Cantwell, Linda

Linda Cantwell
VP, Business Growth Initiatives, Integrated Supply Chain, IBM

Linda is an experienced supply chain executive with broad IBM cross-functional experience and with focused expertise in all aspects of Procurement.  Linda has a passion for leading teams through times of change and has successfully led several initiatives in the course of IBM’s extensive internal transformation.  Linda is currently driving a new strategic initiative in the IBM Integrated Supply Chain (ISC) organization for Business Growth Initiatives.  The initiative is strengthening IBM’s client offerings in supply chain through the leveraging of the considerable assets and skills of ISC for new differentiated client solutions, providing greater value to IBM’s Clients and driving incremental business growth for IBM.

Linda’s career in IBM has had strong focus in supply chain management, with a specialty in Procurement across all disciplines.  She has been in leadership roles throughout her career, having joined IBM management in 1986 and executive management in 1998.  She has held key roles driving business and organizational transformation as IBM evolved from a hardware-based business to services leadership.  She drove business changes allowing the transformation of procurement teams and policies to bring expertise and leverage to IBM’s Global Services business.  Linda also leads the Talent Team for ISC, applying her passion for personnel development to the need for rapid skills transformation to build stronger cross-functional supply chain professionals with expertise in delivering client solutions.  She is a frequent IBM speaker at external conferences and an executive advocate in IBM’s partnerships with global universities. 

Linda is a graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, with a degree in Finance.  She lives in Cornwall, New York with her husband, John.