Career
Palmisano joined IBM in 1973 as a salesman, and was elected senior vice president and group executive of the Personal Systems Group in 1997. He was then promoted to senior vice president and group executive of IBM Global Services in 1998, during the period when IBM shifted its focus from pure technology to embrace outsourcing and other services. He became senior vice president and group executive of Enterprise Systems in 1999 when the systems group drove IBM's move to adopt the Linux operating system.
Before leading IBM Global Services, Palmisano led the IBM strategic outsourcing business and before that he was president of an IBM subsidiary—Integrated Systems Solutions Corporation—which ultimately became IBM Global Services. As CEO of IBM, Palmisano has shifted many development and support positions to emerging markets.
He was elected to the board of ExxonMobil in 2006. He is also the Honorary Chairman of National Engineers Week 2008.
In November 2008, Palmisano, during a speech at the Council on Foreign Relations, outlined IBM's Smarter Planet initiative.
While CEO of IBM in 2009, Palmisano earned a total compensation of $21,159,289, which included a base salary of $1,800,000, a cash bonus of $4,750,000, stocks granted of $13,517,401, no options, and other compensation of $1,091,888.
In 2010 Palmisano was awarded The Deming Cup, an excellence award presented by the W. Edwards Deming Center for Quality, Productivity, and Competitiveness at Columbia Business School, for his ability to drive IBM to new levels of operational excellence and for his role in creating and leading IBM's Global Services business unit.
Palmisano announced on October 25th 2011, that he was stepping aside as president and CEO. Ginni Rometty is the new CEO and president. Palmisano continued to serve as Chairman until October 1, 2012.
Read more about this topic: Samuel J. Palmisano
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