conversational, contextual and cross-domainablefor B2B and B2C settings.

He serves on the World Economic Forum’s Fourth Industrial Revolution Advisory Committee and the organization's Global AI Council. will.i.am and his brands/companies have collaborated with a diverse array of brands including: Accenture, Apple, Atom Bank, Chase, China Everbright New Economy Fund, Coca-Cola, Dr. Pepper, Epic Records, Horizon Ventures, IBM, Intel, Lexus, Marvel, Nestle and Pepsi.

Bridget van Kralingen

Senior Vice President Global Industries, Clients, Platforms & Blockchain
IBM

As Senior Vice President, Bridget van Kralingen leads IBM’s business unit that conceives, develops, and scales disruptive software cloud platforms for specific industries; opens new markets for the Watson artificial intelligence platform; and has established IBM as the clear leader in the emerging market for blockchain.

In parallel, she leads IBM’s top client segment of global enterprises; is accountable for IBM’s global industries – strategy, research, solution development and industry talent; leads the company-wide mission for blockchain; and is responsible for IBM's global strategic partnerships and alliances.

Bridget holds a Masters of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa and Bachelors of Commerce degree from the University of Witwatersrand. Since 2011, Bridget has been listed as one of Fortune Magazine's "50 Most Powerful Women in Business." She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Royal Bank of Canada.

Mark Foster

Senior Vice President
IBM Services

Mark Foster is Senior Vice President, IBM Services. Mark leads IBM’s professional services business, which spans Global Business Services and Global Technology Services – a combined $48 billion business and nearly 240,000 person workforce.

For GBS, Mark leads strategy, client value and business performance for IBM’s consulting, systems integration, digital agency, business process outsourcing and application management services businesses across all industries. Mark also leads GTS, IBM’s infrastructure services business, which includes mobility, resiliency, systems and networking and technology support services. Together, IBM Services professionals partner with leading clients around the world to set enterprise strategy, reinvent business processes with AI, modernize core applications and systems on the cloud and build, run and maintain IT environments.

Dr. Dario Gil

Director of IBM Research
IBM

Dr. Dario Gil is the Director of IBM Research, one of the world’s largest and most influential global corporate research labs - with over 3,000 researchers at 12 laboratories on six continents - advancing the future of computing. Dr. Gil leads innovation efforts at IBM, directing research strategies in Quantum, AI, Hybrid Cloud, Security, Industry Solutions, and Semiconductors and Systems.

Dr. Gil co-chairs the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, a pioneering industrial-academic laboratory with a portfolio of more than 50 projects focused on advancing fundamental AI research. He has also served as COO of IBM Research and the VP of AI and Quantum Computing, leading IBM to be the first company in the world to build programmable quantum computers and make them universally available through the cloud.

Dr. Gil received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from MIT and is a Trustee of the New York Hall of Science.

Imogen Heap

Musician, Producer, Founder, Mycelia For Music

Self-produced British composer and recording artist, Imogen Heap has released five solo albums, another as one half of Frou Frou and collaborated with countless artists. Her compositions and songs pop up in films and tv, are featured in various music genres and covered by the likes of Ariana Grande. As composer and arranger for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, she won the Drama Desk Outstanding Music in a Play award. Heap hosted 2020’s Grammys Premiere Ceremony and attracts companies for commissioned works, leading to songs such as Tiny Human, and The Happy Song. An artists’ artist, Heap has won two Grammys and an Ivor Novello award. A pioneering of work at the intersection of music and tech, Heap has honorary doctorates for the gestural music-ware 'MI.MU gloves' system and recently for ’The Creative Passport’, an integrated digital ID solution, empowering music makers to be the change toward a fair and flourishing music ecosystem.

Rob Thomas

Senior Vice President
IBM Cloud and Data Platform

Robert D. Thomas is Senior Vice President of IBM Cloud and Data Platform. He directs IBM’s product design and investment strategy, expert labs, global software product development, marketing and field operations across the company’s vast software portfolio.

Rob was previously the General Manager of IBM Data and Watson AI. Under his leadership, IBM has emerged as a leader in data and AI, spanning databases, data integration and governance, business intelligence, financial planning, data science and AI tools, and AI applications. Since joining IBM’s software unit, Rob has held roles of increasing responsibility and overseen 4 acquisitions by the firm, representing over $2.5 billion in transaction value.

Born in Florida, Rob earned his BA in Economics at Vanderbilt University and earned his MBA at the University of Florida, Rob serves on the board of Domus (Stamford, CT), which assists underprivileged children in Fairfield county.