Leonard leads a global team focused on applying IBM Research innovations in AI, quantum computing and hybrid cloud, to dramatically accelerate the scientific and industrial discovery of new materials and molecules underpinning urgent problems in manufacturing, semiconductors, healthcare, drug discovery, and climate and sustainability.
Previously he was the integration executive and director of product management for IBM’s $34B acquisition of Red Hat, with the responsibility of moving IBM’s software, cloud, and consulting services onto the Red Hat platform to build out IBM’s hybrid, multicloud cloud capabilities. In that role, he led the launch of over 50 new IBM enterprise products built on Red Hat including Cloud Paks.
Before that as director of product management for IBM’s Software as a Service portfolio, he launched over 70 products across multiple business units spanning cybersecurity, healthcare, Internet of Things, supply chain, digital marketing, talent and collaboration, and financial services. He was also Chief of Staff to the Senior Vice President of IBM Software & Research, driving strategic alignment across 9 business units with over 30,000 staff, and shaped new strategic partnerships with IBM’s largest clients. He started his career building IBM’s software solution business in healthcare, life sciences and defense.
Leonard is a graduate of Carnegie Mellon University with a BS in Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Economics, and an MS in Electrical and Computer Engineering, where he researched artificial neural networks, pervasive computing systems, ad-hoc sensor networks, and virtual and augmented reality. He also studied computer science at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland.