https://www.axios.com/2024/05/01/ibm-sarah-meron-chief-communications-officer
18 replies (most recent on top)
Agree with @2nfv+1sjui9aD, the email announcing Carla’s abrupt departure — saying she was considering her options, (ouch!) — and Jonathan taking over Marketing in addition to Comms was cold. Have always suspected that Jonathan ghost wrote the email for Arvind.
Happens so rarely at IBM that it is satisfying when those with big egos and are useless get their due.
The best part of the Carla canning was that they cleaned house of all her immediate staff. And they all deserved it!
Arvind seems to be allergic to women in big positions. He canned CMO Carla PS, he canned CIO KG, he canned GM Design.
Yup, Carla was a slow starter. She joined the company and declared she was going on a 60 day listening tour and would not make any decisions. She then took a bunch more time to synthesize the findings and preview them with her peers. When she shared her findings, we were underwhelmed by her blindingly obvious findings. She then further delayed taking much needed action by launching a global re-org that was ill conceived and pushed out alot of good talent. All the while, the Demand Gen pipeline was declining. Glad Arvin took action.
She was a perdedora. Even AK knew it, which says a whole lot.
I worked with Carla on a project. She had a good head on her shoulders and had some solid visionary thinking.
The project was abruptly ki-led when Arvind fired her. Remember that debacle of an email to all staff, followed by a second email which was a pathetic attempt at fixing the mess created by the first email?
From what I was told, the decision to send Carla packing was all Arvind.
I still remember Arvinds email to all staff when when CMO Carla S was canned. He said she was considering her options. Cold.
https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1eRIc9ek
This post is the best. Bob Lord the "visionary" that ran AOL into the ground. How bad do you have to be? IBM is a trash company run by unconscionable trash executives.
She was a DEI hire and accomplished zilch. She was not hired by any corporation and still has no real job. Check for yourself.
I think it is funny that all re-orgs, layoffs, RAs are now suddenly linked to AI in the majority of news articles now. Total B.S.
For @1xit+1sjui9aD
Here are the posts when she left -- these give a clue
https://www.thelayoff.com/t/1eRIc9ek
Feb 1 2021 Carla joined as CMO and Jan 18 2022 Carla exited as CMO.
Shortly after, Carla posted on Twitter: Feels like now is as good as a time as ever to break with dry January
Carla was at IBM for about 9 months working to figure out what was happening and formulate a marketing direction for 2023. Then "poof." She was gone. I don't know if it was her choice or Arvind's. But she was going to be good. Maybe too good. So they tapped Jonathan who on day one said "I don't know anything about marketing." Wow! Build that confidence why don't you!! Anyone have more details on Carla's departure??
Anytime they use the word reorg or processes, that means layoffs.
In 2022, there was both a Chief Communications Officer (Jonathan) and a Chief Marketing Officer (Carla). When the Carla abruptly left, both jobs were rolled under Jonathan and he became SVP, Marketing and Communications. Now 2 years later, he has backfilled himself in the Chief Communications Officer job and he is looking for a new CMO to report to him.
You're free to name executives by name, then people will know what you're talking about, even at the expense of your giving up that "I'm in the know feeling" that so many people treasure, when lacking anything more significant in their lives.
In 2022, there was both a Chief Communications Officer (JA) and a Chief Marketung Officer (CP-S). Then when the CMO abruptly left, both jobs were rolled under JA and he became SVP, Marketing and Communications. Now 2 years later, he has backfilled himself in the Chief Communications Officer job AND he is looking for a new CMO to report to him.