Date: Monday, March 6, 2023
Time: 12:30 p.m. - 1:20 p.m.
Location: Van Leer, WC240
Speaker: Randy Walker
Speakers' Title: Retired CEO. Executive Mentor
Speakers' Affiliation: IBM/Georgia Tech
Seminar Title: Careers in Technology
Abstract: After a career spanning the globe, Mr. Walker will lead a discussion on careers in Consulting, Technology, and International Business. As a C-Suite Executive Mentor, Mr. Walker will share insights on what today’s CEOs are looking for in today’s technology leaders across a range of industries and geographies. Also, he will discuss career transitions and the importance of being a lifelong learner, and the lifetime value of a degree from Georgia Tech.
Biographical Sketch of the Speaker: Randy Walker is an accomplished global CEO, P&L owner, and board director with over 35 years of international experience driving business and operational results. Following a successful career at IBM, he continues to serve as a senior advisor for IBM Japan and Asia Pacific and as an Executive Mentor for the ExCo Group. He is also the Executive in Residence for the University of Miami Business School.
Walker has personally advised and partnered with some of the world’s largest firms including AT&T, MUFG, and Samsung in the areas of software, technology, security, blockchain, acquisitions and divestments. A global leader, Walker has lived and worked in London, Jeddah, Tokyo, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, and the US.
Walker’s board experience includes having served as a member of the board of SAIC and most recently as a director and a member of the investment committee for Singapore’s Economic Development Board (EDB). Which, in concert with Temasek, sets the strategic industry and investment strategies for the Republic of Singapore. He has also served on several private and joint-venture boards, both as chairman and director.
As a key member of IBM’s senior executive team, Walker owned strategic and industry sales globally and was responsible for $40B of revenue across the top 500 accounts. He also co-led global financial services sector, IBM’s largest sector, where he led a transformation and turnaround of the financial services business driving the results from double digit revenue loss to revenue growth in 2021. Walker was also key in IBM’s software strategy, sales and execution working closely with the Redhat, Data and AI, and Cloud product teams.
Previously, Walker was Chairman and CEO of IBM Asia Pacific with operational and P&L responsibility for an $8B P&L and 100K+ employees. Walker also led IBM’s consulting and services business across their growth market unit, which he helped to establish while based in Shanghai, and consisted of markets across Asia/Pacific, Eastern Europe, Africa and Latin America. During his five years in this role, the unit’s growth rates were consistently 7-10 points higher than IBM’s overall growth.
Walker has also served as the Executive Vice President and board director for SAIC based in San Diego. In this role, he led the $4B P&L of SAIC’s commercial and international businesses which included the Energy, Telcom, Healthcare and Global Public sector businesses, as well as the classified DoD/Security businesses. Prior to this role, Walker founded the Middle Eastern practice for Deloitte & Touch in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia where he was based for 3 years.
Walker holds bachelor and master’s degrees in electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, and was later a recipient of the university's Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award for Lifetime Achievement. Walker cares deeply in the countries and cultures in which he has lived and remains active in multiple pro-bono, mentoring, and civic activities including United Way, Habitat for Humanity, Caring for Cambodia and others. He currently lives with his family in Coral Gables.
