Marilyn Johnson, Vice President, Market Development, IBM Corporation

Marilyn Johnson is Vice President, Market Development based in Armonk, New York. In this capacity, she leads an organization responsible for developing IBM’s strategy for and marketing to businesses owned or operated by Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Native Americans and Women in the Americas. Her mission includes women owned and women led businesses in selected markets around the globe.

She is an executive with extensive management experience in sales and marketing in the information technology industry. Ms. Johnson’s previous IBM positions, with US and worldwide responsibility, include director of financial services sector marketing, director of eBusiness infrastructure, and director of worldwide sales operations. She has had executive positions in key business units including the Systems and Technology Group, Printing Systems Division, the Distribution Industry and marketing headquarters locations. She has had management and operational responsibility in North America, the Middle East, Africa, Latin America and Asia. In 1999 Marilyn led the merger of IBM and Sequent Corporation Web-server sales. Marilyn is a graduate of John Marshall University and holds two Masters in Education degrees. She is a member of the Executive Board of the Council for Better Business Bureaus. She is also, a member of the Executive Boards of the Asian Pacific Islander American Scholarship Foundation, the National Council of Negro Women, and she is a charter member of an American Airlines Marketing Advisory Council. She has been applauded for her active commitment to mentoring and coaching activities. Marilyn has been a featured speaker for numerous professional organizations around the world, including The World Diversity Conference in the City of Prague in the Czech Republic, the Black Women Executive Roundtable hosted by the Mayor of Paris, France, and B.I.G. (Blacks in Government), Washington, DC. Johnson represented IBM and accepted the "2007 Corporate Supporter of Women Entrepreneurs Award" in Beijing, China.

In recognition of her sales achievement, she has received numerous awards. On behalf of IBM Market Development she accepted the Center for Women’s Business Research, “Leading By Example Award”. She was recently recognized with the “Corporate Visionary Award” from The Count Me In - Women’s Business Growth Forum and named one of “The Top 25 Influential Black Women” by The Network Journal Magazine. Marilyn was inducted into the YWCA of New York City’s prestigious Academy of Women Leaders and is a Sequoyah Fellow. Marilyn has been featured in Working Mother Magazine, ESSENCE Magazine, Minority Business News, Women’s Enterprise Magazine, Financial Times – United Kingdom, The Atlanta Tribune, Global Executive Women and The Network Journal Magazine. She has two children, Erinn and Christopher.