IBM Alumni

For Scott in Australia, returning to IBM felt less like starting over and more like coming home. Scott first joined IBM as a Brand Technical Specialist for IBM Z and LinuxONE in Dubai, supporting clients across the Middle East. Although it was his first role at IBM, he had spent years around the mainframe ecosystem through customers and competitors, making the transition feel both familiar and exciting. 🌍 One standout memory for him was experiencing the launch of the z16 platform. New IBM Z launches brought together customers, innovation, and an incredible sense of momentum across the region. But beyond the technology, Scott remembers the people most: the enthusiasm of the IBM team, the diversity of cultures across Dubai and the Middle East, and the relationships built through travel, collaboration, and shared experiences. Eventually, Scott and his family decided to return home to Australia. He took on contract work, focused on renovating his house, and reconnected with life back home. But something was missing. 💡 What inspired him to return? The products, the clients, and the trust customers place in IBM. Today, Scott is back at IBM as a Client Availability Leader, helping organizations get the most value from their technology investments while guiding them through future challenges. He describes the second chapter of his IBM journey as more hands-on, more customer-focused, and deeply rewarding. 🤝 One thing that surprised him most was how quickly the knowledge from his first IBM experience came back and helped him support others starting their own IBM journey. For Scott, rejoining IBM also brought something unexpected: confidence. Confidence in the technology, in the future, and in the impact IBM continues to have for clients around the world. Once an IBMer, Always an IBMer. 🚀 Join our IBM Alumni Talent Network to stay connected: https://ibm.co/6046EpRDA

Is Higher Education ready for responsible AI? Introducing Responsible AI in Higher Education: A Practical Framework for Institutional Readiness, a new resource in collaboration with IBM and designed to help Higher Education leaders turn AI ambition into responsible action. Discover how to: - Build effective AI governance - Develop AI-ready capabilities - Move from experimentation to responsible adoption Packed with practical guidance for Higher Education leaders, it's your starting point for turning AI ambition into action. 📘 Download the report: https://lnkd.in/eifTjKse #Bett #IBMImpact #HigherEducation #ResponsibleAI #EdTech

At 16, Mayara’s mom had to sign her IBM contract with her. Just before turning 18, she signed another contract together. ✨ It is still one of the moments Mayara remembers most clearly of the beginning of a journey that would shape her global career. 🌍 Mayara joined IBM Brazil 🇧🇷 at just 16 years old as a young apprentice, starting her career supporting the IBM Operations team as an Executive Assistant. Later, she moved into Customer Support as a CSR, coordinating mainframe installations across North America. Mayara became the first person at her site to receive a full-time contract before turning 18. Because she was still underage, her mom had to come sign the paperwork with her. 😄 What felt like a simple moment at the time became a symbol of trust, opportunity, and belief in her potential. Beyond the projects at IBM, it was the people and culture that left the biggest mark on her. The operations team became her first experience of mentorship, collaboration, and continuous learning. She also carried the idea that impact matters more than hours. That mindset continues to shape how she leads today, focusing on meaningful outcomes and balancing professional growth with personal well-being. Since leaving IBM in 2012, Mayara pursued new challenges, studied law, and fulfilled a long-time dream of living. Today, she serves as a Senior Global Program Manager in Germany, leading international technical teams that develop solutions for advertisers across global markets. For Mayara, the proudest part of her journey is knowing how far she has come while still carrying the lessons and values first built at IBM. Once an IBMer, always an IBMer. 💙 💫 Ready to build something great just like Mayara did? Join our Alumni Talent Network and be part of what’s next. https://lnkd.in/eiaTjX_N

🚀 50,000 voices. 50,000 reasons to be proud. Today, we’re celebrating a special milestone: 50,000 followers on our LinkedIn page! 🎉 Behind this number are the people around the globe who make this place special: former and current IBMers, leaders across sectors, entrepreneurs, mentors, and even friends. Thank you for your support, your posts, your comments, your experiences, and the many inspiring stories that enrich our community. We hope this space continues to connect people far beyond their time together at IBM. Thank you for being part of our community! ❤️

We are back with the second post of our CEO Chronicles series. This month, we’re sharing the second story in our series on former IBM CEOs, exploring their leadership, achievements, and lasting impact on IBM and the technology industry. ✨ Thomas J. Watson Jr. - CEO from 1956 to 1971 ✨ Thomas J. Watson Jr. led IBM through one of the most transformative periods in its history, guiding the company from the era of mechanical tabulators and typewriters into the computer age. During his leadership, IBM grew from a medium-sized business into one of the world's largest industrial corporations. Born in Dayton, Ohio, in 1914, Watson earned a degree from Brown University and joined IBM as a salesman in 1937. After serving as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps, he returned to IBM and steadily advanced through the company. He became President in 1952, CEO in 1956, and Chairman in 1961, playing a key role in shaping IBM's future and growth. He remained actively involved with the company as a member of IBM's Board of Directors until 1984. Thomas J. Watson Jr. passed away in 1993 at the age of 79, leaving behind a legacy that helped shape the modern computing industry. Want to learn more about Thomas J. Watson Jr.? Take a look at https://ibm.co/6044ETklA #IBMAlumni #LikeAnIBMer #IBMCEOChronicles

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🌍 “I thought I was taking a short-term assignment. I didn’t realize it would shape my entire career.” 🤝 Based in the US, Alzira joined IBM Global Services at a time when IBM was expanding its business partner ecosystem across Latin America. With the support of her manager and teammates, she stepped into a new challenge supporting one of the region’s largest telecommunications organizations. 💪🏼 The experience pushed her beyond her comfort zone. She worked across cultures, shared fresh ideas, and helped build lasting partnerships that contributed to IBM’s growth in the region. 💙 But the moments that stayed with her were the human ones. From organizing IBM Club events for employees and families 🎉 to mentoring younger women in business 👩💼 and traveling with IBM teams across Japan, Angola, South Africa, Mozambique, China, Spain, Portugal, and beyond ✈️, Alzira built friendships and memories that lasted far beyond her career. 📚 The lessons she learned at IBM, especially around leadership, collaboration, and continuous learning, still guide her today. 💫 Even 11 years after retirement, Alzira continues supporting IBM partners, mentoring young professionals, and exploring emerging technologies like AI. For Alzira, IBM was more than a career. It was a journey that shaped her life. Once an IBMer, Always an IBMer. 🚀 Join our IBM Alumni Talent Network to stay connected and see how a short-term assignment can change your career: https://ibm.co/6048ET6ze

🌱 What if digital experiences could build trust and help the planet at the same time? For Aaron in the US, that question has shaped his career at the intersection of analytics, privacy, sustainability, and innovation. At IBM, Aaron worked as a Customer Experience Analytics Architect within the Watson Customer Experience organization, helping clients improve digital experiences across marketing, commerce, and analytics platforms. 💡 One project left a lasting impression on him: a cross-domain tracking initiative that connected customer experiences across multiple digital properties while maintaining privacy compliance. The work was later featured at IBM Think 2019, highlighting the value of building digital experiences with trust at their core. 🎤 Presenting multiple sessions at IBM Think remains one of Aaron's proudest memories. Sharing ideas on analytics, trust, sustainability, and digital transformation alongside colleagues from around the world reinforced what he values most: collaboration and the exchange of ideas can lead to meaningful solutions. Since leaving IBM, Aaron has continued building technology focused on responsible innovation, combining analytics, automation, cybersecurity, and sustainability. Today, his work helps organizations better understand and reduce the environmental impact of digital activity while continuing to champion ethical, privacy-conscious technology design. 🔐 Along the way, one belief has remained constant: trust is the foundation of every great innovation. One of the most rewarding parts of his career has been creating technology that helps organizations achieve business goals while keeping people, privacy, and sustainability in mind. 🚀 Join our IBM Alumni Talent Network to stay connected: https://ibm.co/6042ErmVK

What does it take to create technology that truly serves people? 🌍 For Andy in the US, that answer became clear during his years leading public sector marketing initiatives at IBM. Much of his work focused on helping governments and communities understand how technology could improve public services and mission outcomes. But the experience that stayed with him most was spending three weeks in Newark/New Jersey, working side by side with city officials and IBMers to tackle urban challenges. It showed him that meaningful transformation happens when technology, policy, process, data, and people all move together. 🤝💡 Another defining moment came during IBM’s 100‑year celebration in 2011. Seeing IBM’s journey from time clocks and scales to powering NASA missions and enabling barcode innovation filled him with pride. Those experiences shaped how Andy leads today: Through collaboration, openness to new perspectives, and continuous learning. Since leaving IBM, he has continued growing as a Public Sector Marketing Leader across IT services, SaaS analytics, and process automation companies, always focused on helping public servants create stronger outcomes for their communities. He also spent time as a high school history teacher, an experience that reinforced the importance of investing in future generations. 📘 One achievement he remains especially proud of is contributing to IBM’s Smarter Planet campaign, helping shape ideas like Smarter Cities and Smarter Government that still influence conversations around innovation today. Create technology with purpose like an IBMer. 🚀 Would you like to create like Andy? Join our IBM Alumni Talent Network to stay connected: https://ibm.co/6047Ermw1

In 1978, a young boy in Brazil 🇧🇷 was sitting behind a typewriter, feeding sheets of paper through the machine and carefully layering carbon copies beneath them, not knowing yet that technology would define his career. Living with cerebral palsy, he learned early that determination, resilience, and ingenuity could open doors. Long before he became a developer, he was already building systems in his own way, with typewriters, carbon paper, and mimeograph sheets. Over the decades, Pedro Paulo witnessed every major shift in technology, from the first IBM PCs to the rise of AI and data science 📊. When he eventually joined IBM as a .NET Developer, it felt like coming full circle. IBM technology had been part of his journey since childhood, helping him navigate challenges and pursue opportunities many doubted were possible. His team delivered an AI solution that transformed a client's operations in ways no one had anticipated. It was a reminder of why he chose technology in the first place: the chance to innovate, collaborate, and build something that truly matters. Now, as an IBM Alumni, Pedro Paulo continues to learn, teach, mentor, and contribute to Brazil's technology community. 🌎 Once an IBMer, Always an IBMer. 💙 🚀 Pedro's journey reminds us that some of the most remarkable achievements come from those who refuse to let obstacles stand in their way. Ready to write your own next chapter? Join the IBM Alumni Talent Network: https://ibm.co/6048ERUJ4 #IBMAlumni #LikeAnIBMer