ARMONK, N.Y., Dec. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is the text of an email sent today to all IBM employees by Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna:
IBMers,
I am saddened to share that Lou Gerstner, IBM's Chairman and CEO from 1993 to 2002, passed away yesterday.
Lou arrived at IBM at a moment when the company's future was genuinely uncertain. The industry was changing rapidly, our business was under pressure, and there was serious debate about whether IBM should even remain whole. His leadership during that period reshaped the company. Not by looking backward, but by focusing relentlessly on what our clients would need next.
One of Lou's earliest signals as CEO has become part of IBM lore. Early on, he stopped a long internal presentation and said, simply, "Let's just talk." The message was clear: less inward focus, more real discussion, and much closer attention to customers. That mindset would define his tenure.
Lou believed one of IBM's central problems was that we had become optimized around our own processes, debates, and structures rather than around client outcomes. As he later put it, the company had lost sight of a basic truth of business: understanding the customer and delivering what the customer actually values.
That insight drove real change. Meetings became more direct. Decisions were grounded more in facts and client impact than in hierarchy or tradition. Innovation mattered if it could translate into something clients would come to rely on. Execution in the quarter and the year mattered, but always in service of longer-term relevance.
Lou made what may have been the most consequential decision in IBM's modern history: to keep IBM together. At the time, the company was organized into many separate businesses, each pursuing its own path. Lou understood that clients didn't want fragmented technology—they wanted integrated solutions. That conviction shaped IBM's evolution and reestablished our relevance for many of the world's largest enterprises.
Lou also understood that strategy alone would not be enough. He believed lasting change required a shift in culture—in how people behave when no one is watching. What mattered was what IBMers valued, how honestly they confronted reality, and how willing they were to challenge themselves and each other. Rather than discard IBM's long-standing values, he pushed the company to renew them to meet the demands of a very different era.
I have my own memory of Lou from the mid-1990s, at a small town hall with a few hundred people. What stood out was his intensity and focus. He had an ability to hold the short term and the long term in his head at the same time. He pushed hard on delivery, but he was equally focused on innovation: doing work that clients would remember, not just consume.
Lou stayed engaged with IBM long after his tenure ended. From my first days as CEO, he was generous with advice—but always careful in how he gave it. He would offer perspective, then say, "I've been gone a long time—I'm here if you need me." He listened closely to what others were saying about IBM and reflected it back candidly.
That neutral, experienced voice mattered to me, and I was fortunate to learn from Lou on a regular basis.
Lou was direct. He expected preparation. He challenged assumptions. But he was deeply committed to building a company that could adapt—culturally as much as strategically—without losing its core values.
Lou's impact extended well beyond IBM. Before joining the company, he had already built an extraordinary career—becoming one of the youngest partners at McKinsey & Company, later serving as president of American Express and CEO of RJR Nabisco. After IBM, he went on to chair The Carlyle Group and devoted significant time and resources to philanthropy, particularly in education and biomedical research. A native of Long Island, NY, Lou earned his undergraduate degree from Dartmouth and an MBA from Harvard, and he remained deeply devoted to his family throughout his life. Lou was preceded in death by his son Louis Gerstner III.
We will hold a celebration in the new year to reflect on Lou's legacy and what his leadership enabled at IBM.
My thoughts are with Lou's wife Robin, his daughter Elizabeth, his grandchildren and extended family, as well as his many friends, colleagues, and people around the world who were shaped by his leadership and his work.
Media Contact:
IBM Pressroom
ibmpress@us.ibm.com
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
Remembering Lou Gerstner
Remembering Lou Gerstner
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HONG KONG, Dec. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CNN's Tomorrow Transformed examines how society and businesses are changing through innovation and technology, and what this means for the future. The latest episode examines the diverse innovations driving a cleaner future – from making the aviation industry greener through sustainable jet fuel to advancing solar efficiency and developing revolutionary hydrogen power solutions.
Tomorrow Transformed travels to Sydney, Australia, to explore the global energy revolution being led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Known as a "hotbed of innovation" in photovoltaics, the institution is home to Professor Martin Green, the "father of solar energy," whose PERC Cell design is used in over 90% of solar cells installed worldwide. At UNSW, Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes and PhD student Jamie Harrison are demonstrating how thermodynamics can be used to harvest energy as heat leaves the earth's surface for the cold sky. While solar now provides the cheapest energy in history, researchers are pushing further to eliminate manufacturing bottlenecks. Vince Allen, co-founder of the startup SunDrive, is pioneering a shift away from expensive and rare silver in solar cell production, replacing it with copper - a material that is 1000 times more abundant and 100 times cheaper.
The journey continues to Cape Town, South Africa, where HYENA (Hydrogen Energy Applications) is reimagining how the world's most abundant element can provide reliable power to the African continent. CNN speaks with HYENA co-founder Jack Fletcher to explore how their "Power Pod" technology uses hydrogen to offer a quieter, more efficient, and significantly cleaner alternative to traditional diesel generators. By converting available fuels like LPG into electricity via a chemical process rather than combustion, the system drastically reduces emissions and eliminates the noise of a standard engine.
Lastly, Tomorrow Transformed visits Hong Kong-based biofuels company, EcoCeres, in the southern region of Johor in Malaysia. A global leader in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), EcoCeres is helping to power a more environmentally friendly future for air travel through advanced, low carbon jet fuel made from renewable resources.
In its state-of-the-art biorefinery, the company is re-engineering waste and residue oil, known as 'feedstock', from food factories, palm oil mills and restaurants across the region. The end product is an eco jet fuel that has the right freezing point and structure for flying at cruising altitude, ready to be pumped directly into waiting airplanes. At full capacity, the biorefinery will be able to produce 420,000 tonnes of fuel per year, with large quantities of SAF powering partner airlines including Cathay Pacific, Qantas and British Airways.
Matti Lievonen, CEO of EcoCeres, though proud of the science behind transforming waste feedstock into a viable jet fuel alternative, states that the real innovation is in the system his company has in place. EcoCeres is actively expanding its presence across Southeast Asia to complement its existing refinery and strong feedstock network in China and is looking to replicate this model in other markets.
In the very near future, the next flight you take may be powered by recycled cooking oil from a restaurant in Beijing, street food stalls in Malaysia or from a factory that produces your favourite brand of potato chips.
Tomorrow Transformed trailers: https://bit.ly/3KWFFfF
Tomorrow Transformed images: https://bit.ly/4jb0DE9
Airtimes for 30-minute special:
Sunday, 28th December at 5am, 12pm and 8pm HKT
About CNN International
CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 379 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company.
HONG KONG, Dec. 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- CNN's Tomorrow Transformed examines how society and businesses are changing through innovation and technology, and what this means for the future. The latest episode examines the diverse innovations driving a cleaner future – from making the aviation industry greener through sustainable jet fuel to advancing solar efficiency and developing revolutionary hydrogen power solutions.
Tomorrow Transformed travels to Sydney, Australia, to explore the global energy revolution being led by the University of New South Wales (UNSW). Known as a "hotbed of innovation" in photovoltaics, the institution is home to Professor Martin Green, the "father of solar energy," whose PERC Cell design is used in over 90% of solar cells installed worldwide. At UNSW, Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes and PhD student Jamie Harrison are demonstrating how thermodynamics can be used to harvest energy as heat leaves the earth's surface for the cold sky. While solar now provides the cheapest energy in history, researchers are pushing further to eliminate manufacturing bottlenecks. Vince Allen, co-founder of the startup SunDrive, is pioneering a shift away from expensive and rare silver in solar cell production, replacing it with copper - a material that is 1000 times more abundant and 100 times cheaper.
The journey continues to Cape Town, South Africa, where HYENA (Hydrogen Energy Applications) is reimagining how the world's most abundant element can provide reliable power to the African continent. CNN speaks with HYENA co-founder Jack Fletcher to explore how their "Power Pod" technology uses hydrogen to offer a quieter, more efficient, and significantly cleaner alternative to traditional diesel generators. By converting available fuels like LPG into electricity via a chemical process rather than combustion, the system drastically reduces emissions and eliminates the noise of a standard engine.
Lastly, Tomorrow Transformed visits Hong Kong-based biofuels company, EcoCeres, in the southern region of Johor in Malaysia. A global leader in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), EcoCeres is helping to power a more environmentally friendly future for air travel through advanced, low carbon jet fuel made from renewable resources.
In its state-of-the-art biorefinery, the company is re-engineering waste and residue oil, known as 'feedstock', from food factories, palm oil mills and restaurants across the region. The end product is an eco jet fuel that has the right freezing point and structure for flying at cruising altitude, ready to be pumped directly into waiting airplanes. At full capacity, the biorefinery will be able to produce 420,000 tonnes of fuel per year, with large quantities of SAF powering partner airlines including Cathay Pacific, Qantas and British Airways.
Matti Lievonen, CEO of EcoCeres, though proud of the science behind transforming waste feedstock into a viable jet fuel alternative, states that the real innovation is in the system his company has in place. EcoCeres is actively expanding its presence across Southeast Asia to complement its existing refinery and strong feedstock network in China and is looking to replicate this model in other markets.
In the very near future, the next flight you take may be powered by recycled cooking oil from a restaurant in Beijing, street food stalls in Malaysia or from a factory that produces your favourite brand of potato chips.
Tomorrow Transformed trailers: https://bit.ly/3KWFFfF
Tomorrow Transformed images: https://bit.ly/4jb0DE9
Airtimes for 30-minute special:
Sunday, 28th December at 5am, 12pm and 8pm HKT
About CNN International
CNN's portfolio of news and information services is available in seven different languages across all major TV, digital and mobile platforms, reaching more than 379 million households around the globe. CNN International is the number one international TV news channel according to all major media surveys across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the Asia Pacific region, and Latin America and has a US presence that includes CNNgo. CNN Digital is a leading network for online news, mobile news and social media. CNN is at the forefront of digital innovation and continues to invest heavily in expanding its digital global footprint, with a suite of award-winning digital properties and a range of strategic content partnerships, commercialised through a strong data-driven understanding of audience behaviours. CNN has won multiple prestigious awards around the world for its journalism. Around 1,000 hours of long-form series, documentaries and specials are produced every year by CNNI's non-news programming division. CNN has 36 editorial offices and more than 1,100 affiliates worldwide through CNN Newsource. CNN International is a Warner Bros. Discovery company.
** The press release content is from PR Newswire. Bastille Post is not involved in its creation. **
CNN's Tomorrow Transformed explores global innovations powering a greener future
