In a tech industry dominated by Apple, Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft, it can be easy to forget that much of the humdrum work that makes screens flicker, servers hum and businesses run is performed by companies that rarely make the headlines, companies that have been gradually shaping the computer business for decades, companies like IBM.
Over the past 30 years, IBM has changed drastically, becoming a major player in cloud computing and artificial intelligence. And during those decades, Arvind Krishna was rising through the ranks of Big Blue, becoming chief executive in January 2020.
Mr. Krishna, who grew up in India before coming to the United States to get his Ph.D., has spent most of his career at IBM, and recently led the company’s acquisition of Red Hat.
Yet running a company as large as IBM requires more than just good business chops these days. The pandemic hit just as Mr. Krishna took over, forcing him to grapple with remote work, a splintered corporate culture and market turbulence. And IBM — which has been engaging with diversity, equity and inclusion issues for decades — is being forced to contend with a social and political landscape that demands companies take a stand on hot-button topics.
This interview was condensed and edited for clarity.
Tell me a bit about your life growing up in India.
My father was a reasonably senior officer in the Indian Army. Consequently, we grew up all over the country, moving every couple of years. He was always very, very focused on what is the outcome of what you’re doing, which is good, given his profession to defend the country. He had to make sure that the troops performed and all the equipment worked.