Louis Gerstner

Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.
CEO, IBM Corporation 1993-2001

Predictions of IBM’s future success in the early 1990’s were so dense that it was almost unthinkable to even believe the company would be a figure in the market in the late 20th and early 21st century. More importantly, it was unfathomable to think that IBM would prevail in the industry. Through the economic downturn of the early 1990’s combined with IBM’s static position with mainframe computers of the past couple of decades, IBM was doomed for failure in the technology age (Lohr 1). With the newly launched technology phase of the late 20th century, a new face to the technology industry entered the scene who truly changed IBM through his leadership strategy for the business on the rebound of a depression. Louis V. Gerstner, Jr. changed more than just getting IBM back on its feet, he changed the computer industry itself by putting IBM back in as a strong force in the market and a competitor willing to do what was n...