Kathryn Guarini

Since technology is shaping your business, it has to shape your decisions. That conviction is the throughline of my work. Organizations that lead with technology set the pace. The ones that treat it as a support function fall behind. I help leaders make that shift. Today I serve on the Board of Directors of Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, where I sit on the Audit Committee and chair the Digital Technology Committee. I'm also a Trustee of the New York Hall of Science, and I'll join the Board of ISO New England in October 2026. I teach at Yale Engineering, the Yale School of Management, and Cornell Tech, and I speak to leadership teams and executive audiences about technology, trust, and what it takes to compete in the age of AI. My first book, Trustworthy Innovation, comes out in March 2027. It's about why the technology that earns trust is also the technology that wins, and how leaders can design trust in from the start. I came to this work as a scientist. I hold a Ph.D. in applied physics from Stanford and more than 65 patents in nanotechnology and semiconductor innovation, and that same rigor has shaped every leadership role since. At IBM, I served as global Chief Information Officer (CIO), leading one of the company's most ambitious digital transformations — modernizing infrastructure, accelerating hybrid cloud and AI adoption, and strengthening cybersecurity for more than 350,000 employees worldwide. Earlier, as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of IBM Research, I helped scale scientific discovery across IBM's global research organization, and I launched IBM Impact Science, applying advanced research to challenges in health, climate, and social justice. As a product executive, I led the launch of LinuxONE, IBM's cyber-resilient enterprise Linux platform. Through Inspiring Innovation LLC, I advise leadership teams on responsible innovation, resilience, and technology strategy. I write a newsletter, Lead with IT, and a blog, Mother of Invention, where I share perspectives about technology, leadership, and life. I believe the future belongs to those who innovate responsibly, and I'm here to help more leaders do exactly that.