From: bsilver@us.ibm.comTo: Shalom%IBMUS@us.ibm.comSent: 2/21/2009 4:57:29 P.M. Eastern Standard TimeSubj: Shalom for now and May you all find Happiness, Health, and Contentment...
Friends,
Monday marks my last day as an IBM employee.
I have seen many excellent short farewell notes lately, but as you all know I have never been known for my brevity of note writing.
These changes organizationally I believe are right, and are opening the door for me to explore new opportunities outside of IBM.
I started as a Co-Op in college, 24 years ago, in what was a new team focused on Software sales / marketing to help drive hardware sales (at Narional Marketing Division Headquarters in Atlanta).
I am ending my career focused on partner sales leadership of another new business model around software appliances (Data Power).
Here we are today where change is the norm and these changes I hope will keep IBM and all of you strong for many years to come.
Some of my IBM career highlights:
* IBM renting out a hotel, The Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, in 1985, to train IBM Marketing Representatives to understand the value of software and promote a new database offering. (DB2)
* Throwing a toga party at IBM training in Dallas. * Leading the launch of the AS/400 in Jacksonville.
* Being at the World Series for AS/400 sales leadership (keep trying to forget the earthquake)
* Sitting outside of the Fountain Blue hotel (second club) and watching the waves. (Melba Moore singing the national anthem!)
* Putting up an OS/2 Billboard on I-95 promoting the launch of V2 and renting a store at the Jacksonville Landing to promote it as well. (local leadership has its advantages!)
* Joining the Southern Area Software team. (OS/2 Sales Leader and traveling all over the southeast!)
* Creating a new business with internet firewalls and a combined services offering in the 90's for new internet customers (Leading to a Golden Circle and to New York)
* Joining the new Internet Briefing center in Mount Pleasant, NY and being in Somers when e-business was validated and became the mantra for IBM's return to leadership.
* Traveling the world across 4 continents and over 20 countries.
* Leading and launching of a satellite briefing center in the Silicon Valley..
* Traveling with Patricia Saydah through Sweden for a free flight voucher that we both lost, but had a great time. (Another great travel companion!)
* Creating a Community Web Site for Commerce Customers focused on a new Commerce Business Process Model
* Business to Business Commerce marketing and then sales leadership landing me in Dubai. and other parts of the world promoting the value of business to business commerce.
* Receiving a patent for a new approach for business orders that allowed companies to selectively order off of a previous order or purchase order.
* Enjoying Beijing with Nora, Brussels with Nora, ok.. traveling with Nora Sweet
* Working for Sandy Carter, Learning to trust instincts, and leadership skills I didn't realize I had, and learning to work quickly and effectively.
* Watching two employees that worked for me become executives (John Gordon, and Paul Brunet).
* Working for Laurie Bustamante and Kevin Hooper, Leading the IBM and PeopleSoft teams promoting the value of WebSphere, and helping to make PeopleSoft the number 2 ISV behind SAP in driving incremental WebSphere Opportunity and revenue in a little over 2 years.
* Learning to drink Scotch with Ann Saydah and Barbara Formicelli in Orlando.
* Creating the cross sell play and tables for the software brands for SMB that haunted me for at least 5 years. (Thanks Kevin)
* Learning the channels and SMB business from a geo point of view from Dot Vlasic while working for the scholar Mike Antonelli and then having the privilege to work for her till this last day at IBM.
* Leveraging marketing and sales experience to drive unique WebSphere channel activities including unique SOA Partner Sales education, Clothing campaigns, Pipeine building processes and more.
* Marching in the Gay Pride Parade in Manhattan for the IBM Eagle club and having employees of other companies tell us how IBM's leadership led to changes in policy and benefits at their companies. (Thanks Sara!)
* Helping take DataPower from a secondary channel business to a center product for our WebSphere partners in the Americas including unique education, team room, promotions and more. (thanks JR!)
* Learning, that what is more important in a career are the people you work with and the friendships you make.
At WebSphere Top Gun (Intense WebSphere Sales Training), in 2008, the class leader Jim Gideon was one of my bosses from my Co-Op years. His enthusiasm for IBM and professionalism reminded me of the quality and high caliber of the people at IBM from the beginning of my career till now. Also, watching the newer employees at the class and their enthusiasm for being a part of the IBM team reminded me of the pride I have felt working for IBM over the years. (Thanks Paige!)
I started out with a list of people at IBM that have inspired me. As the list grew longer and longer, I realized it was "the people at IBM" that have inspired me to success. It also reminded me of this monument from the Pier on the West Side of Manhattan that expresses my feelings as I approach my last day. (point and click on it with your mouse on the blog and you can see the picture full size)
I wish you all great success... more importantly wish you all the greatest happiness, health and prosperity!
If you want to follow my journey please access my blog at http://absilver.blogspot.com Interestingly it started exactly one year ago Monday.
I have also joined the ranks recently as a Facebook addict.
If you want to reach me:
email is absilver18@aol.com
Phone is 508-246-7965.
And, if you are ever on Cape Cod, come down to Provincetown and we can share a toast to IBM on one of the best porches on the cape!
So Shalom.. for now.. and look forward to our paths crossing again.
Sincerely,
Brian SilvermanCalling in Well! absilver18@aol.com Cell: 508-246-7965
Friends,
Monday marks my last day as an IBM employee.
I have seen many excellent short farewell notes lately, but as you all know I have never been known for my brevity of note writing.
These changes organizationally I believe are right, and are opening the door for me to explore new opportunities outside of IBM.
I started as a Co-Op in college, 24 years ago, in what was a new team focused on Software sales / marketing to help drive hardware sales (at Narional Marketing Division Headquarters in Atlanta).
I am ending my career focused on partner sales leadership of another new business model around software appliances (Data Power).
Here we are today where change is the norm and these changes I hope will keep IBM and all of you strong for many years to come.
Some of my IBM career highlights:
* IBM renting out a hotel, The Waverly Hotel in Atlanta, in 1985, to train IBM Marketing Representatives to understand the value of software and promote a new database offering. (DB2)
* Throwing a toga party at IBM training in Dallas. * Leading the launch of the AS/400 in Jacksonville.
* Being at the World Series for AS/400 sales leadership (keep trying to forget the earthquake)
* Sitting outside of the Fountain Blue hotel (second club) and watching the waves. (Melba Moore singing the national anthem!)
* Putting up an OS/2 Billboard on I-95 promoting the launch of V2 and renting a store at the Jacksonville Landing to promote it as well. (local leadership has its advantages!)
* Joining the Southern Area Software team. (OS/2 Sales Leader and traveling all over the southeast!)
* Creating a new business with internet firewalls and a combined services offering in the 90's for new internet customers (Leading to a Golden Circle and to New York)
* Joining the new Internet Briefing center in Mount Pleasant, NY and being in Somers when e-business was validated and became the mantra for IBM's return to leadership.
* Traveling the world across 4 continents and over 20 countries.
* Leading and launching of a satellite briefing center in the Silicon Valley..
* Traveling with Patricia Saydah through Sweden for a free flight voucher that we both lost, but had a great time. (Another great travel companion!)
* Creating a Community Web Site for Commerce Customers focused on a new Commerce Business Process Model
* Business to Business Commerce marketing and then sales leadership landing me in Dubai. and other parts of the world promoting the value of business to business commerce.
* Receiving a patent for a new approach for business orders that allowed companies to selectively order off of a previous order or purchase order.
* Enjoying Beijing with Nora, Brussels with Nora, ok.. traveling with Nora Sweet
* Working for Sandy Carter, Learning to trust instincts, and leadership skills I didn't realize I had, and learning to work quickly and effectively.
* Watching two employees that worked for me become executives (John Gordon, and Paul Brunet).
* Working for Laurie Bustamante and Kevin Hooper, Leading the IBM and PeopleSoft teams promoting the value of WebSphere, and helping to make PeopleSoft the number 2 ISV behind SAP in driving incremental WebSphere Opportunity and revenue in a little over 2 years.
* Learning to drink Scotch with Ann Saydah and Barbara Formicelli in Orlando.
* Creating the cross sell play and tables for the software brands for SMB that haunted me for at least 5 years. (Thanks Kevin)
* Learning the channels and SMB business from a geo point of view from Dot Vlasic while working for the scholar Mike Antonelli and then having the privilege to work for her till this last day at IBM.
* Leveraging marketing and sales experience to drive unique WebSphere channel activities including unique SOA Partner Sales education, Clothing campaigns, Pipeine building processes and more.
* Marching in the Gay Pride Parade in Manhattan for the IBM Eagle club and having employees of other companies tell us how IBM's leadership led to changes in policy and benefits at their companies. (Thanks Sara!)
* Helping take DataPower from a secondary channel business to a center product for our WebSphere partners in the Americas including unique education, team room, promotions and more. (thanks JR!)
* Learning, that what is more important in a career are the people you work with and the friendships you make.
At WebSphere Top Gun (Intense WebSphere Sales Training), in 2008, the class leader Jim Gideon was one of my bosses from my Co-Op years. His enthusiasm for IBM and professionalism reminded me of the quality and high caliber of the people at IBM from the beginning of my career till now. Also, watching the newer employees at the class and their enthusiasm for being a part of the IBM team reminded me of the pride I have felt working for IBM over the years. (Thanks Paige!)
I started out with a list of people at IBM that have inspired me. As the list grew longer and longer, I realized it was "the people at IBM" that have inspired me to success. It also reminded me of this monument from the Pier on the West Side of Manhattan that expresses my feelings as I approach my last day. (point and click on it with your mouse on the blog and you can see the picture full size)
I wish you all great success... more importantly wish you all the greatest happiness, health and prosperity!
If you want to follow my journey please access my blog at http://absilver.blogspot.com Interestingly it started exactly one year ago Monday.
I have also joined the ranks recently as a Facebook addict.
If you want to reach me:
email is absilver18@aol.com
Phone is 508-246-7965.
And, if you are ever on Cape Cod, come down to Provincetown and we can share a toast to IBM on one of the best porches on the cape!
So Shalom.. for now.. and look forward to our paths crossing again.
Sincerely,
Brian SilvermanCalling in Well! absilver18@aol.com Cell: 508-246-7965
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