IBM is going for an important leadership change. Obed Louissaint, SVP of transformation and culture, will step down from his role on December 31. He will be replaced by Joanne Wright, who has been appointed new SVP of transformation and operations, with immediate effect. In her new role, Joanne will report to Jim Kavanaugh, and become a member of IBM’s Executive Leadership Team.

Obed is stepping down from his position to become the Chief Human Resources Officer of Aptiv, said Arvind Krishna, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, IBM.

For the past 21 years, Obed has held a series of roles at IBM including launching the culture and people processes for the Watson business. Additionally, he led building out Consulting Delivery Centers and partnered with senior leadership to deliver an enterprise skills management model for IBM, including AI Academy and Cloud Academy, said Krishna.

In her new role, Joanne will continue work to transform business operations. “One of her key focus areas will be to simplify the way IBM runs by infusing capabilities such as automation and intelligent workflows across the organisation. 

In her almost 25-year career at IBM, Joanne has held key leadership roles across procurement, manufacturing, supply chain, and operations. She has also led the transformation of quote-to-cash process and helped make IBM client zero for automation and advanced analytics technology.