IBM vs Visa: Founders, CEOs and History
IBM was founded in 1911 by Charles Ranlett Flint and is led by Arvind Krishna. Visa was founded in 1958 by Dee Hock and is led by Ryan McInerney.
Company facts
Founders
IBM
Charles Ranlett Flint
IBM possesses the most historic, foundational founding story in the entire history of modern computing, tracing its corporate lineage back to the genesis of data processing in the late 19th century and the aggressive, well-known leadership of a single, strong…
Visa
Dee Hock
Dee Hock (1929-2022) was the founding CEO of National BankAmericard Inc., the bank-owned company that took over the BankAmericard licensing system from Bank of America in 1970 and adopted the Visa name in 1976.
CEOs and their tenures
IBM
- Louis V. Gerstner Jr.1993–2002
Chairman and CEO
Gerstner was the first IBM CEO hired from outside the company, coming from RJR Nabisco and American Express. He cut costs, cut mainframe prices, kept the company whole, and grew services into IBM's largest business.
Source - Samuel J. Palmisano2002–2011
Chairman, President and CEO
IBM focused on higher-margin services and software during his tenure. Ginni Rometty succeeded him in 2012.
Source - Virginia M. Rometty2012–2020
Chairman, President and CEO
IBM sold or exited lower-margin businesses under Rometty and bought Red Hat for about $34 billion. Arvind Krishna succeeded her in 2020.
Source - James J. Kavanaugh2018–present
Senior Vice President, Finance and Operations, and Chief Financial Officer
Kavanaugh is IBM's main voice on free cash flow targets, which reached $14.7 billion in FY2025.
Source - Arvind Krishna2020–present
Chairman and CEO
Krishna, a long-time IBM Research and software executive, led the Red Hat acquisition before becoming CEO.
Source
Visa
- Alfred F. Kelly Jr.2016–2023
Chief Executive Officer
Serving as CEO from 2016 to 2023, he heavily modernized the massive legacy network, aggressively integrating fintechs and preparing the network to process highly complex cryptocurrency transactions.
Source - Ryan McInerney2023–present
Chief Executive Officer
McInerney joined Visa in 2013 as president after senior roles at JPMorgan Chase and became chief executive on February 1, 2023, succeeding Alfred F. Kelly Jr.
Source
Timeline: IBM and Visa side by side
1911IBM
Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company Founded
Charles Ranlett Flint merged the Tabulating Machine Company, International Time Recording Company, Computing Scale Company, and Bundy Manufacturing Company to form CTR - the company that would become IBM.
1924IBM
Renamed to International Business Machines
Under Thomas J. Watson Sr. CTR was renamed International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), reflecting the company's growing international presence and ambition beyond tabulating machines.
1952IBM
IBM 701 - First Commercial Computer
IBM launched the 701, its first commercially available electronic computer, marking the company's decisive entry into the electronic computing era and beginning its dominance of the mainframe market.
1958Visa
BankAmericard launched
Bank of America launched BankAmericard, the direct predecessor to Visa.
1964IBM
System/360 Launch
IBM launched the System/360, a compatible family of computers spanning all price points. The $5 billion investment was the largest privately funded project at the time and established the mainframe industry standard for decades.
1976Visa
Visa name adopted
The network adopted the Visa name to support international acceptance and brand consistency.
1981IBM
IBM Personal Computer Launch
IBM introduced the IBM PC, which standardized personal computing architecture and created the PC industry. The open architecture decision inadvertently created the Wintel duopoly that would ultimately commoditize IBM's own PC business.
1993IBM
Lou Gerstner Arrives - Turnaround Begins
Louis V. Gerstner Jr. Became CEO as IBM posted $8 billion in losses. His decision to keep IBM intact rather than break it up, and to pivot toward services, saved the company and redefined its business model for the next two decades.
1997IBM
Deep Blue Defeats Kasparov
IBM's Deep Blue supercomputer defeated world chess champion Garry Kasparov, becoming the first computer to beat a reigning world champion in a full match and establishing IBM's brand in artificial intelligence.
2008Visa
Visa IPO
Visa became a public company, changing the economics from a bank association structure to a shareholder-owned company.
2016Visa
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. becomes CEO
Alfred F. Kelly Jr. became CEO of Visa in 2016. Chief executive of Visa from December 2016 to January 2023, when Ryan McInerney succeeded him; Kelly then served as executive chairman.
2019IBM
Red Hat Acquisition Closes
IBM completed the $34 billion acquisition of Red Hat, the largest software acquisition in history at the time. The deal anchored IBM's hybrid cloud strategy and provided the OpenShift platform as the foundation for enterprise Kubernetes.
2020Visa
Acquired Plaid (abandoned)
Visa acquired Plaid (abandoned) for $5.3 billion. Visa agreed in January 2020 to buy US data-connectivity fintech Plaid for USD 5.3 billion.
2021IBM
Kyndryl Spinoff
IBM spun off its managed infrastructure services business as Kyndryl Holdings, removing approximately $19 billion in low-margin revenue to focus the remaining company on higher-margin software and consulting.
2022Visa
Tink acquisition
Visa completed its purchase of Stockholm-based open banking platform Tink in March 2022.
2023IBM
Watsonx Platform Launch
IBM launched watsonx, its enterprise AI and data platform combining foundation models (Granite), data management (watsonx.data), and AI governance (watsonx.governance). The platform represents IBM's AI strategy for the generative AI era.
2023Visa
Ryan McInerney becomes CEO
Ryan McInerney became Visa's CEO after serving as president.
2025Visa
Revenue reaches $40.0B
Visa reported $40.0 billion in fiscal 2025 net revenue.
2026IBM
Confluent Acquisition Closes
IBM completed its roughly $11 billion acquisition of Confluent, adding real-time data streaming used by more than 6,500 enterprises to its AI and hybrid cloud software.
Acquisitions
IBM
- Confluent2026$11B
- HashiCorp2025$6.4B
- Apptio2023$4.6B
- Red Hat2019$34B
- PricewaterhouseCoopers Consulting2002$3.5B
- Lotus Development Corporation1995$3.5B
Questions about IBM vs Visa
Who is the CEO of International Business Machines Corporation and Visa Inc.?
International Business Machines Corporation is led by Arvind Krishna and Visa Inc. is led by Ryan McInerney. Both serve as the top executive responsible for the company's strategy, operations, and financial performance.
When was International Business Machines Corporation founded vs Visa Inc.?
International Business Machines Corporation was founded in 1911 — 47 years before Visa Inc., which was founded in 1958. International Business Machines Corporation's longer operating history gives it a deeper track record but also potentially more institutional inertia compared to the younger Visa Inc..
How many employees does International Business Machines Corporation have compared to Visa Inc.?
International Business Machines Corporation employs approximately 264,300 people, while Visa Inc. employs approximately 34,100. International Business Machines Corporation has the larger workforce at 264,300 employees, compared to Visa Inc.'s 34,100. A higher headcount does not necessarily imply greater efficiency — it often reflects differences in business model (e.g., manufacturing vs. software).
Where are International Business Machines Corporation and Visa Inc. headquartered?
Both International Business Machines Corporation and Visa Inc. are headquartered in United States, meaning they operate under the same primary regulatory and tax environment.
Who founded International Business Machines Corporation and Visa Inc.?
International Business Machines Corporation was founded by Charles Ranlett Flint. Visa Inc. was founded by Dee Hock.
Which company has a longer operating history — International Business Machines Corporation or Visa Inc.?
International Business Machines Corporation has been operating for approximately 115 years, making it the more established of the two companies. Visa Inc. has been in operation for around 68 years. A longer operating history often signals greater institutional resilience and brand recognition, though it can also mean slower adaptation to new market conditions.
Figures come from each company's filings and the sources linked beside them. Amounts reported in another currency are shown in US dollars at an approximate rate and marked with ~. Back to the IBM vs Visa overview