CEO and President, IBM – 2012-2020
IBM’s only female CEO to date is also its sole representative in the top 30, reflecting her endeavours to transform Big Blue and bring STEM opportunities to underserved communities.
Once ranked as the world’s 11th most powerful woman by Forbes, Rometty joined IBM as a systems engineer in 1981, rising to occupy the hotseat in 2012.
Although IBM’s revenues fell from $104bn to $60bn during her eight-year stint as CEO, Rometty’s efforts to lay the groundwork for growth in data, analytics and AI means her impact “cannot be overstated”, one channel backer said (see below).
Five of our panellists had Rometty in their top five, with one putting her top.
Leadership style
Rometty last year spoke about how she prioritised a skills-first approach to hiring at IBM, so that she could build a more diverse and innovative workforce. Today she co-chairs OneTen, whose mission is to “hire, promote and advance skilled talent who do not have a four-year degree”.
Low points
Rometty’s efforts to turn the IBM tanker at one point resulted in 22 straight quarters of declining revenue.
Killer quote
“When you are named in those power lists, you have a responsibility to do something good with it, that is how I looked at it.” (taken from a 2024 interview with CEO Magazine)
What our panellists said about Rometty
Manpreet Gill, CEO, Bell Integration
“Aside from being the first woman to head IBM, Ginni Rometty was involved with setting up the Pathways in Technology schools’ programme. The idea was to teach skills that would be employable in the tech world. She knew that for the billions of people on earth, a future with a STEM or university degree wasn’t going to be their future and the programme offered a direct pathway to STEM-related opportunities. It expanded to 28 countries and regions and was largely aimed at students from disadvantaged and underserved communities, giving them the right skills to be successful.”
Vince DeLuca, CEO, Six Degrees
“Ginni Rometty stands out to me for her remarkable journey and achievements. After growing up in an Italian American single-parent household, she progressively climbed the ranks at IBM to become its first female CEO – a remarkable feat given the male-dominated corporate culture of the time. As an IBM partner I had the opportunity to interact with Ginni on multiple occasions and was always impressed by her customer-first approach, which provided partners with a path to successful growth and profitability. Despite facing criticism, Rometty led IBM through a period of significant and necessary transformation, divesting $7bn in commoditised assets and spearheading growth in data, analytics, and AI. Her leadership and influence cannot be overstated.”
Fiona McKenzie, CEO, Revere Agency
“As the first woman to lead IBM, Ginni Rometty came to mind as someone to celebrate – her appointment came at a time when it was a male-dominated industry. Her legacy continues as she continues to champion how we work – her book ‘Good Power’ is a great read!”
Joey Hemingbrough, Sales Director, Velocity Consulting
“I nominated Ginni Rometty because of her exceptional leadership and influence in the tech industry. As the former CEO of IBM, she led the company through a pivotal transformation, focusing on cloud computing and AI. Ginni is also a strong advocate for women in leadership. Her vision, strategic thinking, and commitment to innovation make her an extraordinary leader.”
How did IT Channel Oxygen compile The Century’s Greatest Vendor Leaders? See here
