Phil Gilbert

Phil Gilbert is a prominent technology and design leader best known for transforming the role of design within IBM. Over the course of his tenure at IBM, Gilbert helped lead one of the most significant enterprise design transformations in the modern tech industry, embedding user-centered design into the company’s global product development and culture.

Gilbert joined IBM through the acquisition of his startup, Lombardi Software, where he served as co-founder and CEO. Lombardi was a pioneer in business process management software, and its integration into IBM marked the beginning of Gilbert’s broader influence within the company. As General Manager of IBM Design, he was tasked with revitalizing IBM’s approach to product development at a time when the company was seeking to become more agile and customer-focused.

In this role, Gilbert launched IBM’s large-scale design thinking initiative, hiring and training thousands of designers and introducing practices that emphasized empathy, rapid iteration, and cross-functional collaboration. Under his leadership, IBM built one of the largest design teams in the world and developed the widely adopted IBM Design Thinking framework, which helped teams across the organization create more intuitive, user-friendly products and services.

Beyond design, Gilbert also played a key role in shaping IBM’s cloud and AI strategy, contributing to the development and growth of platforms such as IBM Cloud and IBM Watson. His work bridged the gap between technical innovation and user experience, ensuring that complex enterprise technologies were accessible and valuable to customers.

After leaving IBM, Gilbert has continued to be active as an advisor, investor, and thought leader, focusing on the intersection of design, technology, and business transformation. His legacy at IBM endures in the company’s continued emphasis on design as a core driver of innovation and competitive advantage.