Women in Technology: Join IBM and Make A Difference

Join other exceptional women who are making a difference.

At IBM women have been making contributions to the advancement of information technology for almost as long as the company has been in existence.  Today, women represent approximately 30 percent of IBM employees worldwide and more than 22% of our global executive population is made up of women, two-thirds of whom are working mothers.

Did you know?

• IBM was named among Top 10, 2013 NAFE Working Mothers Top 50 Companies for Executive Women.
• IBM is a three-time Catalyst Award winner, recognizing innovative approaches for developing women.
• Working Mother magazine has named IBM one of its 100 Best Companies for 27 consecutive years.
• IBM is represented by 15 women in the Women in Technology International (WITI) Hall of Fame.  (see also Diane Pozefsky, Ph.D, 2011 and Joanne Martin, Ph.D, 2012)

Are you looking for a new challenge, inside a progressive organization that values and rewards collaboration, innovation and creativity?  If you want to focus on today’s most exciting technologies — Social, Mobile, Analytics, Cloud — the opportunities are endless and you can make a difference at IBM.

Learn more: Careers for Women at IBM

And apply for jobs:  Job Opportunities for Women in Technology

Why Work at IBM?

More:

• Why IBM?
• IBM Video Series Celebrates International Women’s Day
• IBM Vice President, Gill Zhou, Is a Model for Working Women in China
• Some Wise Words for Your Career, Life and Destiny, from Rebecca Munyuki, IBM South Africa
• IBM’s Pioneering Woman and 1st Executive:  Anne Van Vechten (Part 1), (Part 2)
• IBM Research Chief Scientist for Social Business, Irene Greif, Wins Technical Leadership Award
• Middle East and Africa Inspirational IBMers – Natasha Pillay-Bemath

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Check out these hot jobs today, and be sure to stay tuned for more to come.

- Posted by Regan Kelly and Julie Yamamoto

Information Technology in Africa, The Next Frontier – IBM’s Leading the Way

- from The Economist

Lots of companies today have their eyes on Africa, but it’s IBM that’s leading the way.

That’s nothing new: the company sold its first gear there to South Africa’s railways in 1911 and a mainframe computer to Ghana’s central statistics bureau in 1964. More recently, it has been paying special attention to the continent, working with mobile-phone company Bharti Airtel, and opening offices in Angola, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Senegal – in all, more than 20 of Africa’s 54 countries.

Big Blue may be ahead, but it is not alone. Why IBM and an ever-increasing number of other companies are so enthusiastic about their prospects in Africa.

IBM CEO Ginni Rometty Addresses South Africa’s Business Leaders

IBM Chairman and CEO Ginni Rometty speaks to more than 200 South African business leaders about IBM’s commitment to Africa at the IBM CIO Leadership Exchange in Johannesburg, South Africa on February 5, 2013.

(Graham Carlow/Feature Photo Service for IBM)

IBM been doing business in Africa for more than 90 years. Most recently, the company has been expanding its presence by focusing investments in more than 20 African countries.

Read more about Technology in Africa: Extracting Insights from Big Data in this Smarter Planet blog post by Steve Hamm.

Related:

Follow IBM South Africa on Twitter: @IBM_SouthAfrica

Imbizo! IBM South Africa and Its Leadership Team

IBM CEO Virginia Rometty Shares Her Leadership Philosophy

Ginni Rometty: The 100 Women Who Rule the World (Forbes.com)

The Center for CIO Leadership

Middle East and Africa Inspirational IBMers – Natasha Pillay-Bemath

This is re-published from an IBM series of articles called “MEA Inspirational Colleague Series”.  This series consists of interviews that profile successful female IBM’ers in the Middle East & Africa to demonstrate how global IBM’ers can relocate, live, and work successfully in this quickly emerging market.

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Natasha Pillay-Bemath,
IBM Recruitment Leader, South Africa

Natasha is the Recruitment Leader for South Africa. She has over thirteen years of recruitment experience both as an agency Director and an in-house Manager. As a result, Natasha has learned to influence through expertise, embrace challenge, and help IBM’ers succeed, which is why she has been recognized as IBM’s MEA Inspirational Colleague for December, 2012.

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1. When did you join IBM Middle East & Africa?

I joined IBM on April 1^st 2012.

2. Why did you make the move from agency to in-house recruitment?

I wanted the exposure to a larger global organization, to expand my skill-set, and focus on my growth and development as opposed to spending another decade in local recruitment.

I also wanted to gain entry into a global organization and more importantly, on researching, I fell in love with IBM’s Smarter Planet. I am a “purpose” person and Smarter Planet resonated deeply with me. I felt like IBM would be a great platform for me to contribute towards South Africa and Africa. This is very important to me as I believe in South Africa, Africa, and its people and I believe it is my purpose to play a role in its development and success.

3. What does your role as South African Recruitment Leader entail?

It involves working with the recruitment team to acquire the best talent in the South African market. It also involves positioning IBM South Africa as the employer of choice in the regional employment market.

Recruitment plays a pivotal role to the organization’s performance and success. Indisputably, organizations are only as good as its people and Recruitment is instrumental in securing top talent. The Recruitment team and I are extremely passionate about this, our role and contribution to the South African operation.

4. Have you always lived and worked in South Africa?

Yes, I’ve always lived and worked in South Africa. I’ve lived in Cape Town, Durban, and now Johannesburg.

5. How have you found the experience working in what is widely regarded as a male dominated industry and a male dominated region?

I came from an industry (Agency Recruitment) that is predominately female. However, it’s been an interesting change. IBM South Africa is dedicated to female hiring and development and I’m looking forward to contribute to that. I think recruitment has an important role to play in acquiring female talent.

6. What are your pastimes outside of work?

I love reading books. I’m also lucky enough to have a four year-old son who I love spending time and playing with, which really helps me keep grounded and prevents me from taking life too seriously.

7. Do you have family living with you in South Africa?

I live in Johannesburg with my husband and my son. My parents and wider family live in Durban, which is a six-hour drive away.

8. How do you manage to juggle your demanding role, social life, and family commitments?

I think, at the end of the day, it’s about managing output at IBM. You need to focus on your deliverables, but IBM is flexible about how you do that so you can arrange your schedule accordingly and know that you will only be measured on output. IBM has definitely offered me the flexibility I need.

9. You’re bilingual – speaking both Afrikaans and English. Is this essential for employees considering a move to South Africa?

No, not at all. Its pretty standard that English is the first language so international candidates who are fluent in English won’t have a problem at all.

10. Finally, are there any recommendations you would make to female IBM’ers considering a move to the Middle East or Africa?

I would definitely say it’s the place to be. MEA has the focus, the challenges, and is at the middle of it all. It’s exciting to drive through these challenges and show people how it is done in a growth market. I’m very excited about South Africa, extremely excited about Africa, and know that it’s the place to be for my own growth and development.

If You’re Ready to Lead, Why Not Join IBM?

If you’re ready to lead, why not join IBM?

For over 100 years, IBM has led the world in creating innovative solutions and products that have changed not only business, but history as well. And with our global scale and breadth of disciplines, we offer endless opportunities for leaders to grow and succeed in the company of the very best. That’s where you come in.

In today’s intensely competitive global marketplace IBM is recruiting extraordinary leaders, people who not only succeed, but enable others to as well. We have opportunities for talented, master’s qualified individuals across every area of our business and in many countries across Africa.

Apply now for LEADAfrica with IBM to accelerate your career in business development, sales and pre-sales and work towards a global career with IBM.

LEADAfrica is a six-month program that will enable you to take advantage of IBM’s world-class leadership development programs and networking experiences. You will be closely mentored and coached by senior IBMers, gain hands-on work experience, complete industry-leading certification classes and be exposed to the key drivers of success as a future IBM leader.

Start building the career you want at one of the most successful companies in history.

Join us! Let’s build a smarter planet.

More information

Apply online

Download PDF flyer

Follow IBMAfricaJobs on Twitter

South African Imbizo! – IBM South Africa and Its Leadership Team

by Natasha Pillay-Bemath

In this issue:

• IBM South Africa
• SALT – South African Leadership Team
• Recruiting Team Looking for Candidates

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IBM South Africa

IBM South Africa, operating since 2008, is a significant contributor to IBM’s MEA (Middle East & Africa) Region. 2012 saw the appointment of Abraham Thomas as Country General Manager. Mr. Thomas has brought with him not only decades of IBM experience, but also an infectious and powerful positive energy that has swept through Team IBM SA.

The team is determined to achieve its 2015 goals to be a stellar contributor for IBM. The African market is a major focus of IBM’s, and South Africa has the potential to be at the forefront of this next IBM venture.

Our three priorities to reach our full potential are:

• Develop and grow our people
• Bring value to our South African clients
• Build a robust partner ecosystem

On the first priority – to develop and grow our people – we’ve done considerable work in a short time. Events such as Family Day and Heritage Day celebrations have helped to create and develop team bonds and team spirit:

Heritage Day

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SALT – South African Leadership Team

SALT – the South African Leadership Team – was launched in mid-August 2012. Initiated by Mr. Thomas, its goal is to gear IBM South Africa for growth through the deliberate development of the Company’s leadership capabilities.

The initial sixty members of SALT were selected from across South Africa to grow their business acumen, actively team with colleagues, and ultimately help lead IBM South Africa to realize our Company and revenue goals. Candidates will graduate next year from this 12-month program, and then a new set of people will be chosen.

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Recruiting Team Looking for Candidates

The Recruitment team in South Africa has a significant role to play in IBM South Africa’s growth and success. Our mandate is to proactively seek out South Africans, specifically previously disadvantaged individuals, and to secure them as IBMers. Team members include:

• Busi Masango – Recruitment Partner for SWG, S&D, Sectors
• Darryl Devar – Recruitment Partner for STG & GTS
• Gavin Wood – Recruitment Partner for GBS
• Natasha Pillay-Bemath – Recruitment Leader South Africa

The team has been actively hunting for candidates who have shown:

• A track record of top performance.
• The IBM Values and competencies.
• A deep, sincere passion to contribute to the South African success story. This is critical.

You can find our recruiting team on The Greater IBM Connection on LinkedIn.  Please connect with them if you feel you can be a part of our success story. And feel free to refer other South Africans that you believe can contribute the same.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Greetings from South Africa,
The Recruitment Team, South Africa

IBM’s New Research Lab – Nairobi, Kenya

Ginni Rometty meets with Kenyan president Mwai Kibaki, August 2012

The African continent accounts for 14 percent of the world’s population and is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. With a growth rate expected to average 7 percent annually over the next 20 years, Africa is poised to become a leading source of innovation in a variety of industries. To further enhance the scientific and technology base on the African continent, IBM Research will open a new lab in Nairobi, Kenya.

IBM Research – Africa will be IBM’s 12th global laboratory and the first science and technology research lab on the continent conducting both applied and far-reaching exploratory research. IBM Research’s presence in Kenya will encourage and strengthen an innovative culture, and engage local entrepreneurs and innovators to develop solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Kenya, the surrounding region and other fast-growing markets around the world.

“ IBM continues to expand its operations in key growth markets and we plan to lead the way by bringing Africa into our global network of IBM Research laboratories. ” - Dr. John E. Kelly III, IBM senior vice president and director of IBM Research

Focus areas

One particular issue across Africa is the inability of multiple government organizations to communicate with one another and share information. To that end, IBM Research – Africa will work on Next-Generation Public Sector solutions so that information is automatically collected and analyzed from various sources to improve planning, scheduling and tactical decision making within and between agencies. Armed with the right information technology, government agencies can reduce the cost of social services, improve efficiency and productivity, deter fraud and abuse, improve citizen access to services and enable digital interaction between citizens and the public sector.

Nairobi is currently home to more than three million inhabitants, and the population is expected to grow to over five million by 2020 as migration to urban areas continues. With this large population growth it’s necessary to better manage and reconcile the various systems within the city. IBM Research – Africa will initially focus on two of these systems – water and transportation.

Using multiple data sources, analytics and models, IBM Research will develop a complete understanding of Kenya’s water system and optimize the use, storage, safety and distribution of the country’s water supply. The use of predictive analytics also has the potential to solve traffic congestion in Nairobi by using real-time insights to model and anticipate traffic jams. IBM’s recent global Computer Pain Survey of 15 cities ranked Nairobi as the fourth most congested in the world.

Collaboration

IBM views creating science and technology leaders of the future as a key part of its research mission. However, a skills shortage is hindering innovation and leadership of new industry in Africa. In order to help universities produce highly-qualified and technically skilled graduates, IBM Research – Africa will establish a new resident scientist program for schools in Kenya and other African countries. These applicants will be top-tier scientists and researchers from pre and post-doctoral backgrounds, as well as from academia, government or industry, and will work side- by-side with IBM researchers in the lab.

Dedication to Africa

IBM has had a direct presence in Africa for more than 60 years that today spans 20 countries, including Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. The recent opening of IBM Research – Africa is just one of many ways in which IBM is investing in Africa and developing its economic capacity.

Back in March, Nairobi beat 140 other cities around the world to become one of IBM’s Smarter Cities Challenge winners. The initiative is a three-year, 100-city US $50 million program and is IBM’s single-largest philanthropic outreach. In addition, through 2015, IBM will send nearly 600 employees to Africa as part of the Corporate Service Corps, an employee volunteer program modeled after the U.S. Peace Corps.

IBM recognizes the huge potential impact of research and smarter systems in helping to build Africa’s future.

Explore this topic

• Learn more about IBM Kenya

• Blog: How sharing resources could boost Africa’s economic development

• Blog: Laying the foundation for Nairobi’s and Kenya’s economic growth

• Infographic: Africa – The Next Frontier for IBM Research Innovation

Leadership Insights from Raeleen Medrano, Vice President of Finance for IBM North America

(from Women at IBM, Facebook)

Meet Raeleen Medrano and read what she has to say about making a difference in her global career, tackling problems outside your comfort zone, and achieving the all-important work life balance

What made you decide to work for IBM?

IBM’s Raeleen Medrano

I joined IBM (in Australia) because it was a large international company and I believed I would have the opportunity to work in many different areas and would have the chance to use what I’d learned in gaining my degree.  Now, twenty-six years later, what makes me stay at IBM is very much the same – the opportunity to work on a global scale, and really apply my financial know-how to drive business performance.  I feel like I can make a difference every day at IBM, and no two days are the same.

Have you had any valuable mentors or sponsors?  How have they helped you in your career?

My mentors and sponsors really have made a difference in my career.  They helped me understand the scope of career opportunity at IBM, and helped me believe in myself, and sponsored me for opportunities – they helped me  and others believe that I could take on greater career challenges and be successful.  They’ve also been there for me when I needed business advice – for example,  how to tackle a problem in an area outside my normal scope. Just recently, one of my very first formal mentors, helped me with a client situation.  Being in finance, we’re not dealing with clients on a regular basis, and it was really important that I got this particular contact right – my mentor helped me prepare, and helped me role play with the questions the client was likely to ask me about the business.  It really made a difference by giving me greater confidence in tackling a conversation where I wasn’t in my comfort zone.

Can you describe an interesting project?

Beginning last year, I’ve had the tremendous opportunity to work on a project to better understand how IBM can be successful in Africa.  It has been a terrific learning experience and has given me the opportunity to build on my leadership skills and work with other IBMers on what actions we can take as a company to drive profitable growth in an extremely exciting and emerging market.  We gained hands on experience in Africa, and established many new relationships – both inside and outside IBM.

Has IBM provided you with any unique work-life integration solutions?

I’ve been a “working mother” at IBM now for almost twenty years.  I’ve learned many solutions to managing work-life integration, and I’ve found IBM to be an excellent partner in that journey.  I’ve always found my managers to be very supportive, and also the line leaders that I’ve supported over the years.  One of the cool things about achieving work-life integration at IBM is the fact that when you strive for it, it usually enables others to do the same.  When I’ve needed to attend to matters outside IBM, for example attending my daughter’s soccer games, I let my team know that I trust them to cover things for me while I’m away.  Not only does this help me cover work while I’m gone, it let’s my team know I have confidence in them too.  It also let’s them know it’s OK to do the same – and that I’ll cover for them, and they cover for each other when they need time away from the office as well.  It creates a positive teaming environment, and everyone feels like they can get the things done that are important to them – inside and outside the office.

What makes you proud to be an IBMer?

There are many things that make me proud to be an IBMer – and one of the most important is the foundation of integrity that we have at IBM.  It makes me feel very proud to know that IBM will always insist on doing the right thing, and really make a positive difference in society.  Our clients, shareholders and employees can all count on that – and that’s very important.

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–Posted by Regan Kelly

Share your comments below – how have you achieved balance with your career in your life?

The Mainframe: Making Good in Africa, with IBM Business Partner CFAO

By Jean Noel Le Foll, General Manager, CFAO Technologies

Brazil, Russia, India, China, Turkey, South Africa and Mexico are the fastest growing markets for computer equipment, making up 14% of the global IT market. The regions increasing their IT purchases the most are the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa, according to Forrester Research. A growing list of companies in these emerging economies is relying on the IBM System z mainframe to build their infrastructures.

The Ministry of Senegal brought all of its import and export processes from across the country on-line with System z, and is now recovering 30% of Gross National Product, which amounts to two billion Senegalese francs in customs revenue every day. In the process, the Ministry increased the performance of its systems by 70%, reduced power consumption by 20% and cut operating costs by 30%.

Customs officers in Senegal and their partners now have real-time access to information across all of the country’s border checkpoints. They can check to see if the correct duty has been paid on shipments of goods coming through the country’s main border checkpoints This is a vast improvement over the Ministry’s previous system, which was limited to two border checkpoints. The Ministry of Senegal is using technology to apply critical information to boost the country’s economic growth.

My company, CFAO, also worked with the government in Cameroon to help them build their infrastructure on the mainframe. In Cameroon, the Cameroon Ministry of Finance is using a System z mainframe to help with smarter banking and modernize the payroll processes for government employees in the country. The new system is helping to increase the security of the Ministry’s payroll system and improve the efficiency of processes such as generating pay slips.

Mainframes provide enterprise clients in growth markets with an efficient platform for growth as they transform their businesses to become smarter in their industry. CFAO’s System z business in Africa has grown 15% over the last three years. And IBM’s System z revenue in growth markets was up 11% year to year in the second quarter of 2012, per IBM earnings.

Today, IBM announced a new mainframe that has been built with features that will appeal to clients in growth markets, such as the capability to run without a raised datacenter floor. IBM has been making changes over the last five generations of mainframes to enable clients to do this.

The new family of mainframes will also allow enterprises in growth markets to grow their business by 50 percent without increasing their energy usage, IT investment or system size.

CFAO expects the new mainframe will allow us to help more clients in Africa operate smarter to grow their economies and better serve citizens by more effectively making use of available data.

CFAO Technologies is an IBM Business Partner in West Africa.

 

Africa: The Next Frontier for IBM Research Innovation

by Solomon Assefa, Research Scientist, IBM Research

The continent of Africa is emerging as one of the last great global growth markets and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, with a growth rate expected to average 7 percent annually over the next 20 years. Forecast this out and Africa will become a leading source of innovation and opportunity. As African countries prepare to advance their economic capabilities, IBM is committed to the region’s future with the opening of a new lab in Nairobi, Kenya.

IBM Research – Africa will be IBM’s 12th global laboratory and the first science and technology research lab on the continent conducting both applied and far-reaching exploratory research.

IBM has long had a foothold in Africa and its presence today spans 20 countries, including Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya. IBM has also deployed several Corporate Service Corps groups, an employee volunteer program modeled after the U.S. Peace Corps, across Africa to make contributions to the communities in which it does business.

IBM’s new lab is a further nod and commitment to this important growth market. IBM has long recognized the possibilities that could be reached by research and collaboration, and IBM’s expanded presence in Kenya will encourage and strengthen innovation, engaging local entrepreneurs, universities, governments and innovators to develop solutions to the challenges faced by the people of Kenya and beyond.

Expanding in Africa requires a long-term outlook.  Before IBM can do business throughout the region, it must aid in strengthening the capacities of Africa’s people and institutions— including knowledge, technology infrastructure, business sophistication and governance.

There is enormous growth potential across the continent, but that potential won’t

be realized unless the underlying physical, economic and societal infrastructures that permit markets to develop and endure are in place. Success will only come through a patient, long-term approach. An example of this is IBM’s plans to lay a foundation for skills and innovation growth in Africa by establishing a resident scientist program aimed at attracting top Kenyan and other African talent to work side-by-side with IBM researchers. These applicants will be top-tier scientists and researcher from pre- and post-doctoral backgrounds as well as from academia, government or industry.

As for research focus areas, one particular issue across Africa is the challenge of multiple government organizations to communicate with one another and share information. To that end, IBM Research – Africa will work on Next-Generation Public Sector solutions so that information is automatically collected and analyzed from various sources to improve planning, scheduling and tactical decision making within and between agencies. Armed with the right information technology, government agencies can reduce the cost of social services, improve efficiency and productivity, deter fraud and abuse, improve citizen access to services and enable digital interaction between citizens and the public sector.

Smarter Cities is another area of focus. As the world’s second most populous continent with more than 955 million people, Africa’s urbanization rates are the highest in the world and more than half of all Africans will live in cities by 2030. IBM scientists will work on improving access to and quality of city services, initially focusing on smarter water systems and transportation solutions for the region.  For example, the use of predictive analytics has the potential to solve traffic congestion in Nairobi by using real-time insights to model and anticipate traffic jams. IBM’s recent global Computer Pain Survey of 15 cities ranked Nairobi as the fourth most congested in the world.

The goals of IBM Research – Africa underpin IBM’s Smarter Planet initiative where advances in sensors, networking, telecommunications and analytical software are enabling organizations to manage more complex systems.  In fact, Africa may have a big advantage. Due to the current nature of the physical, governmental and economic infrastructures, Smarter Planet solutions have the potential to produce even greater impacts than they have in more developed countries. Indeed, Africa has the potential to leapfrog some of the world’s more advanced economies. African countries have the opportunity to include instrumentation and information-gathering capabilities from the start as they build out new systems and services.

IBM stands ready to collaborate with African governments, universities and businesses to work jointly on research that will uncover new breakthroughs in science and technology and that build the platform for Africa’s future.

Join the conversation on Twitter:  #IBMAfrica