Full biography
Frank Kern is the senior vice president, IBM Global Business Services, which encompasses IBM’s consulting, systems integration and applications businesses, with 2008 revenues of $19.6B and a workforce of more than 100,000 professionals worldwide.
Mr. Kern was named to this position in January 2009 after leading IBM’s global sales and distribution organization, where he was responsible for revenue, profit and client satisfaction in the 170 global markets in which IBM does business. In this role, he led IBM's direct sales force, including ibm.com which handles sales of all IBM products and services.
Prior to that, Mr. Kern led IBM's operations in Asia Pacific. In that position,
Mr. Kern was located first in Tokyo, and then in Shanghai where he oversaw dramatic growth and an expansion of IBM's business across emerging markets including India, China and the ASEAN region.
Mr. Kern's 30-year career with IBM has spanned numerous international management roles including the development of IBM's services business in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, headquartered out of Paris, France.
Mr. Kern also held the position of chief executive officer of IBM Global Services Australia Limited, a joint venture with Lend Lease and Telstra, from 1995 through 1997 where he was located in Sydney. He served as vice president, Systems Solutions and Industries, in Integrated Systems Solutions Corporation, an IBM services subsidiary, from 1992 through 1995.
Mr. Kern holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Bucknell University and a Master of Business Administration degree in finance from Syracuse University. He lives with his wife Kristin and daughter Kelly in Connecticut.
January 2009