IBM appoints new CTO

By Staff Writer for IBM
Johannesburg, 21 Nov 2008

IBM has named Clifford Foster as its chief technology officer for Sub-Saharan Africa.

Foster has 17 years' experience in the IT industry and has worked at IBM since 2001. In his role as CTO, Foster will help IBM devise and create new research and development initiatives and investments in Sub-Saharan Africa.

He will also be charged with helping IBM clients, government agencies, universities, business partners and others understand the full scope of IBM research and innovation initiatives.

“Clifford is going to become a champion for IBM technologists in the region to share in IBM's research and development successes, and help them lay a foundation in which to cultivate and grow their own local research and development initiatives. He will make sure the region benefits from innovation occurring around the world,” said Mark Harris, GM of IBM Sub-Saharan Africa.

IBM opened its first Africa Innovation Centre earlier this year and Harris hopes Foster's appointment will increase innovations from the centre, and other facilities such as its Integrated Delivery Centre and Business Continuity and Recovery Services centre.

“Our technical colleagues in growth countries around the world are absolutely critical to IBM's future, yet their technical communities are still relatively young,” notes Foster. “It is up to us to ensure the experience and expertise of our research, development and innovation technologists in local markets gets shared across all of IBM in all countries for the benefit of our clients, economies and communities.”

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