IBM names Kerry Purcell as Kyndryl A/NZ lead
- 02 July, 2021 08:33
Kerry Purcell (IBM/Kyndryl)
IBM’s soon-to-be-spun off managed services business Kyndryl will be led in Australia and New Zealand by Big Blue’s former A/NZ managing director Kerry Purcell.
Purcell is an IBM stalwart, joining IBM a decade ago as general manager for IBM global business services in Japan. He subsequently became IBM’s A/NZ managing director in 2015, with David La Rose taking the local reins in 2017 until Katrina Troughton stepped in to lead A/NZ in 2019.
At the beginning of 2018, Purcell became IBM Japan vice president. For the past two-and-a-half years he has been IBM Services global technology services general manager in Japan.
News of the local leadership appointment comes as IBM reveals the broader structural plans for the Kyndryl business, along with its leadership appointments in various regions around the world.
The new arrangements are an important milestone for IBM and will prepare Kyndryl for its future as an independent company.
Globally, Kyndryl’s leadership ranks will be:
- Tosca Colangeli, president of Kyndryl United Kingdom and Ireland
- Xerxes Cooper, president of Kyndryl Canada
- Paolo Degl'Innocenti, president of Kyndryl Italy
- Luis Roca Fernandez, president of Kyndryl Spain and Portugal
- Markus Koerner, president of Kyndryl Germany
- Matt Milton, president of Kyndryl United States
- Kerry Purcell, president of Kyndryl Australia and New Zealand
- Philippe Roncati, president of Kyndryl France
- Lingraju Sawkar, president of Kyndryl India
- Takashi Uesaka, president of Kyndryl Japan
In addition, IBM Kyndryl transition general manager Rick Ruiz will become Kyndryl's strategic markets president and will lead Kyndryl's activities in all other countries.
Ruiz, a veteran IBM sales and technology executive, has served as general manager for IBM's Global Technology Services business in Europe, Asia Pacific and the Middle East and Africa, and has also led IBM's business continuity and resiliency services.
"We're assembling an outstanding team that has experience not only in technology but in being a tech services customer," said Martin Schroeter, Kyndryl CEO. "This team understands what it means to be consistently focused on a customer-centric model, and how to invest in people and talent to bring that model to life."
It has also been revealed that Kyndryl will create six global managed services practices and an Advisory and Implementation Services practice, which will pull together managed services, advisory services and implementation.
The six global practices are:
- Cloud
- Applications, Data and AI
- Security and Resiliency
- Core Enterprise and zCloud
- Network and Edge
- Digital Workplace
Additionally, the Kyndryl Advisory and Implementation services practice will include a group of senior business and technology executives which will advise Kyndryl customers on best-in-class digital environments and the adoption and integration of advanced technologies.
"By integrating multiple offerings into these six practices and applying our mission-critical system's capabilities to a broader digital environment, we will be well-positioned to support our customers on their digital transformation," Kyndryl group president Elly Keinan said. "These practices will leverage the most experienced talent in our industry to support our customers' success."
Kyndryl, the name of which was revealed in April, is the independent public company that will be created following the separation of IBM's Managed Infrastructure Services business.
Although the name – a portmanteau of ‘kyn,’ stemming from the word kinship and ‘dryl,’ from tendril – may be deemed questionable in some quarters, the intention is clear: the removal of a major distraction on the road to IBM’s goal of becoming a prodigious hybrid-cloud player.
From Gartner’s perspective, the spin-off of the managed infrastructure services business into Kyndryl will help to streamline the IBM Global Technology Services (GTS) organisation from which it is being spun out.
IBM claims nothing will change with its Global Technology Services business until after responsibility passes to the Kyndryl team.
IBM said it remains on track to complete the spin-off by the end of the year.
“Kyndryl is meeting customers where they are on their digital transformation journeys, with a lean and focused team that has the critical skills they depend on to succeed," said Schroeter. “Our country leaders and managing partners will be empowered to work closely with customers, make quick decisions and access the best global talent in the industry.
“Their mission will be to place Kyndryl at the heart of progress for our customers,” he added.
