{"id":374704,"date":"2025-12-28T20:35:06","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T20:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/374704\/"},"modified":"2025-12-28T20:35:06","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T20:35:06","slug":"louis-gerstner-former-ibm-ceo-who-revitalized-big-blue-dies-at-83","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/374704\/","title":{"rendered":"Louis Gerstner, former IBM CEO who revitalized &#8216;Big Blue,&#8217; dies at 83"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Item 1 of 2 Louis V. Gerstner Jr. the new chairman and C.E.O. of IBM starting April 1 speaks about his plans for the struggling computer giant during a press conference in New York on March 26 1993\/File Photo<\/p>\n<p>[1\/2]Louis V. Gerstner Jr. the new chairman and C.E.O. of IBM starting April 1 speaks about his plans for the struggling computer giant during a press conference in New York on March 26 1993\/File Photo <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersconnect.com\/item\/louis-v-gerstner-jr-the-new-chairman-and-ceo-of-ibm-starting-april-1-speaks-about-his-plans-for\/dGFnOnJldXRlcnMuY29tLDIwMjU6bmV3c21sX1JDMlJQSUFSSTVEVQ%3D%3D\/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76 collapsible-caption-module__license__CPQvV\">Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab<\/a>Dec 28 (Reuters) &#8211; Louis Gerstner, the former CEO and chairman of IBM <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/companies\/IBM.N\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">(IBM.N), opens new tab<\/a>, died on Saturday, aged 83.<\/p>\n<p>IBM chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna announced Gerstner\u2019s death in an email sent Sunday to employees, but did not provide a cause of death.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"promo-box\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf article-body-module__promo-box__hVl8h\"> Sign up  <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/business\/louis-gerstner-former-ibm-ceo-who-revitalized-big-blue-dies-83-2025-12-28\/undefined?location=article-paragraph&amp;redirectUrl=%2Fbusiness%2Flouis-gerstner-former-ibm-ceo-who-revitalized-big-blue-dies-83-2025-12-28%2F\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">here.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Lou arrived at IBM at a moment when the company&#8217;s future was genuinely uncertain. His leadership during that period reshaped the company. Not by looking backward, but by focusing relentlessly on what our clients would need next&#8221;, Krishna said in his email.<\/p>\n<p>Gerstner moved to IBM from being the CEO of RJR Nabisco in April 1993 after stints at American Express <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/companies\/AXP.N\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">(AXP.N), opens new tab<\/a> and the consultancy McKinsey, becoming the first outsider to run Big Blue, as IBM was called.During the nine years he led the computer giant, he was widely credited with turning around a company that was facing potential bankruptcy, pivoting the company to business services. He <a data-testid=\"Link\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/sustainability\/boards-policy-regulation\/ceo-moves-between-industries-2025-06-16\/\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">radically<\/a> changed IBM&#8217;s culture and focus while slashing expenses, selling assets and repurchasing stock.<\/p>\n<p>Gerstner retired as CEO of IBM in 2002, with the stock some 800% higher than when he had started, moving to become the chairman of Carlyle Group until his retirement in 2008.<\/p>\n<p>The author of &#8220;Who Says Elephants Can&#8217;t Dance&#8221; and co-author of &#8220;Reinventing Education: Entrepreneurship in America&#8217;s Public Schools,&#8221; Gerstner was on the board of several companies including Bristol-Myers, the New York Times <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/companies\/NYT.N\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">(NYT.N), opens new tab<\/a>, American Express, AT&amp;T and Caterpillar <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/markets\/companies\/CAT.N\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__inherit-color__PhuPF text-module__inherit-font__1P1hv text-module__inherit-size__EyiQW link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">(CAT.N), opens new tab<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Gerstner was passionate about public education in the U.S, launching an initiative at IBM to use company technology in schools.<\/p>\n<p>He established the Gerstner Philanthropies in 1989, which included the Gerstner Family Foundation, emphasizing support for biomedical research, environmental and education initiatives, and social services serving New York City, Boston, and Palm Beach County, Florida.<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"SignOff\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__extra_small__8Buss body-module__full_width__kCIGb body-module__extra_small_body__Bfz20 sign-off-module__text__LQAMP\">Reporting by Chandni Shah in Bengaluru<br \/>\nEditing by Nick Zieminski<\/p>\n<p data-testid=\"Body\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__regular__qJJtA text-module__small__sph8i body-module__base__o--Cl body-module__small_body__gOmDf article-body-module__element__5eCce article-body-module__trust-badge__5mS3f\">Our Standards: <a data-testid=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" referrerpolicy=\"no-referrer-when-downgrade\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thomsonreuters.com\/en\/about-us\/trust-principles.html\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" class=\"text-module__text__0GDob text-module__dark-grey__UFC18 text-module__medium__2Rl30 text-module__small__sph8i link-module__link__INqxZ link-module__underline_default__-okuC link-module__with-icon__qlg76\">The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles., opens new tab<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.reutersagency.com\/en\/licensereuterscontent\/?utm_medium=rcom-article-media&amp;utm_campaign=rcom-rcp-lead\" target=\"_blank\" dir=\"ltr\" class=\"button-module__link__A3sD0 button-module__secondary__70gBu button-module__round__QDFgq button-module__w_auto__Sem-F\" data-testid=\"LicenceContentButton\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Purchase Licensing Rights<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Item 1 of 2 Louis V. Gerstner Jr. the new chairman and C.E.O. of IBM starting April 1&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":374705,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[182548,182526,183329,89749,182527,183330,183331,28,183332,182530,183333,183334,183348,183349,183340,183352,183346,183353,183343,183357,183341,182540,183099,182539,183091,183092,183359,183347,183344,183350,183360,183354,183342,183345,183358,183356,183351,183355,7611,74353,183335,183336,183337,182534,182549,183097,12763,183078,183338,183082,183084,172,183339,26311,25],"class_list":["post-374704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-amers","tag-bact","tag-bisv","tag-biz","tag-blr","tag-bnk","tag-bsvc","tag-business","tag-cmpelc","tag-cmpny","tag-cocred","tag-cofs","tag-destabn","tag-destafa","tag-destcsa","tag-destdnp","tag-deste","tag-destfun","tag-destg","tag-destgns","tag-destlby","tag-destocabsm","tag-destocatpm","tag-destousbsm","tag-destoustcm","tag-destoustpm","tag-destpco","tag-destpcu","tag-destpge","tag-destpsc","tag-destrbn","tag-destreuff","tag-destreulb","tag-destrnp","tag-destrws","tag-destrwsa","tag-destu","tag-destucdptest","tag-fin","tag-fins","tag-harw","tag-itse","tag-itse1","tag-mngiss","tag-namer","tag-packageus-top-news","tag-pro","tag-publ","tag-pxp","tag-sofw","tag-swit","tag-tech","tag-teeq","tag-tmt","tag-us"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=374704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/374704\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/374705"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=374704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=374704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=374704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}