Dr Nicola Hodson. Image: Mark Earthy/Earthy Photography Ltd
Hodson has experience in various senior level positions for companies such as Siemens and Microsoft, where she worked for the last 14 years.
Dr Nicola Hodson has been appointed IBM CEO in the UK and Ireland, succeeding Sreeram Visvanathan who is leaving the company after 22 years.
In her new role, Hodson will be responsible for IBM’s business operations, driving revenue growth, client satisfaction and employee engagement in both countries. She joins the company from Microsoft, where she has worked in a number of leadership roles for more than 14 years.
She joined Microsoft in 2008 to lead its public sector business in the UK, before she became the company’s UK chief operating officer four years later.
Most recently, Hodson was Microsoft’s vice-president of customer and partner solutions, transformation, and a member of its global leadership team for commercial business.
Hodson said IBM’s technology and consulting capabilities in hybrid cloud and AI are helping clients to “accelerate their critical transformation journeys”.
“IBM has incredible relevance in the market and I am excited to lead the UK and Ireland business and to work with such a talented team,” Hodson said.
“This is a make-or-break time for all companies and organisations as they move at pace to transform, to adopt new technologies and business models and to deliver on their sustainability ambitions.”
Hodson is currently a non-executive board member for power generation company Drax Group and insurance company Beazley Group. She is also a board member for the trade association TechUK.
Prior to her work with Microsoft, Hodson worked as a general manager for three sectors within Siemens. She also worked as a management consultant for EY.
IBM chair and general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Ana Paula Assis, said Hodson is an “accomplished leader” with a wealth of senior-level experience in the IT industry and a “deep understanding of challenges facing the C-suite”.
“The UK and Ireland business is a critical growth and innovation engine for IBM and her strong track record in leading change will help drive sustained growth for our clients and our business,” Paula Assis said.
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