Bridget van Kralingen
Bridget A. van Kralingen | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1963 England |
| Occupation(s) | Corporate leader, business executive |
| Years active | 1986–present |
| Known for | Senior Vice President roles at IBM; Partner at Motive Partners; board member of Royal Bank of Canada |
Bridget A. van Kralingen (born 1963) is a corporate leader originally from England who was brought up in South Africa.
Since 2022, she has held the position of Partner at Motive Partners, a firm specializing in private equity investments.
Her prior roles include serving as Senior Vice President of IBM Global Industry Platforms and also as Senior Vice President of IBM Global Markets based in New York City. Before joining IBM in 2004, van Kralingen accumulated nearly fourteen years of experience with Deloitte, occupying various leadership positions. She completed her education in South Africa and has been featured on the Fortune list of 50 Most Powerful Women since 2005.
Education
Van Kralingen obtained a bachelor's degree in commerce from the University of the Witwatersrand in 1984, followed by an honors degree from the University of Johannesburg in 1985. She further earned a master's degree combining commerce and psychology at the University of South Africa in 1990.
Career
Her professional journey started as a senior researcher at South Africa's Council for Scientific and Industrial Research between 1986 and 1989. Subsequently, she joined Deloitte South Africa as Managing Partner for Strategy and Organization Development from 1989 until 1997. She then moved to New York City to become National Managing Partner for Financial Services at Deloitte Consulting, a role she held until 2004.
In April 2004, van Kralingen became Global Managing Partner of Financial Services at IBM Global Services. By November 2006, she advanced to General Manager of IBM Global Business Services covering Northeast Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Between 2010 and 2012, she was General Manager for IBM North America.
Elevated to Senior Vice President of IBM Global Business Services in 2012, she managed a workforce exceeding 100,000 consultants and service providers across more than 170 nations. From 2012 through 2019, she directed IBM’s Industry Platforms unit, establishing IBM as a frontrunner in enterprise blockchain technology and launching key industry platforms alongside major clients.
In April 2020, van Kralingen assumed the role of Senior Vice President of IBM Global Markets, overseeing worldwide sales teams, business partnerships, development programs, and industry expertise. Her responsibilities included driving IBM’s global revenue growth, profitability, and customer satisfaction.
Other activities
Van Kralingen joined the board of directors at the Royal Bank of Canada in 2011. Additionally, she contributes as an advisory board member for the nonprofit organization Partnership for New York City.
Honors
Throughout the 2010s, van Kralingen was repeatedly recognized on Fortune's list of the 50 Most Powerful Women for five consecutive years, ranking #39 in 2011, #23 in 2012, #28 in 2013, #37 in 2014, and #35 in 2015. In 2006, Consulting Magazine named her among the Top 25 Consultants. Furthermore, Euromoney listed her among the 100 Most Influential People in Finance in 2005.
Selected articles
- "Public-Private Partnerships Are Key to U.S. Competitiveness" The Huffington Post, December 18, 2011
- "The Future of Leadership: Leading Through Systemic Change" The Huffington Post, September 19, 2011
- "We Need to Redefine ROI In Our Everyday World" The Huffington Post, October 20, 2010
- "IBM's Transformation – From Survival To Success" Forbes, July 7, 2010
References
External links
- "A Graphene Chip That Would Run Your Phone for a Week?" Forward Thinking, July 16, 2014
- "SEC Filings Insider Trading – Van Kralingen Bridget A", 2015