IBM technology and technical assistance to eliminate key barriers to school reform and improve student performance. He is co-author of the book Reinventing Education: Entrepreneurship in America's Public Schools.

The speaker
Gerstner is a director of Bristol-Myers Squibb Company and a member of the advisory boards of DaimlerChrysler and Sony Corporation. He is vice chairman of the board of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, a member of the board of the Council on Foreign Relations, a member of The Business Council, and a fellow of the America-China Forum. In past years he served on the boards of The New York Times Company; American Express Company; AT&T; Caterpillar, Incorporated; Jewel Companies; Melville Corporation; and RJR Nabisco Holdings Company.

Accomplishments
He has received numerous awards for his work in education, among them The Cleveland E. Dodge Medal for Distinguished Service to Education — Teachers College, Columbia University, and the Distinguished Service to Science and Education award from the American Museum of Natural History.

In recognition of his efforts on behalf of public education, as well as his business accomplishments, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Gerstner the designation of honorary Knight of the British Empire in June 2001.

In business and in office
Louis V Gerstner, Jr, was chairman of the board of IBM Corporation from April 1993 until his retirement in December 2002. He served as chief executive officer of IBM from 1993 until March 2002.

In January 2003, he assumed the position of chairman of The Carlyle Group, a global private equity firm located in Washington, DC.

Prior to joining IBM, Gerstner served for four years as chairman and chief executive officer of RJR Nabisco, Inc. This was preceded by an 11-year career at American Express Company, where he was president of the parent company and chairman and CEO of its largest subsidiary, American Express Travel Related Services Company. Prior to that, Gerstner was a director of the management consulting firm of McKinsey & Company, Incorporated, which he joined in 1965.

A lifetime advocate of the importance of quality education, Gerstner recently created The Teaching Commission to develop specific policy recommendations to deal with the teaching crisis America is facing. From 1996 to 2002, he co-chaired Achieve, an organisation created by United States Governors and business leaders to drive high academic standards for public schools in the United States.