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Arvind Krishna, IBM CEO, on Big Bets, AI, and Quantum | The CEO Signal

The CEO Signal interview with Arvind Krishna, IBM’s chairman and chief executive, centers on the company’s bold $34 billion Red Hat acquisition, its pivot to hybrid cloud, and the strategic emphasis on AI and quantum computing. Krishna explains how the deal, once met with internal resistance, became the cornerstone of IBM’s hybrid‑cloud vision, allowing the firm to serve customers across any cloud environment while leveraging Red Hat’s open‑source ecosystem. Krishna stresses that IBM’s competitive edge lies in taking long‑term, high‑risk bets that span five to ten years. He describes a disciplined risk‑management approach: start with a modest, non‑existential investment, prove client value, then scale resources as confidence grows. This philosophy underpins IBM’s quantum research, AI initiatives, and the willingness to allocate tens of millions to projects that may not pay off for a decade. The interview also reveals Krishna’s leadership style. He holds “Ask Me Anything” town‑hall sessions without corporate screening, openly admitting when he doesn’t know an answer and promising follow‑up. “If I don’t know, I’ll get back to you,” he says, reinforcing authenticity and building trust among engineers and new hires who are attracted to solving “really hard” technology problems. For investors and industry observers, the discussion signals IBM’s commitment to positioning itself as a technology‑innovation engine rather than a pure‑play services vendor. By marrying long‑term R&D with a hybrid‑cloud go‑to‑market strategy, IBM aims to capture first‑mover advantage in AI‑driven workloads and quantum‑ready solutions, potentially revitalizing growth and shareholder value.