Louis Gerstner, the executive credited with reviving IBM, has died aged 83.
The company confirmed his death on Sunday.
Gerstner led IBM from 1993 to 2002, when the company faced declining relevance.
Rivals such as Microsoft and Sun Microsystems were eroding its dominance.
As IBM’s first external chief executive, Gerstner rejected plans to break up the firm.
He argued customers wanted integrated solutions rather than fragmented technology.
IBM’s current chief executive Arvind Krishna said that decision proved vital to survival.
He described Gerstner as focused on future client needs rather than past success.
IBM had lost ground in personal computing despite inventing the PC.
Gerstner prioritised profitability and customer service over grand vision statements.
He also scrapped IBM’s OS/2 system, conceding defeat to Microsoft’s Windows.
Before IBM, Gerstner led American Express and RJR Nabisco.
After leaving IBM, he chaired the Carlyle Group.
Colleagues remembered him as demanding, direct, and intensely focused on delivery and innovation.
