Kathryn Guarini is IBM’s Chief Information Officer. She leads a global team of more than 12,000 employees whose mission is to create a productive environment for IBM’s 345,000 employees worldwide and to deliver the future of IT. The CIO organization operates in a centralized shared services model as IBM’s single IT department, enabling IBM’s transformation to a hybrid cloud and enterprise AI company.
Prior to being named Chief Information Officer, Kathryn was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of IBM Research and Vice President for Impact Science. As COO, she led the IBM Research transformation to increase impact, extend technical eminence, and improve the operational efficiency of the division. This included responsibility for IBM’s annual Global Technology Outlook. In Impact Science, her team applied deep technical expertise to the most pressing global challenges facing society while advancing the underlying science. Specifically, Kathryn drove the global Research agenda around the Future of Climate, Health, and Work; Tech for Racial and Social Justice; and the Governance of Science and Technology.
Kathryn is passionate about leading teams, driving innovation, and delivering high-value solutions that meet the ever-changing needs of IT customers. Kathryn has held various technical, management, and executive positions in research, development, and business. She led IBM Industry Research focused on creating differentiated cognitive applications for industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and financial services. She also led offering management for IBM Z and LinuxONE, including strategy, delivery, and go-to-market for platform growth initiatives. In addition, she led microprocessor, systems technology, and silicon device development teams. Kathryn began her career at IBM Research as a technical contributor to double-gate transistor fabrication, three-dimensional device integration, and semiconductor applications of self-assembling materials.
Kathryn is a member of the IBM Acceleration Team, IBM Technology Team, and IBM Privacy Advisory Committee, as well as Brookhaven National Laboratory’s Inclusion and Diversity External Advisory Board, and the National Council for Expanding American Innovation (NCEAI).
Kathryn’s innovative technical research has been recognized with various industry awards. She holds more than 65 U.S. patents, and she is a prolific writer with over 60 technical publications. She is the author of the mother-of-invention.net blog about leadership, science, and innovation. Kathryn earned a Ph.D. from Stanford University and a B.S. degree from Yale University, both in applied physics. She is active in mentoring, inspiring, and recruiting scientists and engineers of all ages and advocating for greater diversity in the industry.