Arvind Krishna
Chairman and CEO
2020 – Present
6 years (current)
Key Decisions & Impact
Arvind Krishna assumed the CEO role with a clear mandate: complete the pivot from services to hybrid cloud and AI. He spun off the Kyndryl managed infrastructure business (2021) to shed low-margin services revenue and sharpen IBM's focus. He launched watsonx as IBM's enterprise AI platform. He continued aggressive tuck-in acquisitions (Apptio, Turbonomic, HashiCorp) to build the hybrid cloud platform. Under Krishna, IBM's stock has more than doubled and the company returned to revenue growth after nearly a decade of decline. The strategic clarity of his tenure contrasts sharply with the unfocused period that preceded it.
Legacy
His steady guidance provides the vital operational bridge required to merge physical engineering brilliance with modern digital strategy. By recognizing the existential threat posed by specialized tech competitors, he pivoted the organization toward a seamless omnichannel software strategy that continues to drive record-breaking returns in the modern hybrid cloud era. His strategic focus on cloud scalability ensures the conglomerate will thrive well into the next century of enterprise software innovation.