Bob Lord Biography

Bob Lord, is IBM’s first Chief Digital Officer, where he is missioned with bringing together the IBM Digital Business Group. He is responsible for overseeing the digital sales organization, routes to market and offering teams, and IBM’s development ecosystem and startup group (IBM Ventures). Bob is the co-author of the book “Converge: Transforming Businesses at the Intersection of Marketing and Technology,” which discusses how technology, media, and creativity are uniting and how this shift is revolutionizing marketing and business strategy. Bob holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in Engineering from Syracuse University.

As an engineer out of college, Bob was intrigued by the promise that technology can have on business and marketing. He decided to go back to school to study business and apply his technology background in a new environment. After receiving his MBA, Bob joined a consulting firm focused on technology and business innovation. Little did he know that marketing and technology would eventually collide.

After stints in leading positions at consulting firms and the healthcare technology space, Bob landed at Razorfish in 1999 as chief operating officer. At that time, technology wasn’t advanced enough to deliver innovation at scale and the industry collectively watched as the bubble burst. However, the past decade has truly seen the convergence of marketing and technology. In hindsight, his early career experiences primed him for this shift.

Bob's job evolved over the years; from chief operating officer of Razorfish, he served as president of the east region for six years, before becoming global CEO in 2009. The best part of his job was working with clients and his teams. He loved selling new work, challenging ideas and driving innovation within the organization. Making a difference for clients and their bottom lines, and helping them communicate with consumers like never before — that’s where he gets his energy.

In 2013, Bob joined AOL as CEO of its flagship technology group, AOL Platforms. AOL sits at the intersection of technology and marketing, powering platforms that over 2500 brands and agencies and over 40,000 publishers rely on to drive convergence. From January 2015 through January 2016, he served as President of AOL, overseeing the Company's unified global advertising operations.

Bob is an active member of the TED community and a founding member of The Nantucket Project. Whenever he can, Bob enjoys biking, surfing, competing in triathlons and spending time with his family. Bob holds a MBA from Harvard Business School and a BS in engineering from Syracuse University.

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