Robert Thomas, IBM's Senior Vice President of Software and Chief Commercial Officer, presented at the Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference on March 3, 2026. The session focused on IBM's key growth drivers following strong performance in software segments. Discussion highlighted the company's strategic shifts since 2020.
The Morgan Stanley Technology, Media & Telecom Conference 2026 took place on March 3, 2026, at 11:30 AM EST. Erik Woodring, from Morgan Stanley's Research Division, introduced the session and welcomed Robert Thomas, IBM's Senior VP of Software & Chief Commercial Officer.
Woodring began by noting disclosures available on the Morgan Stanley research website. Thomas expressed appreciation for the invitation, stating, "Thanks for having me. Great to be with you."
The conversation delved into IBM's growth prospects. Woodring referenced the company's performance exiting 2025, where three of four software subsegments achieved double-digit growth. He also mentioned that the mainframe business had a record year, which helped counter slower growth in services.
Looking ahead, Woodring asked about medium-term growth drivers for IBM. The discussion touched on leadership changes, noting that in 2020, Arvind Krishna assumed leadership with an insight that IBM could position itself uniquely in its market.
This presentation underscores IBM's emphasis on software and mainframe strengths amid varying segment performances.
