CEO Louis V. Gerstner Jr.'s memoir about the extraordinary turnaround of IBM and his
transformation of the company into the industry leader of the computer age - the great American
business story of our time. When Louis V. Gerstner became CEO of IBM in 1993 shares had
slumped and the company was on the verge of collapse. Hired for his successful management of
RJR Nabisco and American Express Gerstner had no background in technology but during his
seven-year chairmanship he transformed the company into the leading force of the computer age.
In his frank direct voice Gerstner recalls the obstacles he faced: the plans to fragment the
company the inconsistent global policies the stodgy white-shirt hierarchy and
inter-departmental competitiveness and the rapidly declining sales. Within months of joining
IBM Gerstner presented his bold and controversial business strategy. Punitive towards office
politics he revolutionised the company from within altering an entire corporate culture
divesting billions of dollars in unneeded assets and transforming IBM from a fractured
process-driven business into a nimble customer-driven enterprise able to respond quickly to
the volatile technology market and face down Microsoft and Intel in the internet era. Revealing
his tactics step by step Gerstner spins an engaging narrative that takes the reader behind the
curtain into the unbelievable mess he inherited and into the office and mind of a CEO facing
the challenge of a lifetime.
