ARMONK, NY, December 29, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Here is the text of an email sent today to all IBM employees by Chairman and CEO Arvind Krishna:
IBMers,
I regret to announce that Lou Gerstner, chairman and CEO of IBM from 1993 to 2002, passed away yesterday.
Lou arrived at IBM at a time when the company’s future was truly 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 this period reshaped the company. Not by looking back, but by relentlessly focusing on what our customers will need next.
One of Lou’s first signals as CEO became part of IBM’s story. At first, he stopped a long internal presentation and simply said, “Let’s talk about it.” The message was clear: less introspection, more real discussions and much greater focus on customers. This state of mind would define his mandate.
Lou believed that one of IBM’s central problems was that we were optimized around our own processes, discussions and structures rather than around client outcomes. As he later said, the company had lost sight of a fundamental truth of business: understanding the customer and giving them what they really value.
This idea led to real change. Meetings have become more direct. Decisions were based more on facts and impact on customers than on hierarchy or tradition. Innovation was important if it could translate into something customers could rely on. Execution over the quarter and year was important, but always in service of long-term relevance.
Lou made what may have been the most important decision in IBM’s modern history: keeping IBM together. At the time, the company was organized into several separate businesses, each pursuing its own path. Lou understood that customers didn’t want fragmented technology: they wanted integrated solutions. This belief has shaped IBM’s evolution and restored our relevance to many of the world’s leading companies.
Lou also understood that strategy alone would not be enough. He believed that lasting change required a change in culture, in the way people behave when no one is watching. What mattered was what IBMers valued, how honestly they faced reality, and to what extent they were willing to question themselves and themselves. Rather than abandon IBM’s long-held 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, in a small town hall with a few hundred people. What stood out was his intensity and focus. He had an ability to keep both the short term and the long term in mind. He emphasized delivery, but he also focused on innovation: doing work that customers will remember, not just consume.
Lou remained involved with IBM long after his tenure ended. From my earliest 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 carefully to what others were saying about IBM and responded frankly.
This neutral and experienced voice mattered to me and I had the chance to learn regularly from Lou.
Lou was direct. He expected preparation. He questioned assumptions. But he was deeply committed to building a company that could adapt – both culturally and strategically – without losing its core values.
Lou’s impact extended far beyond IBM. Before joining the firm, he had already built an extraordinary career: he became one of the youngest partners at McKinsey & Company, then served as president of American Express and CEO of RJR Nabisco. After IBM, he chaired the Carlyle Group and devoted significant time and resources to philanthropy, particularly in education and biomedical research. A native of Long Island, New York, 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 host a celebration in the new year to reflect on Lou’s legacy and what his leadership achieved 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 have been shaped by his leadership and work.
Media Contact:
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SOURCE IBM
