Louis Gerstner, credited with rescuing IBM from decline, has died aged 83.
The company confirmed his death on Sunday.
Gerstner served as chair and chief executive from 1993 to 2002.
He took over when IBM was struggling against rivals such as Microsoft and Sun Microsystems.
As IBM’s first external leader, Gerstner rejected plans to break the firm apart.
He believed customers wanted integrated solutions, not fragmented technology.
IBM’s current chief executive, Arvind Krishna, said that decision proved vital to the company’s survival.
He praised Gerstner’s focus on clients and long-term relevance.
Gerstner shifted IBM away from hardware dominance towards services and profitability.
He also abandoned the OS/2 operating system, conceding ground to Microsoft.
Before IBM, Gerstner led American Express and RJR Nabisco.
After leaving IBM, he chaired the Carlyle Group.
Colleagues remembered him as demanding, direct, and intensely focused.
His leadership reshaped IBM during one of the most uncertain periods in its history.
