Rob Thomas is Senior Vice President Software and Chief Commercial Officer, IBM. He leads IBM’s software business, including product management and design, product development and business development. In addition, Rob has global responsibility for IBM revenue and profit, including worldwide sales, strategic partnerships and ecosystem.
In his over 20 years in IBM, Rob has held roles in Consulting, Microelectronics and Software, including two years leading teams in Tokyo, Japan. In 2007, Rob joined IBM’s software business, focused on data and analytics. He has held a variety of roles including product engineering and business development, leading IBM’s transition from databases to delivering broader analytical capabilities, investing in open source, and eventually artificial intelligence. Rob has also overseen numerous transformational acquisitions, representing over $20 billion in transaction value.
Rob is also the author of four books on technology and innovation. His most recent book, AI Value Creators, was released in 2025 and shares practical ways to plan your generative AI journey to take maximum advantage of this new innovation while transforming your business. Rob’s other books – Big Data Revolution, The End of Tech Companies and The AI Ladder: Accelerate Your Journey to AI – provide essential advice for business leaders on how to navigate the technological transformations that have defined the past decade. Rob also publishes ‘The Mentor’ on Substack (robdthomas.substack.com), sharing monthly lessons on leadership, life and personal development.
Recent Videos
Escape the AI Divide: Why Some Companies Are Surging Ahead
Rob Thomas, SVP and Chief Commercial Officer at IBM, joins Patrick Moorhead at IBM Think 2026 to examine the AI divide: what separates the companies driving measurable margin growth from those stalling in pilot mode. The conversation covers AI operating models, the on-premises gap and Sovereign Core, real-time data architecture via Confluent, and how IBM's WatsonX and Bob address the model orchestration economics most enterprises have not solved.
The View From Davos with IBM's Rob Thomas on Turning AI Spend Into Real Enterprise Value
Rob Thomas of IBM joins Patrick Moorhead and Daniel Newman from Davos to discuss why enterprise AI success depends less on experimentation and more on execution discipline, operational focus, and cultural readiness.
Delivering on the AI Promise: Economic Realities, ROI, and the Path to Customer Value - Six Five On the Road
Rob Thomas, SVP Software & Chief Commercial Officer at IBM, joins Daniel Newman to share his insights on transforming AI challenges into opportunities for value creation.
Six Five Summit Sessions
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Delivering on the AI Promise: Economic Realities, ROI, and the Path to Customer Value
As organizations move from AI experimentation to value creation, many are navigating challenges around strategy, scale, and return on investment. This session discusses key themes from AI Value Creators, including how to align hybrid cloud and AI strategies, overcome barriers to scaling, and approach the emerging wave of AI agents. We’ll also explore market sentiment, investment trends, and practical guidance for enterprises starting their AI journey.
Decode Summit Sessions
