Martin Schroeter
Martin Schroeter | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964 |
| Nationality | American and Australian |
| Occupation | Business executive |
| Years active | 1992–present |
| Known for | CEO and chairman of Kyndryl; former CFO and senior vice president at IBM |
Martin Schroeter (born 1964) is a business leader with dual American and Australian nationality. Since 2021, he has held the position of founding chairman and CEO at Kyndryl, an independent company spun off from IBM. Before this role, Schroeter occupied significant leadership positions within IBM, including serving as chief financial officer from 2014 to 2017 and as senior vice president overseeing global markets until 2020. He is affiliated with several prestigious organizations such as the Council of Foreign Relations, the Business Roundtable, The Business Council, and the U.S.-India CEO Forum.
Early life
Born in 1964, Schroeter completed his undergraduate studies in economics and finance at Temple University located in Philadelphia. He further advanced his education by obtaining an MBA from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.
IBM
Schroeter began his professional journey as a corporate banking officer before joining the ranks of IBM in 1992. Throughout his tenure at IBM, he undertook various responsibilities across Japan, the United States, and Australia. From 2007 to 2011, he served as the company's treasurer. In 2011, he was appointed general manager of IBM’s global financing division. On January 1, 2014, Schroeter succeeded Mark Loughridge as IBM’s chief financial officer, a role he fulfilled until 2017. During his time as CFO, he prioritized IBM’s transition toward cloud services and data analytics within financial operations and represented the company at prominent industry events. Notably, in 2017, he appeared on Mad Money hosted by Jim Cramer to discuss IBM’s financial prospects.
On January 11, 2018, Schroeter advanced to senior vice president of global markets at IBM, reporting directly to CEO Ginni Rometty. He concluded his career at IBM by retiring in June 2020.
Kyndryl chairman and CEO
Schroeter was named CEO of an IBM spin-off concentrating on IT infrastructure services on January 15, 2021. Initially referred to as NewCo, this publicly traded entity manages extensive data center operations and cloud infrastructure for a global client base. Under his leadership, the company served approximately 4,600 customers across 115 countries, maintained a $60 billion service backlog, and employed around 90,000 staff. The company adopted the name Kyndryl in July 2021.
In November 2021, Schroeter assumed the combined roles of chairman and CEO at Kyndryl. The company completed its initial public offering on the NYSE on November 4 that year. By August 2022, Schroeter emphasized Kyndryl’s strategic diversification into technologies beyond IBM’s legacy systems, including cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity solutions. He acknowledged that many inherited contracts from IBM were initially unprofitable; profits declined during 2022 but improved in 2023 as Kyndryl expanded its service portfolio. Schroeter remains at the helm of Kyndryl as both chairman and CEO.
Boards and councils
Schroeter holds memberships in the Council of Foreign Relations, Business Roundtable, The Business Council, and the U.S.-India CEO Forum. As chairman of Kyndryl, he highlights the critical role of its operations in India within the company’s strategic framework. In October 2023, Schroeter and his spouse Susan were guests at a state dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden honoring Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.