Louis Gerstner, the businessman credited with rescuing IBM, has died aged 83.
He served as chair and chief executive from 1993 to 2002, during a period of deep uncertainty.
IBM was losing relevance as rivals such as Microsoft and Sun Microsystems gained ground.
Gerstner became the first outsider to lead the company.
He scrapped plans to break IBM into smaller units, instead keeping it integrated.
He believed customers wanted complete solutions, not fragmented technologies.
IBM’s current chief executive, Arvind Krishna, said that decision ensured the company’s survival.
Krishna praised Gerstner’s focus on clients and long-term relevance.
Gerstner shifted IBM away from hardware dependence toward services and integration.
He also dropped the OS/2 operating system, conceding ground to Microsoft Windows.
Before IBM, Gerstner led American Express and RJR Nabisco.
After leaving IBM, he became chair of the Carlyle Group.
Colleagues remembered him as demanding, direct, and intensely focused.
His leadership reshaped IBM and secured its future in a changing industry.
