IBM Appoints New Chief Sustainability Officer Christina Shim
Christina Shim has been appointed as IBM's Chief Sustainability Officer. Christina, formerly the global head of IBM Sustainability Software, brings almost 20 years of experience at the intersection of business, technology, and impact.
Wayne Balta, IBM's Chief Sustainability Officer, is retiring effective June 15. He will be succeeded by Christina Shim, Vice President, Product Management, IBM Sustainability Software, effective May 2.
During a remarkable 40-year career, Wayne has been the steward of IBM's commitment to environmental leadership and at the forefront of driving the company's global environmental results. He has also helped sustain the company's leadership on product safety. He is the architect of the global environmental management system that has ensured IBM's regulatory compliance and also enabled voluntary leadership initiatives which have garnered extensive recognition for IBM. His external eminence includes the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association for Environmental Management, and being named a White House "Champion of Change" by President Obama.
“At IBM, we are always looking for new ways to unlock the power of technology and transform our operations to become more efficient, increase productivity, and create a better employee and customer experience,” said Joanne Wright, Senior Vice President, Transformation and Operations at IBM. “We are excited about this announcement, and we are confident that Christina’s expertise will build on top of Wayne’s legacy to advance our sustainability efforts even further.”
Christina currently leads IBM's sustainability software business, driving growth, partnerships and innovation using AI and hybrid cloud. She also serves on IBM's AI Ethics Board and ESG Executive Steering Committee. Christina has transformed and created strategy and operations for Fortune 500 firms, startups, non-profits and government organizations globally. She was recently recognized as one of Fortune's Most Powerful Women Next Gen on climate change, and has represented IBM on climate change and the intersection of AI and sustainability in the media, at COP and the World Energy Congress.
"I’m thrilled to take on this new challenge and keep driving forward IBM's important environmental work leveraging the power of technology,” said Christina Shim, IBM’s Chief Sustainability Officer. "IBM serves as client zero for many of the technologies it brings to market, leveraging our own solutions and innovations to make a lasting, positive impact through sustainability and in our business. From minimizing climate-related risks to creating and implementing industry solutions that harness the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and hybrid cloud, we will create more pathways to better conserve natural resources and reduce environmental impact."
IBM has a track record of setting precedents; it has held environmental commitments for over 50 years and continues to lead the charge through research, advocacy, and coalitions. In addition, we believe AI-powered solutions can be a powerful tool for sustainability by accelerating problem-solving and helping us address climate change. Aligned with this vision, Christina will bring to her new role top industry practices in sustainability, including a deeper implementation of technology and infusion of data and AI into daily operations to further advance IBM’s sustainability journey.
