London, 6 January 2025 – IBM today announced that Leon Butler has been named General Manager, IBM in the UK and Ireland. He succeeds Dr Nicola Hodson, who will become Chair, IBM in the UK and Ireland.

Butler brings deep technology industry expertise, with a 25-year career spanning senior leadership positions for IBM and Oracle. He will be responsible for technology sales, driving revenue growth, business operations and employee engagement in the UK and Ireland.

For the past two years he has been IBM Vice President, responsible for data and AI sales worldwide, aiding clients on business and digital transformation. Other IBM roles include UK and Ireland leadership positions in software sales and client execution and delivery. Butler is also a former senior Oracle executive in Europe.

As Chair, IBM in the UK and Ireland, Dr Hodson will focus on business development and engagement with Government and private sector organisations to support strategic growth.

“Leon has a wealth of technology industry leadership experience with a focus on sales and client delivery. A strong UK and Ireland business is critical for IBM. Leon, together with Nicola as Chair, will help to serve our clients’ needs in automation, data and hybrid cloud with AI integrated throughout,” comments Ana Paula Assis, Senior Vice President, EMEA and Growth Markets.

“I am incredibly excited to return to the UKI business,” comments Butler. “This is a major market with tremendous opportunity for growth. I look forward to working with talented colleagues and engaging with clients to help them successfully navigate this period of immense change and digital disruption.”

About IBM

IBM (NYSE: IBM) is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

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